220A1 222 FREESATPAL CAMPAIGN TACIST ATTACK BEHT BAKA {IGKI BACI SATPAL AN FREE EVEN THE West Yorkshire police can agree that the recent rots were sparked by heavy handed police intervention in a football game in the centre of Manningham, Thereafter explanations run in every direction: atienation be tween young. Westerised* men and their fathers; the anger against prostitution on Lumb Lane, shown in vigilante attempts to drive women off, police repression; the bad social conditions in the area.
There is truth in each of these.
Oak Lane, the seat of this uprising, has two building looming over its top end. One is the vast nineteenth century Lister's Mill. Largely empty it is not, after all, to be converted to the Northern home of the Victoria and Albert Musetim.
The other is and give a robust a modern police station with a 15-foot wall around it. For- that a new merly located in modest old buildings a few leadership could hundred yards away on the borders of though more Manningham, the police moved into its heart a year or have a go on this two ago. It is as if the building Issue that their was shouting elders. The uprising "Here we are, and we're gor ing to jump on turn to a militant you if you do form of politics anything we don't like.
Talkers West Yorkshire's Chief Constable is one of the new breed of sophisticated talkers, but some residents complain that they have been subjected to old-fashioned aggressive policing when they did not want it and to a lack of response when they did want it.
During the recent confrontations, a respected local teacher attempting to calm the situation was promptly arrested for his show of leadership! Nevertheless the willingness of the youth to tur out and give a robust response to police harassment suggest that a new independent political leadership could develop.
Manningham is a run-down inner-city area with a large concentration of black people - in this case 'Asians'. A large proportion are young and born in Britain. Unemployment is high and many of the young men have a street culture.
Right-wing commentators have expressed puzzlement about Why sudder gone wrong in this munity". To ask thin to ignore history. There have been other dance the tore der sample doring the furore, over Verses A demonstration an th city centre broke down into skir mishes between young men and mounted police. The youth, though more Westermised were more prepared to have a go on this issue that their elders. In the late 1970s, the community mobilised against a sational Front march and fought the police who protected the Nazis. In the course of this struggle, well-organised and militant Asian Youth Movement groups were built in Bradford and other towns. It was the police response to their tacThe willingness of tics of "self the youth to tur out defence by Many means necessary response to police which led to the Bradharrasment suggest ford 12 trial in 1982. This Indopendent political kind of organisation no longer dovelop. The youth, exists. Some of the former 'Westernised' are leaders more prepared to dropped out of activity or left the area. At least one threw bis could herald a new energies into Islam. There has also been a degree of involvem ent in the Labour Party, with a growing number of Asian concillors. Labour Bradford Council has turned strongly Labour since being won back in 1990 from heavy-duty Thatcherite Council Leader Eric Pickles. However the policy of a wallop in the face with the *dented shield adopted produced little to celebrate and has no real leadership. At the beginning of May, an Asian Labour councillor lost nearby Toller ward to an Asian Tory amid allegations that some Labour members had canvassed support for the Conservative. The recent uprising could herald a new turn to a militant form of politics. However, given the failing of the trades unions and the Labour Party i he area, and the spread of Hamas slogans on the walls of Manningham, there is no guarantee that this will go in a progressive direction.