The arrest of the leaders of the Black Power movement has been well publicised. Although for legal reasons it is impossible for us to comment on the actual charges some things can and need to be said.
First, one is struck by the use of a familiar device: that of remanding in custody. This means that a person is punished before they have been on trial, let alone had a chance to defend themselves. One of the chief principles of British Justice is thus completely ignored: that of a person being innocent until found guilty.
Of course, it is easy to envisage circumstances in which the state machine feels it necessary to detain someone because that person might flee. But in this particular case - which has all the hallmarks of a political show-trial - it can hardly be thought that Obi Egbuna and his colleagues are likely to give up their entire political activity by doing a bunk.
Secondly, we are profoundly disturbed by an almost complete lack of solidarity on behalf of white socialists with the Black Power comrades. Obi Egbuna has spoken at both the mass solidarity demonstrations of October 22nd and March 17th. Yet to our knowledge, not one of the journals on the left which support the VSC has protested against the remands in custody.
Black militants have formed the opinion that this silence is due to a combination of fear and opposition to the whole idea of Black Power. The latter feeling, our Black Power comrades believe, has racialist roots - which may or may not be unconsciously held.
We must confess that it is not difficult to see some logic in this opinion: witness the shocking failure by the left to protest against the trial of Michael X (many on the left criticised THE WEEK for making a stand on this question.) Those who want to refute these charges can do so easily all they have to do is show solidarity with Obi and his colleagues.