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When National Front leader John Tyndall visited Edinburgh on June 11th, he got the kind of protection the fascists have come to expect from the Scottish police. After he'd assaulted an anti-fascist police moved in to arrest four protestors, including the injured comrade. They were charged with assault. Tyndall wasn't. Indeed he got star treatment with tea, smiles and a police escort.
Tyndall had good reason to be angry. In answer to a call by the local Anti-Racist Committee protestors had beseiged him and Front Scottish leader, Michael Corfield, in the Radio Forth Studios where they were being interviewed.
The press gave Tyndall's visit full coverage allowing him plenty of room to state his race hating views. With the fascist's decision to stand 2 candidates in Edinburgh and one in Dundee such publicity was a big boost for them.
The response to that campaign from the labour movement needs to be better than on June 11th when some lavish promises from figures in the Labour and Communist Parties never materialised. Only a few yards from the picket 10,000 miners and trade unionists, led by Mich MeGahey and Tony Benn, were marching past as part of Scottish miners day. Their leader did nothing to even publicise the anti-fascist protest.
The Front's danger is seen in Edinburgh where their recent renewed activity has coincided with a number of attacks on Asian Shops. The fascists are also trying to cultivate links with the Orange para-militaries.
CHRIS BAMBERY