Race Relations Act Exposed

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(No. 2) from Tom Nicholls The article on Race Relations in Nottingham has brought us mail from several readers, including a report by the National Council for Civil Liberties which was sent to us by Tom Nicholls: "The Race Relations Act has now been used against the Oxford Committee for Racial Integration whose members were picketing a colour bar hairdresser in Oxford. The Committee had originally advised a girl who had been refused service to complain to the Race Relations Board, which pointed out that the shop did not come within the scope of the Act, A member of the Committee tried unsuccessfully to meet the manageress. Other customers were refused and a methodist minister then went to see the manageress who denied discrininating. <A week later an Indian girl was refused an appointment,

Race Relations Act Exposed / continued A — oe ee decided to organise a small, peaceful picket

. ¢ ° potice were informed the day before it was due eu areas Inspector Isherwood of Oxford City Police, who is Wolds itt sada for Racial Integration" informed the Committee that the i — could be in breach of bye-laws and the Public Order Act. oe, st 5 picketers, including two clergymen, Councillor Olive Gibbs

irman of OCRT were arrested, ... and charged with ‘displaying insult si whereby a breach of the peace was likely to be occasioned ro a epee ator. eee. ublic Order Act 1936, as amended Section

rh, : : rs para be dismiss«.d are certain questions posed by this incident, Tees the police ine. .uding theofficer responsible for race relations think

e important to stop a peaceful and responsible protest rather than make enquiries about the situation which prompted it? Why were costs refused to the defendants? Why was a policy decision taken at high level to arrest the picketers even before the picket took place? Why was the Public Order Act ussd when no threat to public order existed? Why was the Race Relations Act used against racial integrationists?"