Miners' defence campaign launched paigning for him to get his job back. Meanwhile, messages and letters of solidarity are of vital importance. All messages should be sent care of the NUM Branch, Bold
Miners' Welfare Institute, Fleet Lane, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside. The NUM will
Garry Millward; S. Neath; Terence CapStick; Clive Thompson; Robert Latham; Ian Black; Paul Truman; Michael Eyrebowho; M. Hobson; Steve Wakefield; Neil
In H.M. Prison, Lincoln, Greetwell Road, Lincoln LN2 4BD: Steven Wakefield; Steven Gregory; Victor Gregory; A. Edwards; S. Meeth; Jimmy
In H.M. Prison Featherston, New
During the course of the miners' strike over ten thousand miners have been arrested, along with fifty women supporters; 5,000 miners have been injured on picket lines and four have died. Miners and their families have not only had to endure the physical hardship of the strike, they have also found themselves in the dock for offences ranging from assault on
Panile have s to mitted no nine e east to light foreheir fors and coe er Ron Statian, Pal ith vete munities and to have kept on fighting even when the TUC and other trade union leaders had failed them. The full armoury of the state has been unleashed to punish the miners for their resistance.
1 campaign is being launched in Britain to raise money and solidarity ior those in prison and to support their families. Manv of them have also been sacked by the National Coal Board and will, therefore, face added hardship when they are released. Rank and file activists internationally have shown massive support for the strike and it is vital that this kind of support continues in defence of the prisoners and their families.
During the 11½ months of the miners' strike out of the 10,000 miners arrested more than 150 have been imprisoned.
Many more are being held on remand - for instance over 100 in Armley in Leeds,
Yorkshire, alone. Towards the end of the strike, the courts began to take full advantage by hearing many cases that have been pending for weeks, some up to
The first woman, Brenda Greenwood, was jailed in Risley for defying bail conditions that instructed her to keep away from the picket at Ollerton in Nottinghamshire, when she attempted to prevent her husband from returning to work!
In South Wales, 103 miners are still waiting for the courts to hear their
They are accused of causing criminal damage during an occupation of the cranes at Llanwern Steel Works. In Kent, miners leader Terry French, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment.
The miners and their They are political Police were concentrating on arresting miners who they identify as the main strike organisers and spokespeople, who also seem to be incurring the most severe
In the majority of the coalfields, defence campaigns Several have existed for months, raising for the families of miners in prison, organising messages of support, and major rallies, meetings and publicity. Recently a national campaign was established with striking miners and miners' wives attending from all the coalfields the exception of Durham and Lancashire represented.
Below is a list of miners who are in prison - overall there are over 150. Messages of support are especially wel-
In H.M. Prison Armley, Leeds, LS12
Road, Wolverhampton, WV10 7PU;
John Ellis; Mark Glore; Peter Newbold;
Billy Taylor; Mark Grove.
Ranby, Retford,
Nottinghamshire DN22 8EU:
Robert Andrews; M. Wyville; Peter Coop-
In North Sea DC, Frieston, Boston,
Lancashire PE22 OQX:
Todd Booth; Chris Hyman; John Wall-
In H.M. Prison, Strangeways, Southall Street, Manchester M60:
Chris Thomas;
In H.M. Prison, Wandsworth, PO Box
757, Heathfield Road, London
Terry French B (five years)
H.M. Prison, Haverigg, Millam,
In H.M. Prison, Cardiff, Knox Road,
Cardiff CF2:
Russel Shankland 883752; Dean Hancock
In H.M. Prison, Sudbury, Derby DE6
Andre Bradley; Kevin Neal.
Open Prison, Derby DE6
James; Peter Pearson. Michael more information
Yorkshire Defence
Street, Sheffield. Tel: Sheffield 701384.
A national campaign for the prisoners is about to be launched and information about this can be obtained from Martin
Walker, 01 854 8888.
In Pontefract,
Yorkshire, a major
Dennis PENNINGTON campaign has been established in defence of nine miners arrested (one of whom has been sentenced to six months imprisonthe small mining village of
On February 19, Dennis Pennington was condemned to three months in prison for
Fitzwilliam, in connection with incidents offences on the picket line. Dennis is a supporter of Socialist Action, a British on July 9, when police invaded the village revolutionary socialist paper and during the strike he was closely involved in the late at night wreaking havoc in their wake solidarity work of the sections of the Fourth International.
- leaving three people in hospital. In
He and two others were accused of acts of violence and damage to private prop-
Bold NUM spokesperson,
In fact, they tried to turn back a car full of scabs. The two other miners
Dennis Pennington, has been jailed for arrested with Dennis were eventually released but Dennis was charged, obviously because of the leading role he has played in the strike.
Many miners who have been arrested
Dennis might be lucky and get out of jail by April 19 on good behaviour. Perhave had stringent bail conditions imposed haps the most serious thing is that Dennis stands to lose his job as a result of his on them, even before their case has been imprisonment. On February 20 he received a letter from the National Coal Board
Peter Smith, Branch saying that he was to be sacked. As he himself said in a letter to the PSO, the
Secretary of Fryston colliery in Yorkshire
Belgian section of the Fourth International, 'The judge is not only denying me my was banned from the county and forced liberty, he has also condemned me to unemployment.' to live in Southport, separated from his
Dennis is a member of the Bold, Lancashire branch of the NUM which is camwife and family.
When eventually his case was heard, he was found to be innocent of all charges.
The courts were being used to break up the determination of striking miners.
International Viewpoint 25 March 1985 forward all letters to Dennis.
MIDDLE EAST_
were the hardcore of the Gush Emumim [the Block of the Faithful, a leading force in the movement to establish fortified Jewish settlements on the West Bank]. "They were more than a little bit shocked during the Lebanon war. Because they were in combat units and they suffered