Saturday 5 March 2016

Special Branch files give an insight into Grunwick Strike Day of Action


Arthur Scargill remonstrates with police at Grunwick picket (Homer Sykes Archive)
As preparations continue to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the Grunwick strike LINK fascinating Special Branch and Metropoitan Police files have been released LINK documenting their monitoring of this most political of strikes which included interventions by the Freedom Association and the National Union of Miners.

I well remember the sight of the NUM marching into Willesden on the Day of Action on July 11th 1977 and joining the demonstration in support of the mainly female and mainly Asian strikers. Locally the support of Cricklewood postal workers was vital.

Thanks to the Met you can read all about it!


1 comment:

Pete Firmin said...

Wonderful - all violence at Grunwick was by the pickets. Tell that to anyone who was there (and the fairies). Police were vicious, including use of the Tactical Support Group, their attack dogs. Very interesting and useful list of banners present on the day.