Ricky Tomlinson in Shrewsbury ‘flying pickets’ protest march
Wednesday 30th June 2010, 8:01PM BST.
Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson is to lead a march in Shrewsbury as part of a campaign to clear the name of workers jailed over the “flying pickets” building workers’ strike nearly 40 years ago.
Union leaders, MPs and a campaign group have been calling for a fresh investigation into 24 workers who were tried in Shrewsbury. They were accused of violent crimes during the national strike of builders in 1972.
The “Shrewsbury Two” - Tomlinson and Des Warren – were both jailed for two years for their part in the incident, another man received a lesser term and 21 others received suspended sentences.
A march as part of the campaign will take place in Shrewsbury on Saturday, followed by a rally outside Shrewsbury Crown Court, where the group was sentenced in 1973.
Guest speakers at the event will be the general secretary of the RMT Union Bob Crow and president of the Public and Commercial Services Union Janice Godrich.
The film director Ken Loach has thrown his weight behind the campaign by recording an intro to a music CD which will be released and sold on the same day as the march.
Robert “H” O’Harney, secretary of the Shropshire and Telford Trades Council, which has organised the event said: “It’s important that this miscarriage of justice is overturned and that these men have their names cleared for being in a trade union who’s only crime was trying to improve the terms and conditions of their members.
Criminal
“That’s why hundreds of people from all over the country will be in Shropshire this Saturday in support of this campaign.”
He said a case was being prepared to be put forward to the Criminal Case Review Commission and if successful it “could see the case being referred to the Court of Appeal.”
Mr O’Harney said the purpose of the march and rally was to raise much needed funds for the costly legal fees and help raise awareness and the profile of the campaign.
He said: “Last year a similar event attracted more than 300 people and it is expected that the turnout will be far greater this year.”
The march will start at 11am from the Abbey Foregate Car Park in the town.
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Please help me here. The article states that they were accused of violent crimes and then goes on to explain the sentences they received.
Would it not be more accurate to say they were found guilty of committing violent crimes?
And what is the basis for expunging their records? There is no mention of new evidence, a miscarrige of justice, mistaken identity, ….
All seems a bit half-baked to me. I am guessing there are many more worthy causes to pursue.
This strikes me as being completely politically motivated as opposed to clearing the names of people that have had the opportunity to live honest and full lives since 1973 (assuming they were let out early for good behavior). The tory salopian system vs the TU’s.
Out there people are dying, starving, being abused, raped, killed, … Put your efforts towards something useful. And relevant.
Peace.
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Ricky my son, get over yourself mate. Nobody cares or remembers anymore. Stick to what your good at. There are far more severe injustices in the world than the one you hark on about.
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GULITY AS CHARGED.
Ricky Tomlinson knows fully well what he and his gang of bully’s did that day in Telford. They arrived by the coach load carrying baseball bats & pick-shaft handles and demanded the workers stopped. Many people were violently threatened, fighting broke out and one poor man lost his eye trying to work in order to provide for his family.
Is it ok now for a man with his fame & money to try and changed history to read the way he would like to see it?
The people there that day will not forget the truth, ever!
You were guilty as charged Ricky!
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My Dad was on the “lump” at the time of the builders strike, he could not find work with a big company and was self employed and money was very tight, with no strike pay he had to work or we would starve, Mr Tomlinson and his friends violently terrorised people like my father. To his death my father never forgave him, and seeing what he did to my dad nether will I. It makes me sick when I see him as a “celebrity” I know him for what he was and still is.
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Injustice should always be fought. Ricky and the other Shrewsbury pickets were campaigning for a decent living wage and were set up and victimised for doing just that.
Keep up the fight Ricky.
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The building workers strike in the early 70′s was a success and resulted in better pay and safer working practices. The subsequent arrests and jail sentences were purely political and the result of a state backlash against a successful joint trade unions campaign, driven by the vengeful Tory administration. This campaign and the fight for justice is even more relevant today in these austere times as the ConDem cuts bite. As the working classes shoulder the burden of City greed unions are again under attack. Don’t believe all you read in the press!. Our rights to protest and campaign for better pay and conditions are ever being eroded. Please support the Shrewsbury24 campaign!.
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If anyone has seen the old film news reel about Shrewsbury history they will have seen the behaviour of the police as reported by ATV in the early 1970s.It was an example of what was to come when the police were used by government as a private army to quell the miners.
My brother in law an inspector in the police at the time of the miners strikes, left the job in the end unable to stomach the position police officers were put in.
Ricky Tomlinson is a very intelligent person and I don’t blame him trying to put right an injustice.
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I’ve seen the old news reports about people trying to get to work in buses with cages on the window whilst their colleagues and friends throw rocks at the windows
I’ve seen the photos’ of people walking accross building sites armed with pieces of wood, looking for anyone who dares to try and work to support their families.
I’ve seen old footage of hundreds of people standing outside factories unable to earn money and feed their families because a union shop steward told them to do so.
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