TONY BENN used his platform at the May Day rally in Chesterfield to argue for a "complete amnesty' for all miners now in jail and all trade unionists or councillors 'fined or imprisoned under the repressive laws passed by the present government'.
A future Labour government he argued would immediately release and pardon all miners in jail and pay back all fines and sequestration funds.
"Tory laws', he told the crowd, 'have been used against decent people whose only offence has been to defend jobs.' The results of last week's county council elections gave real hope that the Tories would be thrown out at the next election.
'The Prime Minister's brutality towards the miners explains the loss of a great deal of her support."
The campaign of legal intimidation being waged by the Tory government against the NUM suffered a defeat last Thursday in South Wales.
Eight miners were acquitted on charges of unlawful assembly at Newport Crown Court. The trial, a test case, will determine whether another 31 miners will be brought before the courts on similar charges.
These charges arose from the occupation of Newport transporter bridge last August by miners to prevent the movement of coal and coke to the Orb Steel-works.
Charges of riotous assembly were dropped early in the week after the court saw a BBC film of the occupation.
This filmed record of the event vividly contradicted the statements given by police witnesses at the trial. Prosecution barristers also attempted to employ legal precedents established during trials of republicans in Northern Ireland to justify the charges of riotous assembly brought against the miners.
Judge Michael Gibbon banned all solidarity demonstrations within a quarter mile of the court. He ordered that Mary Crofton, secretary of Newport miners' support group, should be reported to the Attorney General for alleged contempt over the contents of a leaflet distributed outside the court.
Newport Trades Council and Newport West CLP have passed resolutions expressing deep concern about this ruling and its implications regaraing me democrauc rigat lo demonstiale When Charles and Diana stayed in the port of Livorno on 25 April, they were given a reminder of some realities. The luxury yacht Britannia was confronted by another ship, flying the Irish Tricolour with 'Coal Not Dole' emblazoned across it.
Responsibility was claimed by two of the parliamentary candidates of the revolutionary socialist organisation, LCR. Their action appeared prominently in Corriere Della Sera, the main Italian national daily.
OVER 90 Leeds on 27 April. in defence of sacked and imprisoned miners. The large number of women from the support committees were particularly determined that no miner should be left isolated in prison or on the dole.
Betty Heathfield opening the conference urged everyone to build on the political gains of the strike. She emphasised the importance of the new levels of international soldiarity and the massive commitment of women in the mining communities to take up a wide range of political and social issues.
Her final message was that resolutions are no substitute for action.
Sammy Thompson (Yorks NUM) and Dave Feickart (NUM Research Officer).
In the last session, conference decided to establish a Leeds Miners' Defence Group. It aims to publicise the cases of individual miners and offer help and hospitality to wives and children of jailed miners visiting prisons in Yorkshire.
The Group is appealing for up to date information about sacked and jailed miners in Yorkshire and seeking links with other groups in the country. • Contact Ann Jones, 245 Winrose Drive, Belle s. Isle, Leeds, LS10 3HA TOI ies «'estrema MP esta dei people attended an open conterence in Other speakers included