Richard 'Cartoon' Campbell died in Ashford Remand Centre on March 31st. He is yet another number to add to the official list of 273 deaths in police custody. Three months have passed and still no explanation for his death has been given.
ARREST Richard was arrested on 1 March, allegedly attempting to break into a sports shop in Brixton. He spent a weekend in Brixton police station and was remanded to Lewes prison after appearing at Camberwell Magistrates Court.
A week later, he admitted attempted burglary and was sent to Ashford Remand Centre. Three weeks later he died in the hospital wing.
From the time of his arrest to the time of his death -four weeks - none of his rel. atives were told where Richard was.
ILLNESS The family were later told that Richard was mentally ill; that he had given a false name; that he refused food; that he tried to escape and had to be 'restrained'. If all this is so, why was no effort made to contact his relatives? saw him the day before he was arrested & a friend saw him the day he went to Ashford - on both occasions he ever, a probation officer who saw Richard twelve days before he died described him as 'haggard and drawn' and as having lost 'a phenomenal amount of weight' CAMPAIGN of Richard Campbell held a march from Balham to Brix. ton to demand a public enquiry into his death. Supported by groups in the Black and labour movement, the rally at the end linked his fate to that of Liddle Towers, Jimmy Kelly and Blair Peach.
Socialist Action supported the march and the decision to build a really determined campaign to find out: what happened to Richard? How did he die? Why did he die? Lift the lid of police brutal. ity and legalised murders!
The family and friends of Richard have started a campaign to demand a public enquiry. For further information, contact: FORC, 136a Lavender Hill, London SW11 or phone 01-672-9643 (Continued) His mother, Jean Campbell, Black leaders.
was happy & fit as usual. HowOn 5th of July, the Friends figures.
ALERT SOUTH AFRICA (cONT.)
repression. Well over 1000 students have been arrested and detained, under the regime's various security laws, as have numerous These include Curtis Nkundo, former President of the Azanian Peoples' Organisation, and Bishop Desmond Tutu, general secretary of the anti-apartheid S. African Council of Churches.
Where demonstrations & strikes went ahead, the police and army were let loose with a vengeance... By the end of June, it was estimated that well over 32 Blacks had been killed and 175 wounded. If anything, these are conservative The seriousness with which the regime views the growing 'unrest' The dangers facing the apartheid regime have caused concern not only in Cape Town but in London and Washington too. For them, South Africa remains the only reliable bulwark they have in the region after the fall of Mozamb. ique, Angola and - most recently Maintaining stability in the area - and preserving their massive investments there - depends to a large degree on the strength of the racist regime which acts as a 'police-keeping force'.
This is why the upsurge among the Black population - led by a determined Black working class - frightens them in their boots. Such an upsurge might not only topple apartheid but also take over their massive economic in -vestments on behalf of the work.