NCJ Number
107552
Date Published
1986
Length
41 pages
Annotation
This monograph reports on the March 1986 investigation by the National Council for Civil Liberties into policing methods, particularly roadblocks, used in the dispute between News International and the printing unions and their effects on residents of Wapping, Great Britain.
Abstract
Key sources of information included statements from 55 residents and observations of policing methods, residents' protest meetings, and marches. During the International News dispute, police set up roadblocks across a wide area of Wapping to ensure the passage of News International trucks. Residents were asked to show proof of identity and denied access to local streets. Residents complained that police were often rude and hostile and neglected normal policing duties, such as investigating thefts. Moreover, heavy trucks were allowed to use narrow residential streets and break the speed limit. The report describes the demographics of Wapping; residents' complaints and protest actions; and the effects of roadblocks on public houses, social clubs, bus service, and taxi service. It concludes that the policing methods were probably illegal, but reflect a new development in police public order tactics seen previously at Molesworth, Stonehenge, and during the miners' strike. Maps and photographs.