Police blame violence on rights activists

Press, 10 April 1980, Page 9

Police blame violence on rights activists

.ZPA-Reuter London The British Police Federation has blamed Easter violence at British seaside re-] sorts on the undermining of law and order by civil-rights wd other groups. Mrs Mary Whitehouse, the morals campaigner, has said television is partly responsible.

Traders and hoteliers were; still clearing up yesterday] after a spate of violence be-1 tween rival gangs reminiscent of the mods and rockers clashes of the early 19605. All was quiet in the two worst - hit towns — Scarbnrni'qh. North Yorkshire, and Brighton, Sus-sex. two nundred and seventeen people were arrested in Scarborough and four policemen and 50 holidaymakers were treated in hospital for injuries.

There were 73 arrests in Brighton. i Clacton, Margate, Great! Yarmouth, Southend, and ; Weston-Super-Mare were also hit as mods, rockers, punks,; and skinheads ran amuck f along seafronts. i i Mr Basil Griffiths, vice-]! chairman of the Police a Federation, said that- the vio-jt lence at resorts and at Bris-’j tol last week was “the cul-'j mination of a campaign to : undermine the respect for,} law and authority by civilrights and other groups |1 which has been evident for,] over a decade.” 1 Mrs Whitehouse urged (hep Home Secretary (Mr William] Whitelaw) to consider the!, role of television, as he ' looked into the violence. !; “It is one cause which 1could, given willingness and] determination, be dealt with] I far more quickly and effeci tively than can, say, living 1 conditions and unemployment." Other towns were also hit by violence. A gang of youths ran amuck through a 'fairground at Great Yarmouth, and at Margate the; police arrested 20 people] .after hundreds of mods 'poured into the town. Ayr, on the Firth of Clyde, •was also hit by mods and rockers, and 20 people were i arrested. i In London the police arj rested 16 teen-agers after a J disturbance at the end of an I Easter fair at Finsbury Park, Jin which a gang of about I 200 youths pelted policmen] with rocks and stones and ; smashed a couple of shop windows. Twenty-eight Bristol City fans were arrested at nearby Shoreham after celebrating their team's 1-0 victory at