June 18, 2009 by alunparry

Justice For The Shrewsbury 24

I’m proud to announce that I will be playing for the Justice For The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign on July 4th.

Please support the event if you can.

More details will be posted soon but there will be a noon rally at the monument outside the Shrewsbury Council Officers.

Speakers include actor Ricky Tomlinson, who was one of those jailed for his trade union activities.

For those who want to know more about what this campaign is all about I attach this note from the Justice Campaign.

Also, have a look at this rough recording of my song for Des Warren which I wrote recently. I’ll be singing it on the day.

After the 1972 Building Workers’ National Strike 24 Trade Unionists were tried at Shrewsbury in a hostile act perpetrated by a Tory Government to criminalise picketing. A number of these men were given severe prison sentences. Best known of them were Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson, who became referred to as the “Shrewsbury 2.” Des died as a direct result of the treatment that was meted out to him during his lengthy incarceration.

Successive Governments both Tory and Labour, have remained unresponsive to the calls for these perverse judgements to be set aside, and for these men to be cleared. There is now a renewal of the campaign, even after all this time, and the death of some of those involved, to secure justice for these Trade Union Comrades.

The time has come to get justice for all of the 24 Trade Unionists who were political pawns whose only crime was to support their Union by picketing. The campaign is also calling for a Public Inquiry to expose the role of successive governments and the secret services in the events surrounding this important time in labour history.

The March and Rally in Shrewsbury is symbolic because this was where the main trial took place. The actual events that led to them being charged took place in Telford so there is even more reason that the event on July 4th is supported by all local Trade Unionists. It’s time that Justice was finally done and pardon given to those who have been criminalised for being Trade Unionists, there only crime was in fighting for decent terms and conditions.

#campaign#des warren#ricky tomlinson#shrewsbury