Fitwatch truly hopes that they do not get their wish. Thatcher was a prime architect of repressive policing and institutional racism. If we allow such a woman to be honoured in this way, what does that say about us?

Thatcher was a consistent apologist for police violence, racism and corruption:

She colluded in the police cover-up at Hillsborough and the fabrication of witness statements to suggest it was the fans, not the police, who were responsible for the deaths of 96 people.

She defended the infamous ‘sus’ laws that were used to harass, attack and humiliate Afro-Caribbean communities, and militarised the police in response to the 1981 riots. She also happily played up to fascist views, famously promoting the idea that Britain was becoming ‘swamped’ by immigration.

She encouraged the police in their brutal attacks on trade unionists during the many strikes that dominated her period in office, and colluded with the police to tell a pack of lies to the media. Police falsified statements to show that the police charged at Orgreave with batons and horses only after striking miners had attacked the police. They used this lie to try and fit up 93 miners with riot charges.

The Metropolitan police have tried to frighten people away from protesting at Wednesdays funeral with scare stories and threats. They announced they would be monitoring social media, and have refused to rule out pre-emptive arrests. They have now said they will ‘prioritise’ section 5 public order act, which gives them huge discretion to arrest if anyone causes ‘offence’.

They do this because they are scared. They know how much this woman was hated. Lets get to the streets, and tell the world that Thatcher was not worthy of honour.

Weds 17th April
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