'25 police were militarily positioned outside the Rainbow theatre in Finsbury Park, North London, last week. Squads of police were also placed nearby – at the tube station, near bus stops and down side roads. The 60 to 100 youths standing outside the Rainbow were not an unusual sight for the night of a performance. What was different was their colour. For these were black youths – waiting for their friends or thinking of ways to get in to see the evening's performer, Bob Marley. And they were targets of the increasingly common police harassment and intimidation at black social gatherings.
In response to such racist intrusion and killjoy tactics of the police, black youths have taken up the challenge. In Handsworth, Birmingham, several people were injured following a sell out appearance of sugar Delroy Wilson at the Rebecca club. 900 fans were turned away, but many remained at the club in the hope they might be allowed in. The police were called and a battle began. At least 14 police officers were reported injured following the battle' (Socialist Challenge - International Marxist Group, 9 June 1977)
