SPECIAL BRANCH THREAT ASSESSMENT

News International Print Dispute

Daily Overview Saturday 17th May 

1. There was no significant change in the general picketing situation
at the three sites featuring in the continuing dispute between News International
and the print unions during the past twenty-four hours. No incidents were reported
and newspapers were produced and distributed without disruption.

2. XXXXX It remains possible that no more 
than about 2,500 persons will support the event. Significant numbers of political extremists will again be present although indications are continuing to be received
that enthusiasm is waning for the weekly 'mass picket'. More left wing journals
monitored this week appeared to be preparing the ground for eventual abandonment of the issue by shifting the blame for the failure of their efforts to the 'abandonment' of the union membership by print union leaders, who even now were preparing to sell out their members by
negotiating a deal with Rupert MURDOCH concerning his offer of
the Grays Inn Road plant. The shortfall in numbers on Saturday nights is also
blamed by most such publications on police tactics in policing the demonstrations which
are variously described as 'intimidatory' and 'calculated to ensure that demonstrators
are dissuaded from returning on future occasions'.

3. Despite the foregoing, the attitude of those still attending the
weeds-end pickets at Wapping is continuing to harden, probably in direct proportion
to the increasingly held view that the cause is lost, and the sense of isolation
created by the lack of real support from other sections of the working class
movement. It is this sense of 'hopelessness' which drives many of the strikers
present to vent their frustrations against police and the sparks of violent confrontation 
so generated are then fanned by the factions of the left who may be relied upon to
exploit such conflagrations for their cynical propaganda purposes in which they
receive much able, and valuable, assistance from Members of Parliament and other
prominent political figures of similar persuasion, some of whom are known regularly 
to attend the Saturday pickets in the role of 'observers'.

4. There continues to be no indication that organised opposition is being
planned to tonight's demonstration.


Chief Superintendent