1/ TO BE RETAINED AS TOP ENCLOSURE Cabinet Documents Reference 41c. .43 9 41x44 ?Q/Lba?t/lh?w 53 1 Mr The above-listed Cabinet documents, which were enclosed on this file. have been removed and destroyed. Cabinet documents are the responsibility of the Cabinet Office. When released they are available in the appropriate CAB (CABINET OFFICE) CLASSES Signed WW Date ?19 JR Green Prime Minister?s Office 10 Downing Street PRIME Bermuda: Black Power Conference 31) The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary's paper gives most of the Population figures give an idea of the scale of the essential information. some 3, 000 problem. The resident population of Bermuda is about 50, 000, of whom live in Hamilton. . main questions likely to concern the Col'l?lrnittee are:- 2. The the origins of the situation; the reliability of our intelligence; the adequacy of the military plan; the chances of winding up the commitment quickly and the longer term prospects. Qriainrs The plan to hold a conference has been known for some months; and all Committee members have seen the Defence Secretary?s minute of 13th June, suggesting that we should have banned it, together with the Foreign and CommonwealthSecretary's convincing reply, i. e. that to impose a ban would have required legislation and possibly aroused more unrest and that the ban The Ministry of Defence could not in any case have been effectively enforced. fully accept the Foreign and Commonwealth Office reasoning; and I would hope that the suggestion will not need further discussion, With Anguilla in mind, some members may well question the assessmen This,'however, is a very different situation from Anguilla. made in the paper. Since Bermuda is still a dependent territory we have more direct information than would be the case with e. g. an Associated State. The problem has also been under examination for a long time; and, while the course of civil unrest, once it starts, is always unpredictable, it seems unlikely that, if there is trouble, it will have been due to avoidable intelligence shortcomings. The military plan The plan is a compromise between the military ideal of timely preparedness and the need to avoid unnecessary provocatiom The planned level of forces should prove to be adequate in conjunction with a local police force of around 250. The Bermuda Regiment of about 250 men can also be embodied; but this is a volunteer unit and not very highly trained in internal security duties. The preferred reinforcement route is through Gander; but SECRET 2. Although no accurate figures are at present available on the numbers likely to attend the conference from outside Bermuda and it is unlikely that we shall have a clear indication of the numbers until immediately before the conference, it is understood that Roosevelt Brown, the organiser, has scheduled 22 leaders for the seven work- sheps and has already negotiated for 17 of which 16 are from the Caribbean and one from America. The remainder of the leaders are expected to come from the Central Committee on Black Power Conferences Some leaders have been asked to arrive in June, but in America. It now appears that the most are not expected before 9th July. figure of 1,500 delegates to this conference, (given in was intended to represent the total number of those attending and not just delegates from outside. While it is impossible to give anything approaching a firm figure for the likely number of visiting delegates, there are new indications that there may be no more than about 200 from outside Bermuda. It is reported that the conference will be Opened by C.L.R. James, he is reported to be outside 3. a veteran Trotskyite author from Trinidad; the main stream of current Trotskyite and Black Power activity and is unlikely to set a provocative tone. The conference will be closed by Senator Dudley Thompson, QC, known as a radical and unscrupulous he is reported to feel very critic of the Jamaican Government; It is believed that the strongly about the colour question. conference will also be addressed by Bishop Bright, a negro Methodist leader whose district includes Bermuda. 4, At present there seems little indication that thezidult coloured Bernudians favour violence, and the air of respectability which the conference will gain through being addressed by Bish0p Bright, who will probably advocate non?violence, will be likely to have a generally sobering effect. There is, however, considerable enthusiasm for Black Power among the youth in Bermuda who are eagerly awaiting the conference. Even though Brown appears not to have been as successful as he hoped in getting financial backing for the conference and dele- gates to attend, it is virtually certain that some militant Black Power leaders will be present in Spite of the stop list. The SECRET are likely to engender amongst the . - hreat to the peace. There is a real :1scliheod.c? an incident, such as a drunken brawl, being whipped up militant professional rabble-rousers into a serious racial riot. Also the possibility exists that the mobilisation of local security forces, any obvious pre?positioning of forces from the United Kingdom and the implementation of the step list would be seen by the locals as provocative measures and could spark off a riot. Such a riot could start at any time over the conference period and would be likely to lead to considerable damage to property and possibly to less of life else. As we said in our last report the local security forces would probably not be strong enough to contain serious or scattered disturbances for more than about 12 hours. 5. Brown is known to be urging his youthful followers, although not in connection with the conference, tetiemonstrate and has suggested a take-over of the Education Department building, sit- or lock?ins at various schools and a sit?down demonstration in the House of Assembly grounds when the House is in session. Although such demonstrations do not in themselves constitute a current serious threat to internal security during the present school holidays, it is possible that a peaceful demonstration by youths during the conference could well be whipped up by militant leaders into a much more serious demonstration very quickly. The sit?in type of demonstration is most likely to occur when the schools re?assemble in the Autumn. 6. In summary, we have no firm evidence that violence is planned,' but the very nature of the conference and the characteristics of the people likely to be involved together will create a situation where there is a serious possibility of widesPread violent racial dgmonstra- tions taking place at short notice before, during and.after the conference which the local security forces would be unlikely to keep in check for more than about 12 hours. (Signed) N.R.L. BRISTOW for Secretary, Joint Intelligence Committees Cabinet Office, s.w.1. 23rd June 1969 SECRET CABINET COMM giggA} NOTE Note was appro gating on THURSD Power.Aoblviti? ad by Roosevelt of the 3611111154 7 196% The or: hough we only I: is likely that ill 9.131: and unti their minds uni be available 1 rhich are exp eci .s to be conduO' be scattered CABINET WEEIGENCE comm JIcg A) NOTE Note was approved by aeting on 12 mm CONFERENCE 10th: Power Activities ed by Roosevelt Brown of the Bermuda Hone 1969. The organism hough We only know 0: is likely that we 8 ill ett end until imn their minds until 131 be available in so: rhich are expectecl .s to be conducted '1 1m: annifnm? SECRET (THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC GOVERNMENT) 3+ COPY Noo manager) 92 32th June 1962 CABINET JOINT INTELLIGENCE (A) A NOTE Note was approved by the Joint 12th JUNE 1 969. The following Intelligence Committee at their meeting on THURSDAY, BERMUDA: BLACK POWER CONFERENCE 10th?13th JUEY 1969 rThe Conference and Black Power Activities 1. The Conference called by Roosevelt Brown, an opposition Progressive the Bermuda House of Assembly, is due to take Labour Party (PIP) member 0 ,500 Visiting place from 10th?4 3th July 1969,, delegates will attend, though we only know 0 it is likely that we shall not have a clear indicat- il immediately before the conference, The organisers hope that 1 some 50 who have so far definitely accepted; ion of the numbers who will attend unt ir minds until the last moment and funds to as many may not make up the may not be available in some cases. Apart from two or pay for the trip essions which are expected to take place in Hamilton the three plenary a the conference is to be conducted in seven separate "workshops". work 0 The venues for these may be scattered over the island. 2. Although the Central Committee of the PLP has decided that the party will not formally sponsor the conference the support being given it by the Youth Wing has been endorsed and the militant elements of the PLP are The Youth Wing'is holding well attended. and the PLP intends to hold its firmly in control of the party. forums with racialism as the main theme, annual ?md-raising fair, which will have strong Black Power themes, from 3rd-5th July. SECRET 3. Whatever Roosevelt Brown's intentions may be as to how the Conference should be conducted, militants both from within and from outside Bermuda might becbme involved in incidents with which white police might have to deal (the majority of the Bermuda police are United Kingdom expatriates). Such events could spark off major disturbances as could official action against speakers at the conference who might transgress against the new Bermuda Race Relations Bill, and action to implement the stop list. 4' 2222229 The police force is 266 strong of whom about 170 are from the United-Kinngm. The internal security capability of the force is based on a riot control organisation able, at maximum effort, to provide ten riot units with a total effective operational strength of 150. These units are equipped with batons, shields, respirators and tear smoke only. Unit ,p u? commanders carry sidearms. ?g ran-i 5. Bermuda Regiment. This is a part time infantry unit of about 400 (Headquarters and two companies). It is 80 per cent coloured and the Commanding OffiCer has said that he Can raise 250 men for duty at short notice. From theSe two platoons (each 35 strong) would be available riot control duties, the rest of the force being for guard and support duties. The riot patrol platoons are equipped with tear smoke and rifles. 6. Reserve Constabulagy. There is a Reserve Constabulary of 80 all ranks, which is assigned to static relief duties in police stations. 7. Effectiveness. There are known to be a number of Black Power supporters in the police and in the Bermuda Regiment: in the event of trouble they could well reduce the effectiveness of these forces. The police force, because of the preponderance of white policemen, is not ?popular with the coloured population. The Overseas Police Adviser, following a very recent visit to the island, has reported that if major disturbances occurred in Bermuda external reinforcements would.be likely to be required within 12 hours and this has been endorsed.by the Governor. General Outlook 8. During the period leading up to and embracing the Conference a potential exists for disturbances more serious than previously experienced in Bermuda and in certain parts of Hamilton the situation is already I