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Remember the Pentonville Five, when workers' solidarity shook the system
ROGER SUTTON reflects on the mass action that freed imprisoned dockers on this day in 1972, which is to be commemorated later this year in an event drawing parallels with the struggles of workers today

IN the blazing of summer of 1972 mass working-class action forced the release of the five docker shop stewards.
In the last week of July, the action being taken by workers reached its highest point and, as a massive march reached Pentonville prison in north London on July 26, the gates of the grim Victorian jail were opened and let out the five.
Workers had been walking off jobs across the country. Solid strike action had turned over the ruling-class attempt to smash unions.
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