Sari squad?

Anyone know anything about these women?

Then there was the legendary Sari Squad. These were women, mainly of south Asian origin, who were experts in various martial arts and ready and willing to take on any racists who would try to spoil our fun. They fought with style, and would usually burst into song after seeing off any attackers.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/28/if-we-did-nothing-we-would-be-killed-on-the-streets-benjamin-zephaniah-on-fighting-the-far-right

I'd take anything he said

I'd take anything he said with a pinch of salt.
It sounds a bit like the women vigilante groups in India that started up (or got into the UK papers) a few years back.

Wojtek, I wanted to start a

Wojtek, I wanted to start a thread on the same topic when i read that! Cheers!

No info myself on it, sadly..

I don't care if it's not

I don't care if it's not true, I want someone to make a film about them.

I'm not sure it doesn't sound

I'm not sure it doesn't sound like some martial arts film that's already been done. The plot sounds awfully familiar.

Quote: The Home Office's

The Home Office's hard line has forced Afia and her baby into hiding for more than one year. They have been protected by a courageous group of Asian women known as the sari squad. The sari squad should be congratulated on sheltering and supporting Afia and her baby. It has campaigned for her — it organised a meeting in the House which 200 people attended. I was pleased to sponsor it. It also organised a demonstration at the Tory party conference, although it fell on deaf ears. Indeed, some of its members chained themselves to the railings of the Home Secretary's residence, for which they were arrested and suffered ill treatment. They were charged with obstruction and put in cells overnight—cells which stank of urine. The women were strip-searched, forced to remove their saris and dragged along a corridor in front of male police officers. The police subsequently changed the charge from obstruction to breach of the peace, as that was the only way they could justify keeping the women in cells overnight in the first place. The charges were, of course, thrown out when they came before the court.

via Hansard

They also seem to have been featured in a Tower Hamlets community video, but I can't see much mention of fighting and singing.

Yeah good thread I also wondered about this when I read that! There is a picture lower down the page on the same article of people with placards saying "sari squad". So yeah if anyone has any info please let us know

jef costello wrote: I'd take

jef costello

I'd take anything he said with a pinch of salt.

Why's that?

May be about what i blogged

May be about what i blogged about a few years back

http://mailstrom.blogspot.com/2007/11/self-organisation-of-working-class.html