Breaking a Butterfly on a Wheel

In February 1970 a Greek Week was held in Cambridge, with support from the Colonels' regime, and from local travel agents. At the Royal Cambridge and Garden House Hotels there was some minor trouble from demonstrators concerned at propaganda support being given there to the Greek fascist regime. On a Friday evening 'about 400 demonstrators gathered at the Garden House. They picketed to dissuade people from going in to a Greek evening dinner. They also hoped to hear an exiled Greek [democratic] deputy's speech. It seems that some demonstrators went further, such as drumming on the windows. Police reinforcements arrived. Violence flared on both sides, the dinner was invaded [though not by the demonstrating undergraduates, but by the police, Ed.] and the River Suite room damaged. Around 10.30 Police dogs arrived and the violence ended. Six students were arrested [outside the hotel and picked up randomly from the crowd, Ed.]. The Cambridge Evening News called it a riot, starting the journalistic hype. The Proctors were forced to give evidence at the ensuing trial of nine people for inciting riotous assembly. How those people were singled out (seemingly by the Proctors) caused resentment towards the Proctors for many years afterwards.'

Judge Melford Stevenson described by a Court of Appeal judge, Sir Robin Dunn, as "the worst judge since the war", controversially gave long prison sentences to the Cambridge University students for taking part in demonstrations against the military government in Greece.

The Labour government at the time, under intense economic pressure from its failing policies under Harold Wilson and most unpopular with the young, and with its own wider movement, for its illiberal and statist civil liberties stance, was determined to make an example of 'toffs' (Cambridge undergraduates) causing trouble for 'decent, hard working people'.

Lilith's Girl has been charged for taking part in a demonstration against the Iraq war.