Comments on: Securing the right to protest http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2009/04/securing-the-right-to-protest/ for free expression Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:09:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Zdzislaw http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2009/04/securing-the-right-to-protest/comment-page-1/#comment-1278 Zdzislaw Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:47:10 +0000 http://www.indexoncensorship.org/?p=1965#comment-1278 Police violence against demonstrators in London 1 April 2009 Two cases have been highlighted of people being assaulted by police: Ian Tomlinson because he died and Nicola Fisher because she is a woman – and in both cases video evidence shows very clearly what happened. Police authorities will try to pass off Tomlinson and Fisher as isolated cases using the ‘rotten apples in the barrel’ argument. However this approach deliberately deflects attention from the wide scale use of police violence. The truth is that tens (if not hundreds) of demonstrators, who were neither violent nor vandalising property, were beaten with truncheons, riot shield, or were kicked or punched by police officers. Officers removed their identification number en masse precisely so they could assault with impunity. Many of the victims were people who were corralled for hours into street concentration pens (the so-called kettling) who could not even leave the demonstration if they wished. After several hours without food, water or toilet facilities demonstrators were allowed out the kettles, only if they agreed to identify themselves and be photographed. No legal authority for this exists; yet neither police management nor the government cares. It is impossible not to draw the conclusion that police tactics were to punish demonstrators, not to police the demonstration. And the government is quite content, it would seem, to let that stand. For the government Lord West has already congratulated the police on their operation. The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is anything but independent, has thus got the political support to procrastinate and to exonerate the police whenever it can. We need not hold our breath for them to finish their deliberations. Indeed Tomlinson and Fischer need justice in their individual cases. But what really needs to happen is that large numbers of these police thugs need prosecuting and should be dismissed from the police force – and those senior officers in charge of these police on April 1st should be put on trial for conspiracy to assault. The fact that nothing like this will happen shows just how far Britain is from being a liberal-democratic society governed by the rule of law. Police violence against demonstrators in London 1 April 2009

Two cases have been highlighted of people being assaulted by police: Ian Tomlinson because he died and Nicola Fisher because she is a woman – and in both cases video evidence shows very clearly what happened.

Police authorities will try to pass off Tomlinson and Fisher as isolated cases using the ‘rotten apples in the barrel’ argument. However this approach deliberately deflects attention from the wide scale use of police violence.

The truth is that tens (if not hundreds) of demonstrators, who were neither violent nor vandalising property, were beaten with truncheons, riot shield, or were kicked or punched by police officers. Officers removed their identification number en masse precisely so they could assault with impunity.

Many of the victims were people who were corralled for hours into street concentration pens (the so-called kettling) who could not even leave the demonstration if they wished.

After several hours without food, water or toilet facilities demonstrators were allowed out the kettles, only if they agreed to identify themselves and be photographed. No legal authority for this exists; yet neither police management nor the government cares.

It is impossible not to draw the conclusion that police tactics were to punish demonstrators, not to police the demonstration. And the government is quite content, it would seem, to let that stand.

For the government Lord West has already congratulated the police on their operation. The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is anything but independent, has thus got the political support to procrastinate and to exonerate the police whenever it can. We need not hold our breath for them to finish their deliberations.

Indeed Tomlinson and Fischer need justice in their individual cases. But what really needs to happen is that large numbers of these police thugs need prosecuting and should be dismissed from the police force – and those senior officers in charge of these police on April 1st should be put on trial for conspiracy to assault.

The fact that nothing like this will happen shows just how far Britain is from being a liberal-democratic society governed by the rule of law.

]]> By: Sandy http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2009/04/securing-the-right-to-protest/comment-page-1/#comment-1253 Sandy Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:24:52 +0000 http://www.indexoncensorship.org/?p=1965#comment-1253 A member of the public was swiftly dealt with by the courts for his RBS infringement. Not so the police actions, these are slowly dissolved away while videos are cut and edited to reveal little evidence of brutality. Clearly the style of behaviour of TSG is that without a uniform these thugs would be arrested for grievous bodily harm and manslaughter with hours. Not this lamentable delay while the MET spin doctors invent a solution. If this was Paris the French would have turned to arms. Not so these courageous young people who raised their arms to prove they were peaceful. A member of the public was swiftly dealt with by the courts for his RBS infringement. Not so the police actions, these are slowly dissolved away while videos are cut and edited to reveal little evidence of brutality. Clearly the style of behaviour of TSG is that without a uniform these thugs would be arrested for grievous bodily harm and manslaughter with hours. Not this lamentable delay while the MET spin doctors invent a solution. If this was Paris the French would have turned to arms. Not so these courageous young people who raised their arms to prove they were peaceful.

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