Weds 1st April: G20 protests - discussion, reaction and chat

Panorama programme on police tactics.

"The Metropolitan police's controversial tactic of containing large numbers of protesters against their will, known as "kettling", will be challenged in a case lodged tomorrow with the European Court of Human Rights that claims the practice is a fundamental breach of liberty."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jul/19/metropolitan-police-kettling-human-rights

goodoh

er... let's wait for the result before cheering.

Ah, they've found a new stooge:

I wonder what he was really up to...

bookmarks is a vaguely nearby bookshop...

Very good programme, especially highlighting the Radley Lakes Community Protest and the tactic of criminalisation used against ordinary citizens trying to safeguard their community's environment, health and well-being for future generations.

Save Radley Lakes saw the open use of hired "security management" who proceeded to act as thugs against the peaceful community campaigners. This was and is a noteworthy advent. Protestors at Radley Lakes were trying to prevent the dumping of ash into their lakes that contained mercury, cadmium and arsenic. "Large corporations are able to suspend freedoms we thought to enjoy":
The above quote and link from Channel4 News in March 2007, highlights what ordinary people are up against in their fight against the injurious acts of multinational corporations.

In another part of the world, the fight to save ancestral lands from pollution and environmental devastation resulting from tar sands oil-extraction by had £53 million donated to put toward the costs of the lawsuits needed to fight against the pollution of the environment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/20/canada-cree-tar-sands.

Just heard about that on the radio. I hope the officers involved feel ashamed of their behaviour.

But will it make any difference to policing of protests in the future?

I just heard an interview with this woman or Radio 4.
Absolutely shocking description of what she experienced.
The interview will be broadcast in full on tonight's Newsnight.

Maybe kettling is over, and maybe it's over before the Oxford Circus case gets to Strasbourg.

all about the "lessons to be learnt"

Channel 4 after the ads on NOW

of course if people put half the effort into avoiding being kettled in the first place that they do into moaning about it after the event then the tactic of kettling would have been stopped as ineffective many years ago.

not quite the word i'd have used in the circumstances.

A total of 37 people have been charged over the G20 protests in April, City of London police said today. The force released its first full list of charges brought since the demonstrations. They include violent disorder, arson, criminal damage and assaulting the police. Eleven people are charged with impersonating a police officer in connection with an incident on 1 April when a group of activists were stopped outside the Royal Bank of Scotland offices on Bishopsgate while driving a blue-painted armoured car.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/07/g20-protests-london-37-charged

Police list here:
http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Media/News/37 charged with G20 crimes.htm

The impersonating charge will be thrown out, surely? No one in their right mind would think the Hijackers were even vaguely attempting to be taken for filth.

One person charged with causing fear/provocation of violence. I witnessed several hundred doing that, but rest assured, none of them will be charged.

I presume the person charged with assaulting a police officer will plead self defence.

The Sunday Times (!) takes up the Space Hijackers case:



http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6850901.ece

What is a part time anarchist?

reads U75, reads the Guardian, tried to avoid the rat race, holds onto ideals however misplaced.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2009/nov/05/g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinson-police

So, is anyone is St Andrews for this? I only ask because I live about 5 mins away, so a pint or two might be fun. Plus if anyne knows anything about protest tomorrow it would be cool to know. ta.

obv this is for the G20 over the 6-10 November, not the date this thread was originally started,

The Met has agreed to pay settlements to some of those arrested in that raid., admitting that the whole raid was illegal.

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/met police to pay g20 protest compensation/3587057
http://www.bindmans.com/index.php?id=713

YouTube video footage:

Also:
which shows outside the building (and some silly comments from inside!).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8582478.stm

How's a vicious backhander 'reasonable'?

Possibly connected to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, section 76:

"The question whether the degree of force used by D was reasonable in the circumstances is to be decided by reference to the circumstances as D believed them to be"
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2008/ukpga_20080004_en_9#pt5-pb5-l1g76

He's only a little bloke and she was telling him off quite sternly!