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Fairford coach kidnap victory in Lords?

from link in #65 :

"The Judge goes on: “the vast majority of them – as this case has proved – were decent hardworking people who had never been in trouble with the police… to my mind their intentions were epitomised by gentlemen who had a beard and appeared to be about 60 years of age getting off one of the coaches with a sign attached around his neck. The sign read ‘Wanstead Quakers – we totally oppose War. No ends can ever justify such means.’ Surely the police officers dealing with this situation on the ground must have realised that they were not dealing with practised hard line anarchists.” (para 84)"

I'm told that Chris Gwyntopher is actually quite practiced :) :):)
at what age do I become a "gentleman" - or do I need a sign around my neck?
 
ChrisD said:
from link in #65 :

"The Judge goes on: “the vast majority of them – as this case has proved – were decent hardworking people who had never been in trouble with the police…
Click to expand...

I'm sick of this shit. Decency and hardness of work, even if they could be quantified, have no bearing whatsoever on whether or not you are entitled to go about your lawful business unmolested by police. Nor do past arrests or convictions. The clear implication in this judgement is that if it was a busload of crusty anarchists then, regardless of their intentions or the (lack of) evidence against them, it would've been OK to stop them in this way.
 
I think if they'd been a coach load of hard core anarchists there would probably been enough evidence to hold them to prevent a breach of the peace.
Bolt croppers paint bombs etc etc.
 
I remember being quite concerned that this test case might turn into a complete reversal, and confirm that the police actually do have powers to temporarily imprison anyone they please and drive them anywhere they fancy. The judge has rejected that out of hand, I'm very pleased to have been wrong.

Wrong up to a point: the one SF made above. What the police should have done, according to the judge, was reassess the situation once it became clear that the coaches didn't actually contain any significant threats. He doesn't really go into their powers if the stuff they found was more incriminating. He also thinks it relevant to say "no attempt was made to ascertain affiliations or intentions. On the contrary, individual protesters were given neither the opportunity nor any incentive to explain their positions." huh?

Can of worms


but the judgement is worth reading


Since that time she has been put off protesting and felt that the police had abused their powers without any qualms whatsoever. She thought the police had flouted the law and had a blatant disregard for the democratic process. It would be impossible to disagree with those sentiments.

...

He said that they had simply been imprisoned on a coach and forcibly removed from one part of the country to another.
111.Again, one could not argue with that as an accurate statement.
 
Thanks for posting the judgement. Clearly a victory BUT as S Frank says #68 judgements being made on irrelevant stuff.
"........... as he had been an active WOMBLE and a protester on previous violent protests it would be difficult to credit any claims as to humiliation or fear in his case. "
implies a double standard or that's it's impossible to be shit scared twice.
 
21. ...Gloucestershire Police were aware, presumably from what they gleaned as a result of arrests, that the WOMBLES had taken part in the protest on 23rd February 2003 when the main gate at the site was forced open followed by a major incursion into the base. Understandably, the police were concerned about this group together with another group called “Civil Disobedience”.

22. The police were also undoubtedly aware of the WOMBLES website and under the heading “News. Smash USAF Fairford! Info on coaches”.
Click to expand...

Given the recent exposure of WOMBLES spy-cop 'Rod Richardson' (undercover from 2000-2003) it does make one wonder how much of this 'awareness' was from within Gloucestershire Police and how much of it came from outside.
 
40. ...[ACC] Lambert records that on that morning he was made aware that three coaches and a transit van containing the WOMBLES and Disobedience Action groups had left London and were travelling towards Fairford. At 10.40am he had a meeting with Detective Superintendant Henry and as a result of that meeting he decided that vehicles should be stopped prior to their arrival in Fairford. At 10.45 in the silver commander’s log the following is recorded:-

“Based on intelligence received it is understood that three coaches and a van are en route from LONDON carrying items and equipment to disrupt the protest today and gain entry to the airbase. The protesters are the ‘Wombles’. A Section 60 is in place and I have asked for an objective to be made for the Bronzes in charge of the two PSU’s on intercept duties to intercept the coaches and van to search and identify any items that may be used. Items on the vehicle are to be seized if they are offending articles and if that is the case, the coaches and van are to be turned around and sent back towards the Metropolitan area. The Metropolitan Police will be asked to pick them up at the M25. They are not to be arrested to prevent a breach of the peace at that particular time, if that is the only offence apparent, as I do not consider there to be an imminent breach of the peace. However they are to be warned if articles are found on the coaches and they arrive at FAIRFORD then I will consider them to be here intent on causing disruption and a breach of the peace and they may find themselves arrested.”

41.At 11am, based on the “specific intelligence” received about the WOMBLES travelling to Fairford, the Section 60 authority was extended to include two further roads. Some time during that morning approximately 70 police officers were deployed in the small town of Lechlade in order to detain the coaches. Although Mr. Lambert referred to a transit van being stopped, it seems to me that the police intelligence was somewhat flawed in that no transit van was travelling with the coaches. Plainly the police intelligence about the transit van must have been incorrect.
Click to expand...

And whence came this 'specific' yet incorrect 'intelligence?
 
an entire decade on.

Glad this got won, but I can't help feeling that the state actually won this one by dragging it out for 10 years.
 
Pickman's model said:
Yeh don't use bindman's if you want a quick result
Click to expand...

Not sure how another firm could have obtained a quicker result, especially given how the police have behaved.

I haven't had time to read the judgement. Is there any mention of the police conduct of the case in there? Wasn't any mention in the compensation amounts at the end...
 
This has been brewing a while - as the Pitchford Inquiry picks up speed, lawyers representing some of the Fairford activists have accused police of concealing from judges hearing the case the presence and involvement of at least two undercover police officers, including ‘Rod Richardson’.

Says Channel 4 News' Simon Israel:

In the submission they argue that two undercover officers were embedded in the protest movement, helped organise the trip and fed intelligence to the police operation, that was ultimately declared unlawful.
Click to expand...

Exclusive: lawyers claim Met lied to judges over secret policing | Simon Israel on Home Affairs

Says Rob Evans in The Guardian:

Now the protesters are alleging they had been infiltrated by two undercover officers who could have provided crucial evidence to bolster their case and cut short “lengthy, stressful and expensive litigation”.

They say the concealment of the spies from the judges is part of a continuing cover-up of the covert infiltration of political groups and could have distorted the justice system.
Click to expand...

Police accused of concealing role of undercover officers from judges
 
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