Police used Terrorism legislation to arrest and hold 9 men as they set out to drive aid from Blackburn to Gaza, holding 3 for several days. Mobile phones and passports were confiscated and five houses were searched (Sky News 14 Feb, Sky News 15 Feb).
Greater Manchester & District CND issued the following statement on 18 February:
RE: Viva Palestina
Seven men from Blackburn set off today to join the Viva Palestina aid convoy to Gaza. These men were wrongly arrested on Friday evening on the M65 motorway as they drove to rendezvous with the convoy in London as it prepared to move off. They are taking three vans full of donations of clothing, medical equipment, nappies and children’s toys. The men have fundraised to pay for their vans, travelling costs and all donations and intend to leave the vans in Gaza as further donations. Hailed as heroes for the efforts to join the convoy and their fundraising, the men met with Chris Chilvers, the North West organizer of the Viva Palestina aid convoy, before setting off for Dover at noon today. Dr Chilvers said:
‘They are very angry about their treatment at the hands of the police and concerned that, despite being released without charge, the police are still refusing to return donations from the vans, personal belongings and mobile phones. The police have offered no satisfactory reason for these violations’. ‘The seven expressed their determination to join the convoy and to keep the trust of all those that donated. Their effort is magnificent and reflects the power of this solidarity movement to support Palestine. By contrast, the police behaviour has been a disgrace’. Due to the intercession of local councillors, notably Salim Mulla, and the Lancashire Council of Mosques, the Lancashire Police has agreed to meet the costs of getting the group to Tunis and offered safe passage to Calais. The men will cross from Dover to Calais tonight in vans decorated with posters and salutations such as ‘from Blackburn with love’. They will drive through France to Marseille to join a 24 hour ferry crossing to Tunis in Tunisia. Here the group will meet the Viva Palestina convoy as it arrives from Algeria on Saturday morning. George Galloway is overjoyed that the group has set off and looks forward to uniting them with the convoy in Tunis.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Gratuitous slap for peace campaigner Brian Haw
Cop walks up to him and slaps him in face. Face then bleeding.
At 2.05
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1tccyJojgU8
At 2.05
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1tccyJojgU8
Monday, 5 January 2009
Police attack Palestine demonstration, 3rd January 2009, report
Guardian 5/1/09
London clashes: protesters tell of fear and panic
Demonstrators yesterday told how they feared they were going to die after riot police charged hundreds of people in an underground tunnel in London, which led to stampedes and panic. The clashes came after protesters from Saturday's march against Israel's attack on Gaza tried to cross London to continue their demonstration. Scotland Yard was criticised for the level of violence used by its officers and its tactics against hundreds of people ordered into an underpass as they tried to walk from Trafalgar Square to Israel's embassy in west London. People told of being trapped under each other and of hearing screams of fear as police charged the crowds three times in the confined space of the Piccadilly underpass on the edge of Hyde Park. Scotland Yard said riot police charged after they were attacked and that their tactics were proportionate. People trapped in the tunnel said the police were not attacked. Among several people injured was Asil Alrashidi, 23, a bank worker from Langley, Berkshire. She said she feared she and her sister would die after they were trapped in a crush of people as a stampede broke out when protesters panicked amid repeated charges by baton-wielding riot police. She said she suffered bruising after being knocked to the floor. "I was petrified," she said. "The riot police were charging and pushing people, hitting them with their batons. I was trapped with people coming at us. They were falling on us, trampling us. "There was screaming and shouting, I thought I was going to die. I was holding my sister, our hands were separating and I could hear her screaming my name. I think there were 20 to 30 people on top of me." Chris Ninehams, chief steward for the march, organised by the Stop the War Coalition, said the level of police violence was unprecedented. Scotland Yard said in a statement: "Officers made a 10-metre advance into the crowd to regain control of the protest, using recognised and proportionate tactics."
London clashes: protesters tell of fear and panic
Demonstrators yesterday told how they feared they were going to die after riot police charged hundreds of people in an underground tunnel in London, which led to stampedes and panic. The clashes came after protesters from Saturday's march against Israel's attack on Gaza tried to cross London to continue their demonstration. Scotland Yard was criticised for the level of violence used by its officers and its tactics against hundreds of people ordered into an underpass as they tried to walk from Trafalgar Square to Israel's embassy in west London. People told of being trapped under each other and of hearing screams of fear as police charged the crowds three times in the confined space of the Piccadilly underpass on the edge of Hyde Park. Scotland Yard said riot police charged after they were attacked and that their tactics were proportionate. People trapped in the tunnel said the police were not attacked. Among several people injured was Asil Alrashidi, 23, a bank worker from Langley, Berkshire. She said she feared she and her sister would die after they were trapped in a crush of people as a stampede broke out when protesters panicked amid repeated charges by baton-wielding riot police. She said she suffered bruising after being knocked to the floor. "I was petrified," she said. "The riot police were charging and pushing people, hitting them with their batons. I was trapped with people coming at us. They were falling on us, trampling us. "There was screaming and shouting, I thought I was going to die. I was holding my sister, our hands were separating and I could hear her screaming my name. I think there were 20 to 30 people on top of me." Chris Ninehams, chief steward for the march, organised by the Stop the War Coalition, said the level of police violence was unprecedented. Scotland Yard said in a statement: "Officers made a 10-metre advance into the crowd to regain control of the protest, using recognised and proportionate tactics."
Picture: Indymedia
Friday, 19 December 2008
Cop used intelligence database for blackmail attempts
Pc Amerdeep Singh Johal of West End Central police station has been jailed for six years for attempting to blackmail 11 victims using data from the 'CrimInt' database.
Pc Jailed over Blackmail Attempts (BBC)
Pc Jailed over Blackmail Attempts (BBC)
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
You have the right to film in a public place
Though as you'll see in this FILM, police officers may try to stop you: they may try to intimidate you, and may seem to believe that filming in a public place is an offence!
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Police violence and deception at the Climate Camp
After yesterday's admission that the police and government gave the misleading impression that 70 officers had been injured in contact with Climate Camp protestors, its interesting to look back at other ways in which they tried to smear the camp, and at some of the beatings they meted out. Bear in mind the reality, now agreed on by all sides, was that over one thousand protesters interacted with the same number of police for a week without a single officer being injured. (Sadly the same can't be said for the protesters.)
The following extract from the BBC News on 5th August 2008 contains points of interest:
1. The BBC anchor's reference to 'violent clashes' (0'27") - sorry to have to correct you BBC, but 'clashes' are where two sides are fighting!
2. The display by the police of items actually taken from the camp (see also, entertainingly, HERE), confusingly intermingled with items found 'nearby', including the famous throwing star, and kitchen knife block (1'26"). Now, it seems quite a leap to assume, as the police and BBC do, that these items were abandoned by people from the Camp, when there are 1.6 million other people in the immediate vicinity of Kent and Medway. Given the apparent willingness of the police to tell other lies in this case, is it too much to suppose that they planted the items? (The thug making the presentation, by the way, is Chief Superintendent Gary Beautridge.)
3. Violence. Look at the man struck in the face at 2'19": his head flies backwards and forwards like a rag doll. Look at the girl stuck in the crush at 2'26": though she can hardly move the cop lashes out viciously and strikes her with his club.
Film HERE.
The following extract from the BBC News on 5th August 2008 contains points of interest:
1. The BBC anchor's reference to 'violent clashes' (0'27") - sorry to have to correct you BBC, but 'clashes' are where two sides are fighting!
2. The display by the police of items actually taken from the camp (see also, entertainingly, HERE), confusingly intermingled with items found 'nearby', including the famous throwing star, and kitchen knife block (1'26"). Now, it seems quite a leap to assume, as the police and BBC do, that these items were abandoned by people from the Camp, when there are 1.6 million other people in the immediate vicinity of Kent and Medway. Given the apparent willingness of the police to tell other lies in this case, is it too much to suppose that they planted the items? (The thug making the presentation, by the way, is Chief Superintendent Gary Beautridge.)
3. Violence. Look at the man struck in the face at 2'19": his head flies backwards and forwards like a rag doll. Look at the girl stuck in the crush at 2'26": though she can hardly move the cop lashes out viciously and strikes her with his club.
Film HERE.
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