Metropolitan Police running riot

The death of Ian Tomlinson outside the Bank of England during the G20 protests has taken on a significantly darker feel this evening.

A film taken by a visitor from New York shows Mr. Tomlinson in a rather unsteady, even pathetic state, being beaten from behind by a riot policeman. He falls to the ground and is apparently dazed. A short while later he died.

The policeman who attacked Mr. Tomlinson was part of a larger group of police with dogs, shields and battons. The police in no way seem threatened and the attack on man from behind seems completely unjustified.

Were a member of the public to attack someone from behind, that person to fall and hit their head and subsequently die, the attacker would face a murder charge. With a good lawyer and fair wind he might be lucky to get off with manslaughter.

The whole episode of Mr. Tomlinson's death has been covered up and distorted from the start. Initially he was said to have no contact with the police and police who tried to revive him after his collapse had come under attack from demonstrators. None of this now seems to have been true. It has taken a foreign visitor in the right place at the right time to take a video showing the truth.

It is sad that in an age intolerant of free speech and protest that the worst violence last week came not from hippies, not from students, not even from anarchists. The police are seen using violence on a vulnerable individual and it was this violence that lead to the only death on the day.

Please watch this video to form your own opinion.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6054713.ece

Here is a photo of a "police-medic" at last week's protests. A future Dr. Shipman possibly !

"Kettling": Another step on road to ending free speech

The BBC and other news channels are now reporting that the man who died during last week's protests during the G20 summit had "contact" with the police before he died close to the Bank of England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7986192.stm

This had previously been denied. It was claimed that he had just got caught up in the protest and then died of an unrelated heart attack.

Whatever is ultimately proved (or for that matter denied) the death of Ian Tomlinson highlights the recent police practice during large scale demonstrations of "kettling". "Kettling" is the term applied to the practice of blocking all protestors into an enclosed area so that they become exhausted. During their time in the "kettle" they have no opportunity to eat, drink, go to the lavatory or anything else that anyone would normally expect to be free to do.

Kettling can go on for many hours and last Wednesday protestors were kettled for at least 8 or 9 hours.

The aim of kettling is superficially understandable. It is used when the Police expect crowd disorder and is seen as more desirable than having potentially violent protestors running free in a city or built up area.

The trouble with kettling is it is being increasingly used for all large scale demonstrations and many people just wanting to make their voice heard get trapped for hours on end.

While I have little common cause with many of the protestors who turned out last week, they were in most cases relatively harmless. From what I saw they were generally either students or hippies. The anarchist "black bloc" who threatened violence were tiny in number.

Ironically the only serious piece of violence, the attack on the Royal Bank of Scotland branch, happened inside the kettle when Police couldn't reach those breaking windows at the Bank due to the fact there were so many trapped peaceful protestors between them and the handful of window breakers.

The Police increasingly seem to see large scale protests as a nuisance to be contained and thwarted wherever possible. There seems little appreciation that the right to protest, to speak out on an issue you feel strongly about is a democratic right.

In fact many of the wider population, also seem to look with a mixture of bemusement and contempt at protestors. They are written off as "work shy" or "troublemakers". This vast over-generalisation misses the point that most real political change (whether for better or worse) has come about only after campaigns that have involved a degree of public protest.

For protest to be increasingly limited on grounds of "public order" is a dangerous step on the road to a police state. The use of the "kettle" as a standard police response to any major public protest is a gross assault on liberty and the right to protest and speak out.

It can only be hoped that the death of an innocent man causes the Police to pause for thought the next time they kettle a large crowd into a confined space for hours on end, beating those who attempt to get out.

The widescale use of riot gear at last week's protests also highlights a hardening in the police approach. The protestors are seen as a threat to be controlled, beaten and frustrated wherever possible. While the minority bent on violence should be controlled and stopped, the great majority of peaceful protestors of whatever views should be respected when exercising their democratic right to protest.

G20 Day in the City of London

A Bank of England "heavy" stands at the steps to an entrance on Threadneedle Street.

Four female protestors discuss the day's events.

A statue boarded up had become an unofficial shrine to a man who died outside the Bank of England on Wednesday night. His cause of death remains unclear but many have questioned the controversial Metropolitan Police practice of "kettling" where protestors are herded into an enclosed placed for hours on end in order to exhaust them in a situation where they have no access to food, water, lavatories etc.

The Bank of England in the closing stages of the two days of protests. A few miles away in Docklands, the G20 leaders had just agreed a $ 1 Trillion stimulus package (I don't think I have ever needed to write "trillion" before)

The Duke of Wellington's statue with the addition of a a red flag. It is unclear what we can (yes) do !

Thoughtful graffiti on the Bank of England. Although not always true the statements are difficult to reject out of hand. Do the rich laugh though ?

City of London Police take a breather at the front of the Royal Exchange. They have been racking up the overtime this week.

Protestors and Police winding down.

The scene at the front of the Bank of England, Thurday April 2nd.

Winding down Police

Traffic had started flowing past the Bank of England by Thursday afternoon.

Shielded and helmeted riot police prepare to get a few teenagers out of an empty building near the City of London.

"Move along there. There's nothing to see !" Police block the road while their highly protected colleagues gather a few teenagers up.

"Older Bill"

The dark blue vehicle behind the police is more Amoured Personnel Carrier than Police Car. Who thought these would be necessary in London ? After all their effort the police have finally located a rather bemused looking teenager in a squat in Earl Street, EC2.

Commuters pass graffiti on the Bank of England on their way to work.

Pictures of April 1st City of London

Below is a selection of photos from the protests in the City of London yesterday. As I was at work during most of the day, these were taken in the evening. The low quality is due to the fact they were taken on a mobile phone camera. Nonetheless I think they give a flavour of the scenes around the City yesteray.

Protestors gather in Poultry, City of London

Crowded scene outside the Bank of England, 5.30pm Wednesday 1st April. Two hours later a man died in this area.

"Castle Greyskull" aka RBS HQ in Bishopsgate, City of London.

Anarchists and Police face each other in the approach to the Bank of England.

Police "centurion" overlooks the crowd near the Bank of England.

"Climate Campers" underneath Tower 42 (formerly the Natwest Tower).

A line of riot police. Anarchists wanted !

Chit chat. The lady on the left is dressed identically to her male colleague.

Not so much "bobbies on the beat" as "bobbies ready to beat". The uniform is both intimidating and dehumanising. British Police increasingly "don riotgear" when so much as a papercup gets thrown. While it can save lives, the use of riot gear should be proportionate to prevent ordinary people becoming alienated.

THe much reviled RBS is protected by a line of police. This very branch had been attacked round the corner by anarchists a few hours earlier.

A crowd is "kettled" (blocked in) outside the Bank of England.

Police on the Trains

There was quite a novel excuse for the delayed train this morning. Police had to search the train at one of the earlier stations.

That was the only explanation given. This could have been anything from escaped priosoner, fare dodger ( a bit over the top if it was) to suspected bombs.My train starts in quite a sleepy outer London suburb. It is an unglamorous and largely unknown part of the city. However that does not stop it being on the track to the centre (Victoria, Charing Cross, London Bridge and Cannon Street are all on direct lines). So maybe in this time of terrorism, it is a real possibility that terrorists could start their morning at the sleepy extremities of the capital. This was certainly the model that Al Quaeda operatives adopted to deadly effect in the Atocha bombings in Madrid, March 2004. Nearly 200 died in that attack.

Of course, I hope this never happens and there was some other explanation for the Police search of the train this morning.
However in this time and especially after the tube bombings of last year, anything seems possible on the journey to work.