128 lines
6.9 KiB
Plaintext
128 lines
6.9 KiB
Plaintext
Police Violence At Reclaim The Streets Demo
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From: steve@demon.co.uk (Steve Cook - SPITE! Books)
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The Legal Defence And Monitoring Group is a UK voluntary organisation who
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provide legal monitors for demonstrations, actions and other events where
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civil rights abuses may occur. Their job is to watch the police activity at
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such events and try to gather information, witnesses and evidence to use in
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defence of those arrested unnessecarily. This is their report of events at
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Reclaim The Streets, a peaceful demo based in North London.
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Legal Defence & Monitoring Group c/o B.M. Box Haven, London, WC1N 3XX.
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Reclaim The Streets (II) - 23rd July 1995
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Legal Defence & Monitoring Group Report On The Event - please
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circulate as widely as
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possible.
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On Sunday 23rd July from 2pm approximately 2000 people occupied Upp Street in
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Islington, North London, demonstrating against society's dependence on the
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motor car and the fact that it causes pollution and death. The demo, which
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closed Upper Street and part of Liverpool road to traffic for the whole
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afternoon and early evening, was more of a party with both live and recorded
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music, food, stalls and a great kids area.
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At 8pm a number of uniformed police officers backed up by 10 riot v started
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moving the demonstrators down Upper Street towards Angel tube station. At
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this stage the demonstrators numbers had reduced to around 150. The officers
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were spread across the road. Demonstrators were moving down towards the tube
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station. The mood of the demonstrators (and the police) was still friendly.
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At approximately 8:15pm, for reasons known only to the police, a number of
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officers from the Territorial Support Group (TSG or riot police) in full riot
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gear started assisting the uniformed police. They were supported by at least
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10 other vehicles, police in helicopters and video crews positioned on
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buildings. The mood of the demonstrators was still peaceful. At least 18
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police vans full of TSG had been spotted some 50 minutes earlier in a back
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street near Upper Street. It must be asked why so many officers in full riot
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gear were on standby so early when the mood of the day had been so peaceful.
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The deployment of police in riot gear made the atmosphere a great d more
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aggressive. A small bottle (ONLY ONE) was lobbed towards these riot police.
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It was NOT aimed at the uniformed police who were some way in front of the
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riot police at this stage. Within seconds of this happening, the TSG drew
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their batons, pushed past the uniformed officers and started assaulting
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demonstrators with shield and batons. Over approximately the next 90 minutes
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the TSG violently pushed and beat demonstrators towards and past Angel tube
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station and down Pentonville Road. At this stage there were some 200 officers
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in full riot gear backed up by at least a further 100 officers in uniform.
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There were under 100 demonstrators.
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The riot police pushed demonstrators down Pentonville Road. the wer asked on
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numerous occasions by the LDMG where they were directing people and to 'calm
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down'. Needless to say their answers were less than helpful. Eventually (at
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approximately 9pm) demonstrators, whose numbers were now less than 50, were
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moved into Northdown Street where all exits were blocked by police and riot
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vans. Many people trying to leave this area were searched. The reason the
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police gave when pressed was that there had been a public order incident,
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missiles had been thrown and offensive weapons had been seen - so they were
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checking if people had missiles or offensive weapons.
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From the moment the riot police took over from the uniformed police they were
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indiscriminately and very heavy handedly arresting protesters. In total they
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arrested 17 people. At least one demonstrator needed hospital attention (head
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split open by a police truncheon) and two more were knocked unconscious by
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the police. Every time a legal observer tried to get details of an arrested
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person we were either threatened with arrest, were physically moved from the
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scene of the arrest, or were assaulted.
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Although the actions of the riot police were totally out of control
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throughout the whole episode, we feel a number of incidents deserve special
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attention: * One particular officer in full riot gear was seen on at least
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three occasions using his clenched fist to punch demonstrator in the head and
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face - one of whom was knocked unconscious. * An articulated lorry was
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moving through the crowd and the polic were violently pushing people past it
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causing a number of them to lose balance. It was only luck that somebody did
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not fall under the wheels of this vehicle. Police were asked to stop pushing
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for a while by legal observers and told to "move or be nicked". * When one
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demonstrator was knocked unconscious, legal observers protesters tried to see
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if he was alright, but were viciously pushed and beaten by the police.
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Although being advised by a person with medical knowledge that this person
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should not be moved, the police continually tried to move him.
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As soon as arrests were made, the LDMG tried, with difficulty, to g
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solicitors to all of those arrested and to find out some information about
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them. We staffed our office throughout the night and next day, receiving
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numerous calls asking the whereabouts of missing protesters. By 5am, we had
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details of all protesters arrested.
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Charing Cross police station would only release 1 (who accepted a caution) of
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the 10 arrestees. The rest were held overnight and appeared in Bow Street
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Magistrates Court the following day, which we monitored. Two of those held
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were refused bail and are presently on remand at Brixton Prison until 31st
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July. We feel the decision to hold them overnight at the police station and
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in prison was vindictive and excessive. Three of those arrested were for
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possession of drugs and all three pleaded guilty.
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We have set up a defence campaign for the 13 still facing charges. Another
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indication of the states attempt to brutalise and criminalise us is the
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severity of these charges. Most are being charged with section 2,3 or 4 of
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the Public Order Act 1986. Our aim now is to; get the two out of Brixton
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Prison; prove all 13 innocent; look into actions against the officer who
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punched demonstrators and; assist people to sue the police for false arrest.
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WE NEED LOADS OF HELP
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* We have set up a 'bust fund' to pay for expenses etc (we have already
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* visited and got cash to the two on remand). We need money so please send
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* cheques/Postal Orders to us as soon as possible - made payable to LDMG
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* and sent to the above address.
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*
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* We need you to publicise what happened as widely as possible (articles,
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* posters, word of mouth, internet etc) especially asking for witnesses to
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* arrests to contact us ASAP.
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*
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* We need people to help out in loads of other ways as we are onl small
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* group with limited resources both in terms of money and people.
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*
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----------------------------
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Free The Prisoner
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prisoner@spitebk.demon.co.uk
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