Comments on: Observer: Police ‘assaulted’ bystander who died during G20 protests

By: Merrick

Merrick — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:26:20 +0000

Dave Hansell, it was not about ‘a breakdown in group and individual discipline on the part of some uniformed civilian police’.

Look at the footage, note, as Justin points out, the casualness. Look how the colleagues are completely unsurprised.

Do you think this is the only time that officer behaved like that? Do you think the colleagues didn’t do the same thing? When these officers reached the crowd, what do you think they did?

Then look at the climate camp film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJRi7YR1bU

What sort of thing do you think is being said to the group of officers being briefed at the start of the film?

Every single officer is behaving like that. It is not them acting on private motivations or a sudden breakdown of order. This was a common tactic used throughout the day in numerous places. It has been used repeatedly at numerous protests.

This is not a few rogue officers, it is strategy. The officers concerned should certainly be prosecuted, but it would be a travesty if they took the fall for the whole thing. They were just obeying orders.

I would love to believe they were ‘human beings first’. But I have been worn down by seeing literally hundreds of occasions where they assault people with impunity like this. They are authority first, human beings second.

By: Daniel Hoffmann-Gill

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:23:54 +0000

Indeed, but it has to be acknowledged that policing is bloody hard? And this is from someone who attends protests, although not this one and used to be a pain in the arse with the police all the time.

By: serr8d

serr8d — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:03:47 +0000

This poster I made has a photo taken somewhen and somewhere during the G-20 Convention and the related protests. Does anyone have any idea of where or when? I'm curious, and would like to give proper credit, if possible.

By: Dave Hansell

Dave Hansell — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:08:28 +0000

Hmmm. I’m not sure I’d concur with the idea of anger management being placed in that category Justin.

We are talking about someone dying in very tragic circumstances – circumstances in which eye witnesses have made statements regarding a breakdown in group and individual discipline on the part of some uniformed civilian police which may have indirectly or even directly been the cause if proven.

In such a context, to talk in simplistic terms of whose side you are on would seem somewhat school yardish in adolescents and bad taste amongst adults, certainly in the way I was brought up. To be fair, one or two other more recent comments are in danger of going down this route. In that regard chucking across a direct statement about bad taste towards someone is something I’m loathe to do because it seems far worse that suggesting they deal with whatever chip may be on their shoulder.

When I did my time in the forces over 35 years back we were taught that you were a soldier first and tradesman second. Following the same thread, whatever your background you are a human being first and foremost. If that sounds old fashioned I make no apologies. There are other times and other threads for those sort of debates, but they are certainly not appropriate here where the issue is someone who may not even have been involved has lost their life in such a fashion.

Regards

Dave Hansell

By: Fellow Traveller

Fellow Traveller — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:23:36 +0000

You can turn your back on a person but never turn your back on a Metropolitan policeman, especially when its waving a 2 foot baton in your eye.

By: redpesto

redpesto — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:20:52 +0000

The Guardian has video footage. It doesn't look very clever for the Met.

By: Dunc

Dunc — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:02:27 +0000

When the protesters are being employed by my government, paid with my money, and granted the power to arrest me, I’ll start being as concerned about their behaviour as I am about that of the police.

By: Cheesy Monkey

Cheesy Monkey — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:09:07 +0000

Indeed: all the policemen’s blogs seemed to have been anticipating (and wanting) the G20 protests to get violent – or that’s the impression I got from the badly-spelled bumfroth written about “soap dodgers” (yawn), “swampies” (how old is that reference?) and, er, the unemployed (because, of course, the whole credit-crunchy financiapocalypse has nothing at all to do with people having no jobs). So, the police’s politics have everything to do with their behaviour. These arseholes believe they are “lions led by donkeys”. Rats led by gnats is far more apposite.

Incidentally, if you search for “socialist policeman” (with quotes) in Google UK, the only site returned is a porn site of dubious veracity. I’m not sure if there is a message in that…

By: Merrick

Merrick — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:05:46 +0000

Good news – Police Complaints Commission is to have an inquiry into the death of Ian Tomlinson.

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

The bad news – ‘City of London Police will carry out the inquiry on behalf of the watchdog.’

In other news: Alex Ferguson appointed as referee for Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final against Everton.

By: Daniel Hoffmann-Gill

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:30:38 +0000

It is in the cirles that frequent this blog, mainstream press less so, of course but sometimes I dislike the hobby horses that are mounted by some. That’s all.