UPDATE 17/03/2009: The report and appendices are now available online. See the bottom of this post for the links.
Earlier today Lib Dem MP David Howarth held a meeting in Westminster to present a highly disturbing and potentially explosive report on the way police in the UK are criminalising legitimate protest. The report, produced by the Climate Camp's legal support team and entitled Policing of the Kingsnorth Climate Camp: Preventing Disorder or Preventing Protest?, is devastating for the police.
It documents a concerted campaign by police to deter, smear, intimidate, harass, and criminalise UK citizens who did nothing more than attempt to exercise their right to peaceful protest in the name of an important cause. The following film accompanies the report and fully conveys the extent of the scandal.
'Kingsnorth' by Hamish Campbell
As well as documenting the alarming police tactics at Kingsnorth, the report also highlights a deliberate attempt to deflect criticism through misinformation. Government justified the heavy-handed approach by revealing that 70 police officers had been injured policing the protest; but a freedom of information request revealed that these 'injuries to police' included such things as heatstroke, toothache and insect bites. Vernon Coaker, the Home Office minister who had made the claim about police injuries, was later forced to apolgise to the House and admit that "there were no recorded injuries to police officers sustained as a result of direct contact with the protestors".
Here are the links to the report and appendices:
Corrupt police are to all cops, what Al Qaeda terrorists are to all Muslims.
It's an appalling encroachment upon human rights, as a UK citizen I would take ever measure possible to protect my rights, and the rights of every other citizen. It's ridiculous that the government has gone unchecked for this long. The power to the people!
So... when did "to serve and protect" became "to harass, attack, and lie"...?
Well, if you cannot trust the police, who can you trust?
How can these "people" accept to blindly obey such outrageous orders like robots without brains/emotions???
Welcome to the new world of police states...
Welcome to the dark ages. Britain has certainly turned the corner. My girlfriend would love to visit your country but I refuse to spend any time or money in police states and I do not visit any cities where people have been murdered with Tasers. My little protest. If enough of us did this the police would be out of a job in many places. That video if a classic and horrific. You should change governments NOW!
The people ultimately responsible for this utterly disgraceful attack on fundamental civil liberties are the cowardly MPs who have allowed themselves to be indoctrinated by Labour's anti-terrorism propaganda. Unfortunately, such MPs currently comprise the majority.
The Police officers in this video are nothing more than vicious criminals in uniform. Why have none of them been prosecuted? Why has the recent spur of anti-terrorism legislation not imposed appropriately harsher punishments for Police officers who abuse their newly increased powers?
Unfortunately the spaces available for public discourse and protests are getting smaller and smaller, the necessity for public spheres is more essential now then ever before.
Unfortunately these facts and tactics are common to many other countries. Just think of what happened during G8 in Geova, Italy, in 2001 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27th_G8_summit ). And it all still happens nowadays, with police sent to beat protesters who do nothing but voice their concerns and reasons, peacefully, about environment, justice, education...
They say there's a global plot behind all this. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not, what matters though is that it actually seems that way, and we need to unite from all the countries to stop it.
The police are following orders. Their bosses are following orders. All orders come from the Home Office. Boss at the Home Office is Jacqui Smith. Her boss is Gordon Brown. This government as designed and implemented by Gordon and Tony Blair with Mandelson (who increasingly looks like Goebbels to me - I know, what an irony), hasn't just given the police these powers: they actively instruct them.
Welcome to the police state, as sponsored by your government. EVERYONE should see this. Pass this link to everyone you know.
It is the beginings of fascism. For all those concerned, please watch (or read) Naomi Wolf's 'The End Of America', you'll find the similarities and historical references shocking.
Under normal circumstances I would agree with the article you write but in this case when those who have taken part in this ridiculous protest give real protest a bad name. Climate religionists do the cause of real fundamental problems that need to be addressed a great dis-service to us all.
Climate hysteria is as relevant as burning the bra in the sixties. A pointless exercise. Stupid. We can't change the climate but these fools think that We can.
This is frightening to watch. what has happened to our country?
if theres any police reading this you should be ashamed of yourself's. do you do it for money or power both?
disgusting behavior... and next time i see a police car turned upside down in a ditch ill make sure ill carry on driving next time.
Whilst I believe Global warming is a natural phenomenon, that doesn't take away my belief in our right to protest.
Is there an ultimate plan ?
Recreation grounds are bare... For the first time in history pubs are closing hand over fist... Our social structures are being eroded.
I believe it has NOTHING to do with terrorism. It's all about CONTROL.
This is a draft of the film you can get an embed of the final film here http://hamishcampbell.com/2009/03/investigation-of-policing-at-climate.html
I was there at the beanfield police raid, they were there smashing the windows of busses with children, some very young, still inside.
This is nothing new people.
Solidarity.
I'd be interested to see the empirical evidence on which 'Tony' bases his claim that "we can't change the climate". There is a great deal of evidence to suggest he is utterly wrong, and that the climate protesters are not only right, but essential.
There is a mere illusion of freedom. So long as you conform to whatever "freedom" the government wants you to have. Reminds me of V for Vendetta.
disgusting, imorale police tactics
taking crayons and wallets - the police should be arrested, wheres the diciplinary action for this bullshit
who the fucks policing the police
You know, it takes quite a lot to get me angry, but the video made me physically ill and im now absolutely furious. There are always two sides to every story, but that video seems to get all the story the police will give them. Its police brutality against the very people they are there to protect. Its is OBVIOUS that they were not being violent towards the police and it is OBVIOUS that no land boundaries were crossed en-masse.
The Essex police force have a lot to answer for here.
The British police really are stupid.
Islamic extremists shout their death threats in street protests and you do nothing.
Not only are British Police stupid they are CORRUPT AND LIARS.