Comments on: “A more violent crowd in uniform than the crowd demonstrating” http://www.globaldashboard.org/2009/04/09/met-police-violence/ Global risks and how to respond to them, edited by Alex Evans and David Steven Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:49:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tim Stevens http://www.globaldashboard.org/2009/04/09/met-police-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-9291 Tim Stevens Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:36:30 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=8994#comment-9291 Hmm, all this numbers thing is indeed regrettable, unnecessary and worryingly opaque. It's also old news. I remember many times - at least ten years ago - in which police officers covered their epaulettes with what looked like specially designed flaps when in 'riot' situations. 'Kettling' also has a long and inglorious pedigree. I recall one particular occasion on which I got trapped in Trafalgar Square with a BBC producer friend of mine (who was meant to be working). Six hours later, the perfectly peaceful protesters began to be released but only once they were searched for ID, their details taken, and they were both video'd and photographed. They even took photos of my boots, which presumably still form part of a bizarre Met database. Plus ca change ... Hmm, all this numbers thing is indeed regrettable, unnecessary and worryingly opaque. It’s also old news. I remember many times – at least ten years ago – in which police officers covered their epaulettes with what looked like specially designed flaps when in ‘riot’ situations. ‘Kettling’ also has a long and inglorious pedigree. I recall one particular occasion on which I got trapped in Trafalgar Square with a BBC producer friend of mine (who was meant to be working). Six hours later, the perfectly peaceful protesters began to be released but only once they were searched for ID, their details taken, and they were both video’d and photographed. They even took photos of my boots, which presumably still form part of a bizarre Met database. Plus ca change …

]]> By: Mark Weston http://www.globaldashboard.org/2009/04/09/met-police-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-9222 Mark Weston Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:27:16 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=8994#comment-9222 The Met has now apparently acknowledged that Ian Tomlinson "came into contact" with police before he died. Ah, so it was his fault then - maybe they think he backed into the officer's thrust-out arms. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7991206.stm) The Met has now apparently acknowledged that Ian Tomlinson “came into contact” with police before he died. Ah, so it was his fault then – maybe they think he backed into the officer’s thrust-out arms.

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7991206.stm)

]]> By: Jules Evans http://www.globaldashboard.org/2009/04/09/met-police-violence/comment-page-1/#comment-9213 Jules Evans Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:43:31 +0000 http://www.globaldashboard.org/?p=8994#comment-9213 As David Simon put it in an interview, 'the police is always the toughest gang on the street'. As David Simon put it in an interview, ‘the police is always the toughest gang on the street’.

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