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dorlomin

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  1. G20 protests likened to Glastonbury

    in Chat

    Posted

    Writing on a police internet forum yesterday, one officer was ready for trouble. He talked of “going up against the scum of our society, the immature thrill seekers and anonymous cowards who hide in large crowds with scarves pulled over their faces chanting meaningless slogans to hurl whatever is at hand at the lines of police deployed to maintain order”.

    The officer signed off with a rallying cry: “So boys and girls, keep your chin straps tight, your batons ready and shields high”. Others on the forum were less gung-ho, talking of keeping safe and returning to their families uninjured. All gave the impression that they were expecting violence.

  3. G20 protests likened to Glastonbury

    in Chat

    Posted

    HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES AND THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST

    Human rights principles

    13. Under the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA), the police and the Home Office are public authorities with obligations to comply with the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).[4] The state also has obligations to comply with international human rights standards set out in UN and regional treaties. These obligations should be considered in conjunction with the existing common law human rights standards.

    WHO IS PROTECTED?

    14. It is important to note that the Government is required to secure, to everyone within its jurisdiction, the rights contained in the ECHR.[5] This includes protestors, the targets of protests, police and the general public.

    POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE OBLIGATIONS

    15. There are two types of human rights obligations owed by states: negative and positive. A positive obligation requires states to undertake specific preventive or protective actions to secure ECHR rights, whereas they must refrain from taking certain actions under a negative obligation. An example of a negative obligation would include not placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of individuals wishing to protest.[6] An example of a positive obligation would include facilitating counter protests or protests in the same geographical location. Positive obligations can require the state to take steps to protect individuals from the actions of other private parties (such as companies against whom people may wish to protest, or targets of protests against protestors).

    FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

    16. Article 11 of the ECHR protects the participants and organisers of peaceful assemblies from interference by the state in their activities. In particular:

    (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others...

    (2) No restrictions shall be placed on the exercise of these rights other than such as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others […]

    This right is closely mirrored by Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) (ICCPR).

    17. Article 11, as interpreted by the Courts, comprises two closely related rights: the right not to be prevented or restricted by the state from meeting and associating with others to pursue particular aims, except to the extent allowed by Article 11(2) (negative obligation); and the duty on the state to take positive measures, even in the sphere of relations between individuals, to ensure that the rights provided are secured (positive obligation).[7] Genuine, effective freedom of assembly cannot, therefore, be reduced to a mere duty on the part of the state not to interfere: a purely negative conception would not be compatible with the object and purpose of Article 11.[8] Where individuals or businesses act in a way that undermines Article 11 rights, the state may be required to intervene to secure the protection of those rights.[9] However, the duty on the state to take positive measures to support peaceful assembly is not absolute.[10]

    18. The right to freedom of assembly encompasses participation in private and public meetings,[11] processions,[12] mass actions, demonstrations, pickets and rallies.[13] It does not include participation in violent protests[14] but includes, for example, a sit-down protest on a public road even though traffic is disrupted as a result.[15] To determine whether a demonstration is peaceful, the courts will look at the intention of the organisers.[

  7. G20 protests likened to Glastonbury

    in Chat

    Posted

    You could take a different view, which is that the rich countries have an economic system that works and many poorer countries don't. China is a great example of a country that is seeing the benefit of transitioning to a more free-market economy. Other factors include the proliferation of civil war in some poorer countries, corrupt governments, natural disasters, lack of resources etc.

  9. G20 protests likened to Glastonbury

    in Chat

    Posted

    Here is another coment on CiF that was so good the editors gave it its own article.

    was held at the climate camp until midnight last night. When I arrived at 6pm to celebrate the creative sight of a camp in London's grey financial streets, the police allowed me to walk straight into the camp with my bike. As the reports have said, the atmosphere was very warm and positive: schoolchildren and old-time protesters sharing a space full of colour and music.

    Within an hour of arriving, the same police who had stepped back and let me through closed in around the camp and refused to let anyone in or out. I then watched the police push forward into the crowd with a brutality that was not only shocking but utterly

    unnecessary. All the protesters put their hands in the air and sat down collectively on the road. Yet as the crowd lowered I saw a young man stagger back with his head split open, another boy with a broken nose, a girl next to me had been kicked between the legs.

    People were badly hurt and the atmosphere spun into a frightened panic. A friend of mine from university who had come from Nottingham to join the camp just put his head in his hands and cried. This was the scene minutes after people had been allowed to wander into the camp without any warning of the planned police actions, or any chance to leave peacefully.

    As they rolled in back-up police and black armoured riot vans, and as the police kicked and crushed people's bikes, the protesters called out to them, and the onlooking bankers, up in their ivory towers, "This is not a riot!". As their batons came down, legal observers called out to people to take the police numbers of those who had hurt protesters. En masse, the line of police all covered up their badges. It was a chilling show of a police force unaccountable to their own laws, and their own humanity. The police were indeed braced for violence, but most of that young crowd of protesters were not.

    Despite our repeated requests to be searched and allowed to leave the space, we were held there for six hours with no access to water, food, toilets or medical care. Proudly, throughout all this, not one person in the crowd reacted with violence to any person or property. People shared the little they had and held public meetings about the aims of the G20 summit. There was little show of anger, but much unhappiness. When, finally, we were herded out one by one at midnight, I felt cold to the core, chilled by the unprovoked aggression of those who I had been brought up to trust. I am deeply ashamed of my state, in which reasonable and calm protesters are criminalised and provoked in such a manner.

    Their use of section 14 on 800 campers was mindless, their violence was a tragedy and their very presence, with armoured cars and helicopters, a ridiculous waste of public money.

    I am writing this today because I grew up in this city and treasure the right to use this city space to speak out to our elected leaders in a peaceful, creative way. There were no harmful intentions in that climate camp, but the harm done by the police last night goes far deeper that the physical wounds inflicted; it is in the chaos of unnecessary state violence that fear is born and trust is lost.

  10. G20 protests likened to Glastonbury

    in Chat

    Posted · Edited by dorlomin

    This is a coment on the guardian "Coment is free" section

    was present at the Climate Camp protest from the outset at 12.30 and was impressed hugely by the calm and peaceful manner in which the camp unfolded and began its programme of talks and workshops. I felt then that the police were doing an excellent job of allowing the camp to run as planned and was greatly heartened by this. Their presence to me, as a first time protestor, was truly reassuring and friendly. I began to think that we, as society, were really starting to make progress. Peaceful protestors and police working together to facilitate a public opportunity for learning and debate about climate change. What an achievement! I was so proud of everyone involved, police and protestors alike.

    The day got even better as people passing by en-route to the office stopped for a chat or a locally sourced treat from the food stall. With the sun shining down throughout the afternoon the mood was happy and relaxed. The police had the good judgement to ensure everyone there was able to come and go freely, in marked contrast to the police cordons established nearby. I noticed newer people arriving from those cordons expressing dismay at the ‘hippy shit they witnessed. ‘We need chaos not f**ing camping being one comment but I was pleased by their interest and ultimately their respect for the camp, indeed there was no violence here, just community. How wonderful, then, that the camp had the ability to engender calm and peace in the very people whod been held back for hours. How great to see smiles on these faces.

    This calm, happy atmosphere continued until, with no warning or provocation WHATSOEVER, riot police charged as a line into the South End of the camp where I was unlucky enough to be sitting. The following events are recorded thus:

    With other protestors I moved forward, arms raised and utterly defenceless. Immediately the police started hitting us. I have never been hit by another human being in my life. I am a 35 year old woman. What I saw, heard and felt in the next 10 minutes will haunt me for some time to come. I was pushed to the front, immediately face to face with aggression and anger Ive never witnessed before at such close range. This rage was never in the faces of protestors but in the faces flaring behind plastic visors. All around me people were being pushed and beaten by black gloved hands wielding batons. I tried to reason with the man pushing his riot shield sideways into my ribcage and smashing his baton down on the people around me. I looked into his eyes and could see the human there. I asked him, verbatim:

    Me: ‘Why are you doing this?

    Him: ‘Because we want you to move.

    Me: ‘Why didnt you just ask us?

    No reply

    I was suffocating from the force of people pushing me forward and the shield now wedged firmly against my chest. My legs started giving way and I felt dizzy and deafened. This human in front of me now saw I was having difficulty standing and asked me if I wanted to come out. By this time I was in a shocked daze and within the next two seconds hed grabbed my shoulder and levered me past him and out into the street. Someone pushed me forward again for good measure as I was stumbling forward finding my balance.

    On the other side a legal observer who seen everything, ran up, asked me if I was okay and immediately took a statement. The incident was filmed from several angles. Indeed the batons I had looked up to avoid were competing with a sound boom at one point. I was left to wander the streets for the next 4 hours, no coat in the freezing temperatures and absolutely no way of returning to retrieve my belongings or rejoining my friends. On asking police exhaustedly, hours later, when people inside the camp might be freed and I might be able to go home, I was told: ‘No chance. Youll only start trouble again somewhere else, wont you?. I am a teacher, not and never a troublemaker. I wouldnt talk to a six-year old like this. In fact a six-year old would swiftly recognise this treatment for what it is. Bullying.

    I liken the events I witnessed yesterday to a loss of innocence. Ive been bought up to trust and respect police. I have always admired the efficient and professional police manner I have witnessed on the handful of (usually school-based) previous occasions when Ive had contact with the police.

    My long established trust is at an end. The only people I saw committing a public act of violence at Climate Camp last night were in uniform, moving as one and utterly intent on causing fear among those they attacked. How incredulous I am that, in the face of this advancing and serious danger to themselves, it was the good-natured protesters who behaved impeccably, responding with no retaliation, with no violence. Their responsibility and patience at the onslaught takes my breath away.

  11. G20 protests likened to Glastonbury

    in Chat

    Posted

    I was personaly at Climate Camp. I popped along after work and intended to only stay an hour or so. But I got kettled in till 11:30pm. No access to food water or toilet facilities. I was effectively detained without reason. Several people who were also kettled had absolutely nothing to do with the demo and were using the street as it was inteneded, to get home from work. One woman was deeply distressed and clearly afraid. The atmosphere was very relaxed, friendly and jovial. The people were largely amoung the fluffiest I have seen on any demo ever. The police behaviour during the demo was an utter outrage. Utterly unexcusable. In a free society we have the right to express an opinion in a demonstration, police tactics have been designed to ensure that light hearted people are intimidated from attending future demonstrations.

    I wandered in thinking that the camp climate was a bit of a fun from some slightly silly protesters. I walked out with a huge sense of pride and respect for the people attending the demo who went to great lengths to ensure that the it was as peacefull as possible. The police were the only ones intent on trouble and they were happy to smack 16 year old girls with their hands in the air calling "this is not a riot". The police should be utterly utterly ashamed of their actions.

    I have made a donation to the group involved and have been inspired to book leave over the summer to join them in any further actions. They are a huge credit to themselves and their movement.

    THIS IS NOT A RIOT

    Who are the thugs in that video?

    Why was that not on the TV news?

  22. I am very sad to be the bearer of bad news.

    in Chat

    Posted

    I dont know the ins and outs of this behind the scenes but it does seem to be more along the lines of the festival become more like a big pop concert than being part of a social movement. Glastonury was restarted in the 80s explicitly to support nuclear disarmament and the peace movement. It took pride of being a ceter for resistance to the right wing neoliberalism of the 80s and the abandonment of the whole concept of society and social responsibility.

    I fear that whatever replaces the Leftfield will be a sanitized, toned down political stage\ tent. I await being impressed by the orginisers.

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