Met Police apologises to photographers for abuse of powers at Memorial Demo
Further blows to Togmocracy! | 07.04.2009 16:30 | G20 London Summit | Repression | Birmingham
The Metropolitan Police have apologised to journalists and photographers for abusing Section 14 of the Public Order Act when they moved a group of them away from covering an operation at the memorial demo for the late Ian Tomlinson on 2nd April at Bank tube station. It has now been confirmed through witness statements that Ian Tomlinson died as a result of the repressive policing on April 1st. The police and the media have attempted to coverup the fact that Tomlinson was killed as a result of the policing on that day. Police also injured members of the press on Wednesday 1st April, resulting in a broken arm and torn ligaments for two photographers.
Image copyright Rob Kenyon (used under a CC licence). 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amjamjazz/3406353191/
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=850930
'A whole group of journalists was by the Bank tube station at one point,' BPPA's chairman Jeff Moore told BJP earlier today. 'The officers were using police dogs on one side to snatch and arrest people on the other side. The police walked up to us and asked us to move away or we would be arrested under Section 14 of the Public Order Act.'
This account is confirmed by another witness account of police violence and repression published on London Indymedia.
Police Brutality last Thursday at Bank - G20 http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1082
'The police were ushering the protesters along towards a side street near the Bank of England. One of them decided he had had enough and tried to leave. A policeman immediately swung him against some scaffolding, handcuffed him and walked him away. My first reaction was that the guy must have done something to antagonise them or break the law earlier.
The ushering continued and the police then split them up into two groups on two cornering streets, not letting anyone leave. Suddenly, a policeman threw a punch at the face of a male man, who raised his right arm to try and block the punch (NO retaliation, merely a block). Immediately, 3 officers threw him up against the scaffolding, knocked him to the ground and beat him with their batons. They then carried him horizontally away.
A photographer on the spectator side of the cordon tried to capture it. An officer ran over and grabbed him, trying to force him into the cordon. He escaped but the officer came after him and squared up to him (who was right next to me at this point) shouting, "Do you want a piece of this, huh, do you want to come and get some?". He was then called back by another officer.
A few minutes later, a girl no more than 10 metres away from me, who was on the front line of the cordon, was suddenly shoved up against a wall and kicked repeatedly by a policeman. he left her as she stayed cowering.'
'No media were there to witness these events.'
A comment on the article says there will be a March on Saturday 11th April starting at Bethnal Green Police Station at 11:30 am heading to Bank to protest the killing of Ian Tomlinson and the brutality of the police on April 1st and 2nd.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amjamjazz/3406353191/ http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=850930 'A whole group of journalists was by the Bank tube station at one point,' BPPA's chairman Jeff Moore told BJP earlier today. 'The officers were using police dogs on one side to snatch and arrest people on the other side. The police walked up to us and asked us to move away or we would be arrested under Section 14 of the Public Order Act.'
This account is confirmed by another witness account of police violence and repression published on London Indymedia.
Police Brutality last Thursday at Bank - G20
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/1082 'The police were ushering the protesters along towards a side street near the Bank of England. One of them decided he had had enough and tried to leave. A policeman immediately swung him against some scaffolding, handcuffed him and walked him away. My first reaction was that the guy must have done something to antagonise them or break the law earlier.
The ushering continued and the police then split them up into two groups on two cornering streets, not letting anyone leave. Suddenly, a policeman threw a punch at the face of a male man, who raised his right arm to try and block the punch (NO retaliation, merely a block). Immediately, 3 officers threw him up against the scaffolding, knocked him to the ground and beat him with their batons. They then carried him horizontally away.
A photographer on the spectator side of the cordon tried to capture it. An officer ran over and grabbed him, trying to force him into the cordon. He escaped but the officer came after him and squared up to him (who was right next to me at this point) shouting, "Do you want a piece of this, huh, do you want to come and get some?". He was then called back by another officer.
A few minutes later, a girl no more than 10 metres away from me, who was on the front line of the cordon, was suddenly shoved up against a wall and kicked repeatedly by a policeman. he left her as she stayed cowering.'
'No media were there to witness these events.'
A comment on the article says there will be a March on Saturday 11th April starting at Bethnal Green Police Station at 11:30 am heading to Bank to protest the killing of Ian Tomlinson and the brutality of the police on April 1st and 2nd.
Further blows to Togmocracy!
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