on Wednesday June 24th at 9.30am at Nottinghamshire County Hall, Trent Bridge, Nottingham. A Demonstration against the Notts Police Authority meeting had been organised. The object, to demand that the Notts Police are Accountable for their recent actions.

It is important to protest against the £700,000 bill for Operation Aeroscope on April 13, 114 people were arrested, when it was said, for planning a protest. But so far no one has been charged with any offence.

114 activists had been arrested in a 2am police raid on a community centre and school on Sneinton Dale, Nottingham, early on Easter Monday, 13th April 2009.

At that time, it was believed that a demonstration was planned at the E.On power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar as a spokesperson for the company claimed that it was the "planned target of an organised protest". The Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station is the 3rd largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK and has been previously targeted by activists. Similar to past police actions, some of the homes of those arrested had been raided while they were held in custody. It had been confirmed that 6 homes have been raided in Nottingham, including the Sumac Centre, and personal paperwork and computers have been seized. Activists being released on bail, to appear in court between the 14th - 21st July, with a variety of conditions.

The initial action was at a school / community centre in Sneinton Dale, and eastern suburb of Nottingham. After all present were arrested and dragged in chains to many and various police stations, the police mounted a long and protracted search of the building, where the meeting had been held. The size, duration and resources deployed made for a significant bill against public funds. I wonder, considering this expense if such a police operation may eventually lead to changes, I suspect not, but we'll see later next month.

People were also most concerned at other police misdeeds including deaths in custody, and the tasering of a man in Upper Parliament Street, earlier this month  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5S4R6sHx9c

Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid in Nottingham : The pictures
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/04/427471.html
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/04/427496.html

Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid [Feature]
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/04/427421.html

Nottinghamshire Police Authority
 http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/npa
 http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/npa/organisation_structure/committees/police_authority/#62
 http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/npa/files/meetings/62/24.06.09.doc

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ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:  tash@indymedia.org
Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
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"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
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