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Wot to do If you get injured by police on a demo

Sue de Bastard | 27.03.2003 13:53

If you get hurt by the cops at a demo, you dont have to just lick your wounds in solitide. Why not sue the bastards!

ok, wot u do is this...

First off, if you or your mates get a chance to see it(and providing theyre wearing them) try to get the number of the officer(s) who assaulted you. They are usually worn on the lapel.

Get your injuries photographed, and examined by a doctor. Get the doctor to sign a statement to the effect that your injuries, in his/her opinion are consistant with being attacked in the way you describe.

Then, get eyewitnesses. Make a request on indimedia if you have to. Get them to write and sign statements as to what they saw, and make sure they are willing to testify.

Collect any photographic evidence. Get copies of any pictures taken of the incedent, and importantly suss out if there was any cctv cameras rolling, or if you were bein filmed by cops. Mark Thomas's website has a whole lot of info on how to request this stuff, its your right and can be used as evidence against the cops. Do it now!

Then, get a solicitor. Go to Moss & Co, Bindmans, or Bhatt Murphy - you should find em in yellow pages. They are used to dealing with this stuff. They will recommend other solicitors, if they cant do it themselves.

Then, you could make an official police complaint, information on how you do this is on the Mets own website but wot I recomend is that you sue those coppers sorry big fat asses!

Good luck!

Sue de Bastard

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

What to do...

27.03.2003 15:57

What to do?
I got severly beaten (with truncheons) and kicked in the face by the police at a demo once. I was pregnant at the time being and of course, I lost the child. My former boyfriend and my parents were extremely mad at me.
I decided to stop provoking the police in silly ways. Now that I'm a bit older, I've realised that I'm not going to change society by giving brainwashed people an excuse for beating me up.
I hope that one day, I'll be able to go to Africa and help people there. That would feel like doing something that matters. Something that makes a true difference...
Yelling in the streets, who the hell does that help?
Do you think it did me any good?

Linda (18)

do what you can, when you can

27.03.2003 16:40

The original post was about what to do if attacked by cops. Lots of people have been recently. They may find this information useful. It is too late for you and cant help your baby, but that shouldnt stop others from doing what they think is right. You are wrong that protesting does nothing. We may as well all go to bed and never get up again otherwise. Its also possible that those you say are doing nothing worthwhile by shouting in the streets are already or have already done plenty of direct helping of the kind you describe in whatever capacity they can. Staying at home and doing nothing at all changes nothing. Finding the courage to do what you can, when you can changes everything.

Sue de Bastard

ta suethebastards, no thanx Linda

27.03.2003 16:48

Linda, if she is for real (and I'm not sure she is ) has posted the most rediculous self pitying tripe. she should be angry at the police for killing her baby, not telling us we shouldnt go out to protest. In fact, why is such a pessimist interested in indimedia at all? Thanks, suethebastards for a useful, helpful post, no thanks to you linda, if you are real at all. By the way, protest isnt to get 'any good' for yourself, its to get common good for all.

dont be so harsh

27.03.2003 17:02

Whoa, please dont heckle someone who might have suffered a lot! Linda might well be real,I wouldnt be surprised at Police hitting a pregnant girl, I've seen them attack bloody pensioners. Thats why I put the original post up. But thanks for saying its useful, I hope it is.

Sue de Bastards

more on sueing

27.03.2003 17:42

do sue - do get your injuries photographed preferably whilst in custody by a police doctor (I know it sounds shit!), and if not by a doctor STRAIGHTAWAY. Why in custody or so soon? Otherwise you can be accused of having injured yourself after you were released from custody!

Do not put in a complaint until after you have finished sueing the police. They have and will use the info you put in to the police complaints authority against you & your attempt to sue 'em.

list of legal links, including sueing the police, at:

http://www.eco-action.org/blinc/index.htm#web

think there might be other good ones to. Use a solicitor who has the experience of this kind of stuff only.

tatty bye

goosepimple

Make it easy for us

27.03.2003 21:20

Every successful suit sets a precedent which they have to work within. This makes them be more careful, and life safer for us. For example, if the police started using Tasers too much, caused injury, and kept losing cases in court, they'd have to stop using them.

If they can't arrest someone safely and without bodily injury (particularly if that person is being non-violent) they do have the choice not to arrest them. This is why non-violence is an essential tactic: any harm that results from their actions is their fault. They must be made to pay.

I am also sick of police lying all the time. It's tiring.

For a more comprehensive advice, look on schnews.

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