Abuse of police powers in Derby
L | 17.03.2005 18:09 | G8 2005 | Repression
Police in Derby this afternoon made around a dozen arrests during a critical mass bike ride in the city center. The arrests were made using section 14 of the public order act which is supposed to be used in relation to public assembles and allows police to limit numbers and restrict the location and duration of an assemble. Further more, offences under sections 14 are minor offences only punishable by a fine and not an “arrestable offence” under Section 24 of PACE. The police are increasingly abusing their powers in relation to section 12 and 14 of the public order act and charges are frequently dropped and many people have successfully sued the police for compensation in relation to unlawful detention.
Useful information about your rights, abuse of the law by police and the possiblity of sueing the police can be found on 
http://www.freebeagles.org/articles.html
From the BBC...
Protestors arrested at G8 summit
Twelve environmental protestors have been arrested for public order offences on the first day of a G8 summit meeting in Derbyshire.
About 100 demonstrators gathered in Derby city centre to raise awareness of Africa's need for water.
Calle Lister from Friends of the Earth said police overreacted to what was intended as a peaceful protest.
Government ministers from around the world are meeting for an environment summit at nearby Breadsall Priory.
'Water not oil'
Dozens of protestors staged a "go-slow" bike ride through the city streets and some were arrested for ignoring orders against public protests.
A meeting later in the city's Market Square passed off peacefully.
Campaigners sent an oil barrel containing hundreds of water bottles to the G8 summit to raise awareness of drought conditions in some parts of Africa.
"People in Africa need clean water, not oil," Ms Lister said.
Derbyshire Police said the summit is the biggest operation the force has had to deal with since the miners' strike.
The force successfully requested powers from the Home Office to ensure protestors have to meet at an agreed central meeting place.
http://www.freebeagles.org/articles.html From the BBC...
Protestors arrested at G8 summit
Twelve environmental protestors have been arrested for public order offences on the first day of a G8 summit meeting in Derbyshire.
About 100 demonstrators gathered in Derby city centre to raise awareness of Africa's need for water.
Calle Lister from Friends of the Earth said police overreacted to what was intended as a peaceful protest.
Government ministers from around the world are meeting for an environment summit at nearby Breadsall Priory.
'Water not oil'
Dozens of protestors staged a "go-slow" bike ride through the city streets and some were arrested for ignoring orders against public protests.
A meeting later in the city's Market Square passed off peacefully.
Campaigners sent an oil barrel containing hundreds of water bottles to the G8 summit to raise awareness of drought conditions in some parts of Africa.
"People in Africa need clean water, not oil," Ms Lister said.
Derbyshire Police said the summit is the biggest operation the force has had to deal with since the miners' strike.
The force successfully requested powers from the Home Office to ensure protestors have to meet at an agreed central meeting place.
L
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
S14
17.03.2005 20:20
when the police are sued has it been possible to show that the order to harrass people through "abusing their powers in relation to section 12 and 14" has come from a senior police source? because this is what is happening.
- -
S14 & S12
17.03.2005 23:01
Even though S14 is not an arrestable offence, you can still be arrested in the process of committing the act. What they cannot do is arrest you is afterwards - they can only issue with a summons, or arrest you under S25 if they dont think you have given your right name. All this is laid out in the freebeagles booklet - see above link.
There are also conditions on who can issue the S14 notice, but I dont have these to hand.
For those arrested, strongly recommend that people use the solicitor Kevin Tomlinston of KieranClarke & Co who are based down the road in Chesterfield as he is very experienced in dealing with public order issues and protests.
Ciao
Freedom To Protest
e-mail:
freedomtoprotest@doond.com
protest
18.03.2005 10:03
you seem to suggest that there is nothing orchestrated about police harrassment of protesters or that abuse of the law is down to individual officers on the ground when it looks very much like orders have been given from top level police and / or government. there is also a long history of low rank law enforcement officers being encouraged to abuse the law by high level officers or politicians who agree to turn a blind eye. they are, they think, unaccountable. there's some justification for them to think this way as we all know. there is then also the question of whether these anti demonstration/ anti protest laws, even if they were enforced without prejudice, are good laws anyway.
- -
extremely aggressive policing
18.03.2005 10:26
lenton cyclist
effect
18.03.2005 10:32
i think not. hadn't you noticed, the government is on its knees.
- -
justifying the operation
18.03.2005 11:48
lenton cyclist 2
ridiculous
18.03.2005 12:36
yes, and to send out a message to anyone considering anticapitalist but democratic protest that the right wing heavies are in charge and it's going to stay that way. this kind of policing, which is neither just nor necessary, is a political act. the police are trying to save the labour / tory grip on government. whether they decided to do this on their own or were told to do so by the government is the only question of interest. the 2 party monopoly is on its way out regardless.
- -
Exactly!
18.03.2005 15:22
A police spokesperson reported to the local paper (the Evening Telegraph) that "there had been about 12 arrests across derby for various public order offences".
This was nothing to do with avoiding disruption to the local community - if anything the biggest disruption was the closing of the two schools after warnings from the police and the closure of several local roads outside of Derby city near to where the ministers were meeting.
The other disruption was felt by journalists, several of whom reported taking up to two hours to get through the many roadblock checkpoints near to the Priory Hotel where the ministerial meeting was taking place. The guardian article about the protests published today also said some of the delegates experienced inconvenience due to the massive security operation.
The police said this was their largest operation in the area since the miners strikes - that was political policing too.
policing cynic journo