Your right to watch the police
rampART / PigBrother.info | 13.02.2006 00:44 | Analysis | Repression | Social Struggles | London
In Barcelona, many people where badly beaten and police fire guns during a raid on a squat party. (See original report http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333276.html and follow up http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333436.html)
Three weeks ago in the UK, cops raided a house in South East London and a young black man ended up dead as a result of head injuries sustained after a 'fall' from a second story balcony ( http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333418.html). Then of course the is Jean Charles De Menezes, shot in the back by police using illegal hollow tipped bullets.
Internationally, police officers who mutilate or kill people on duty usually get off scot free, many times the cases not even making the news. The Swiss internet site PigBrother.info deals with such cases and the police weapons involved. Though often labelled "less lethal" and claimed to be "harmless", actually many proved to be fatal, not to mention lots of them being banned in war by e.g. the Geneva Convention but nevertheless frequently used by policeforces worldwide (like e.g. Dum Dum Bullets that a.o. killed Jean Charles de Menezes, but also the so called "Tear Gas").
In a multi media live show, Soulless and Anger (the makers of a.o. the homepage PigBrother.info and also of the banned video comedy "Blutgeil") present typical cases incl. weapons, injuries and favourite police excuses a.o. from the UK, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, USA and Switzerland, where the use of sophisticated police weapons dates back some decades.
Despite the technical aspects and it's heavy going topic, the show is presented in an easy to understand and concise way, and Soulless & Anger also focus on the funnier aspects of several Police Operations making the Officers involved look only too human ...
And they demonstrate, how persistent work in this area can make a difference, forcing the police and the official media to at least sometimes act more by the book or even abolish some weapons or tactics. Without omitting, that such work on the other hand also involves some personal risks, like Soulless & Anger got to know themselves, suffering a.o. an illegal raid of their offices plus several arrests and court cases trying to gag them and to bring their homepages offline -- though up to now without success ...
Homepage: http://PigBrother.info
English pages: http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/e/index.htm
Summary:
Introduction:
- About PigBrother.info
- The astonishing similarities of Police excuses over the course of decades and in different countries
Batons:
- The evolution of the Police Baton
- Police Guidelines & reality
- Injuries & fatalities in different countries
- Recent campaigns in the UK
Rubber- & Plastic Bullets:
- Police Tactics: Manpower vs. Machinery
- The birth of the "flying baton" in the former english colonies ...
- ... and it's adoption by police forces worldwide
- Injuries & fatalities in different countries
- Newer, more sophisticated models
- Wooden bullets
- "Marking" ammunition
"Tear Gas":
- Different chemical agents and their effects
- Different forms of application: Smoke grenade, handheld sprays, backcannisters, lacing water cannons
- Typical injuries in different countries
- Over 1000 fatalities worldwide
- Banned by the Geneva Convention
Concussion- and Stun-Grenades:
- Evolution
- Injuries & fatalities in different countries
Dum Dum Bullets:
- The birth of the Dum Dum Bullet in the former english colonies ...
- ... and it's slow adoption by police forces worldwide
- Internationally identical Police denials: Only "Manstop"- rsp. "Deformation"-Ammo
- What ballistics experts say
- Banned by the Hague Convention
Electric & Microwave Weapons etc:
- Taser: Evolution, injuries & fatalities, use as a means of torture
- Active Denial System ADS
- Further developments
The Media:
- Why the media look away
- The exceptions
- How they can be forced to notice
The Judiciary System:
- Why there's an effective immunity for officers
- The exceptions
- How to make justice work
Civil Rights Campaigns & Organisations:
- Why many ignore the facts in the homelands rsp. only investigate abuse abroad
- Brief international survey of exceptions
- Unfortunately a one-off case:The Critical Police Workers Union in Germany
- What can happen when someone adresses local police brutality & how to deal with the consequences without getting dragged down
Q & A
Email: pigbrother@ssi-media.com
Mobile: +41 78 829 12 60
http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/live/PigBrother_Live_Show_Info.htm
The Pig Brother Live Show is touring the UK. The first date is the Friday 17th and will take place at the rampART social centre at 7.30pm
(see http://www.rampart.co.nr)
Information about further dates will be added here later.
rampART / PigBrother.info
Additions
And on thursday ;-)
14.02.2006 15:40
RAMPART FREE CINEMA 8PM
entry free as usual but donations most welcome of course.
We expect to be showing the following videos :
+ latest video news from the streets with a few films made about events last saturday inc Reclaim Love III
+ Prestes Maia, a 22 storey squatted highrise housing 486 families in Brazil
(assuming we can get it translated)
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333608.html
+ Aubonne Bridge, going to trial this week
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333607.html
+ Genoa witness interviews, trial taking place now.
And, assuming we get hold of a copy, we'll be showing 'Assault on Prescient 13' (2005)
[got a copy? let us know ASAP]
It's a contemporary remake of John Carpenters cop killer blood-fest. No doubt it doesn't have much going for it in terms of political and social commentary but what the hell. We thought it might be an appropriate it somewhat ineffectual antidote to the hippy hugging and the brutal stories of police brutality.
more blood
Additional info - UK tour dates and venues
14.02.2006 17:28
Fri 17th : Rampart London / PigBrother
Sun 19th : Kebele Bristol / PigBrother
Wed 22nd : Forest Cafe Edinburgh / PigBrother
Thur 23rd : Saorsa Glasgow / PigBrother
Fri 24th : Common Place Leeds / PigBrother
Sun 26th : The Square London / BLUTGEIL
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