G20
On Thursday 14 April 2011, the Divisional Court ruled that the use of kettling and force against 4000-5000 represented an unlawful policing operation. Offensive “shield strikes”, were ruled “unnecessary” and “unjustified”. Instructions to subordinate officers were “not satisfactory very general and imprecise”. During the course of the evening “officers declined to release people who should have been released.” Police evidence given direct to the Court by the senior officer responsible for the operation, CI Johnson, that groups within the Climate Camp were intent on disorder and criminality was “not… convincing” according to the Court.
The Metropolitan Police have now indicated that they plan to appeal against the decision.
John Halford, representing the claimants Hannah McClure and Josh Moos commented today: “The Police decision to pursue an appeal is disappointing, as is the conspicuous lack of any expression of regret over the events of the day. Both suggest a certain arrogance. The Court’s decision on kettling and force is clear, principled and firm. The Police would be better placed expending their resources on addressing the Court’s concerns rather than trying to evade them on technical grounds”. Josh Moos, one of the Claimants said: “I have witnessed and been on the receiving end of police violence before. Yet what I had seen on 1st and 2nd April was different and deeply disturbing because of its sheer scale. The officers behaved as if they had been unleashed upon us and were free to use as much forced as they wished without provocation or any other justification. This was not misbehavior by a few, out of control ‘bad apples’; it was systematic and orchestrated. The Court has said, in clear terms, that it was unlawful and nothing I or anyone else demonstrating at the Carbon Exchange did in any way justified the kettling and violence we were subjected to. The ruling us very welcome, but better still would be an acceptance by the police of their own wrongdoing. That has still to come.”
Claimate Camp Team Documentary:
Emily James and James Bayliss-Smith of Just Do It Films: http://just-do-it.org.uk/
Please click on the links below to view the press coverage:
- High Court judges say G20 cops kettling tactics are unlawful, The Mirror, 15 April 2011
- Kettling verdict, the Mirror, 15 April 2011
- Court finds police kettling was unlawful, The Independent, 15 April 2011
- A history of police kettling, The Guardian, 14 April 2011
- Police DID use disproportionate force with their ‘kettling’ tactics to control climate change protesters, judges say, The Daily Mail, 14 April 2011
- Kettling of G20 protesters by police was illegal, high court rules, The Guardian, 14 April 2011
- London G20 demo: Met Police 'kettling' not justified, BBC News, 14 April 2011
- Kettling of G20 protesters by police was illegal, high court rules, UTV News, 14 April 2011
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