If this ends up in a witch-hunt for one policeman, justice will not be done. Any inquiry needs to look fundamentally at the tactics used both on the day and in the run up to it.
The media frenzy about expected levels of violence and vandalism has 3 effects: i) Peaceful protesters stay away ii) non-peaceful protesters are attracted, whether they have any political grievances or not and iii) whatever level of force used by the Police on the day is pre-justified.
Riot Police are kept in vans all day, in almost full kit. By the time they confront the crowd they are tired, hungry, edgy and hyped-up. Combined with 'kettling' the protestors, many of whom are peaceful and, by now, also hungry, edgy and frightened, there is little wonder that incidents occur.
If the protestors are all violent anarchists, as some of the media portray them, they are pretty useless at it. The one RBS branch with broken windows is a fairly poor return for thousands of 'hooligans'.
The Police are supposed to allow peaceful protest and have a duty of care to protestors and passing members of the public, such as Ian Tomlinson, alike. No such care was taken and the entire nature of the Policing of protests needs to be examined closely, including the almost unreported and quite violent dismantling of the entirely peaceful Climate Camp.
While it is true that there was some trouble outside the cordon, this removal took place entirely after dark. The Police say they will work with peaceful protestors who contact them beforehand. Yet on this occasion they let the camp set up, in the full knowledge that its intention was to stay for 24 hours, and kept a low profile until night-time, when the cameras had all left, and they moved in.
This is not facilitating legitimate protest, nor is it legal. After the de Menezes case, can we really trust Police statements in the immediate aftermath of an incident. The very sad death of Mr Tomlinson semms to show that we can not and only a root and branch public enquiry into both top-down and on-the-ground policing tactics on the day will be good enough.
Wednesday 8 April 2009
Tuesday 3 March 2009
3.30 am rant
So, here we are.
I may be wrong here, but it strikes me that humanity itself is standing, staring into the Abyss. And one of its mates- the one who eggs you onto do something a bit daft (yeah, we all have them!) Is saying, 'Go on, jump, you coward!'.
Squillions unemployed, gazillions in debt, and we are racing towards Climate meltdown, Peak-just-about-everything, mass starvation and societal collapse.
I know- lets watch, 'I'm a cock-get me out of here!'.
Yes, we have bought it on ourselves. 95% of us bought into it all. More, bigger, better, faster, more famous. And its all shite. You must have known.
Personally its been a great year. I got my dream job, teaching what I love doing. I have my own company, doing what I love doing and have started a new organisation that is capable of changing the world, if only someone will let us try. Happy Birthday Kindle- nominally one year old tomorrow and making its Ecobuild debut. All of which is probably why I cant sleep.
Come on Gordon- move over. You didnt honestly think that, after waiting so long, it was going to be anything other than a disaster. Come to that, move over all of you. They times they really HAVE to be a-changin'. We have no choice but to run things for people and not profit. And that means ALL people, so Sod Off Daily Mail!
The stocks markets and banks are collapsing. Well, why not- its partly their fault (and partly ours for buying loads of stuff). Maybe from the rubble something beautiful can grow, like banks owned by the people that use them and that look out for those people. Like companies that are only worth what they do, not what someone in a rich man's betting shop decides they are worth in terms of mergers and asset-stripping. Like a system based on fairness, where enough truly is enough and we finally prove to be good stewards of Mother Earth.
Yep, its a beautiful world. Well, it was!
Lets take it back from the insanity it has become and give it, and us, a future
I may be wrong here, but it strikes me that humanity itself is standing, staring into the Abyss. And one of its mates- the one who eggs you onto do something a bit daft (yeah, we all have them!) Is saying, 'Go on, jump, you coward!'.
Squillions unemployed, gazillions in debt, and we are racing towards Climate meltdown, Peak-just-about-everything, mass starvation and societal collapse.
I know- lets watch, 'I'm a cock-get me out of here!'.
Yes, we have bought it on ourselves. 95% of us bought into it all. More, bigger, better, faster, more famous. And its all shite. You must have known.
Personally its been a great year. I got my dream job, teaching what I love doing. I have my own company, doing what I love doing and have started a new organisation that is capable of changing the world, if only someone will let us try. Happy Birthday Kindle- nominally one year old tomorrow and making its Ecobuild debut. All of which is probably why I cant sleep.
Come on Gordon- move over. You didnt honestly think that, after waiting so long, it was going to be anything other than a disaster. Come to that, move over all of you. They times they really HAVE to be a-changin'. We have no choice but to run things for people and not profit. And that means ALL people, so Sod Off Daily Mail!
The stocks markets and banks are collapsing. Well, why not- its partly their fault (and partly ours for buying loads of stuff). Maybe from the rubble something beautiful can grow, like banks owned by the people that use them and that look out for those people. Like companies that are only worth what they do, not what someone in a rich man's betting shop decides they are worth in terms of mergers and asset-stripping. Like a system based on fairness, where enough truly is enough and we finally prove to be good stewards of Mother Earth.
Yep, its a beautiful world. Well, it was!
Lets take it back from the insanity it has become and give it, and us, a future
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)