Hi,
Below I release to this blog footage that has not been previously made public, showing a raid on a property in Whitechapel where demonstrators had taken shelter after being mistreated by police for a number of hours at the climate camp.
This raid shows the police use of the taser, a 50,000 volt weapon that if fired incapacitates the victim. Tasers have been condemned by human rights groups for the dangers they pose when fired.
Although in this incident the taser was not fired, it was used to threaten a group of people who were sitting on the floor with their hands in the air. A member of the group was also assaulted by police on entry to the building despite offering no resistance.
The mainstream press would not run this video because they are focusing on Ian Tomlinson and other events and did not feel that it was newsworthy enough because the taser had not been fired.
I feel it is!
It is yet another example of over-reaction and unnecessary force, designed to frighten and intimidate protesters and stop them using their right to protest in the future. It shows yet again the picture of systematic abuse of power by police against protesters that must be stopped.
Please- this is very important! Watch the video and please ensure you post it on every blog, every website and send the link to every person you can think of.
I would also like you to email your MP and London Assembly members, with the footage and voice your concerns over the use of tasers against people who were offering no resistance and clearly peaceful. Make sure you link to the video.
VIDEO RELEASE HERE
**Released by Defend Peaceful Protest on behalf of individuals from climate camp**
http://www.divshare.com/download/7024782-827
Pause video 24 seconds in to see the taser clearly. You can also read the account below and a report on the dangers of tasers.
You can see the build up to the raid here where the individuals try to peacefully negotiate but are ignored by police
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T_MIMlwMzM.
Here is an old 2005 report from Amnesty International which gives some facts & concerns on use of tasers.
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=16652
OUR WEBSITE
http://www.defendpeacefulprotest.org/
We'll be meeting up with a wider campaign against police violence very shortly to see how we can keep up the pressure and work together.
CORROBORATING ACCOUNT
The account from the girl who filmed this is below:
Hi,
My name is xxxx. I am an English Teacher. I would like to present the following as statements to be used in the collection of evidence to highlight the excessive use of force by individual police officers and the MET's tactics as a whole over the demonstrations over the London G20 summit.
On the 1st April 2009 at around 1.00/.30am, I was within the contained climate camp when the police moved to clear the area. I was shocked and disgraced at the forceful approach the police acted upon as they took over the street. There was no prior warning that this was what they had decided to do.
I saw protestors sat down at police lines being hit with batons as the police moved in. This caused the crowds to surge down the street. Consquently what ensued was chaos and panic as people tried to grab belongings. People were being pushed over and trampled upon by both police and fellow protestors due to the speed and force at which the police moved with their shields. These shields were not being used to protect the officer holding them, but more as a weapon to forcefully shove people forward. The police would not allow people to attempt to grab their bags, kitchen equipment and tents, my attempt to do so meant that I was knocked to the floor by the crowd and having to scrabble around as quick as I could to get back up before being trampled. The police were angry and aggressive and I was frightened that if I did not move fast enough that I would be on the receiving end of the baton.
It was only as the crowds surged forward with the push of the police did I hear a police mega phone announcing that the protest was being shut down.
A friend of mine was carrying 3 heavy bags that he had managed to grab (one of them mine as I could not get to it in time and one was a friend who was outside the camp who had not been allowed back in to collect his bag despite it containing his medication) and was struggling with all three. He made a comment to an officer who was pushing him. I was disgusted to see this officer react personally to this comment and hit my friend with the shield that they were carrying. This assault caused my friend to fall to the floor where myself and another friend had to help and pick him up.
All of the above need not have happened had the police allowed people to leave the camp. I was wanting to leave at around 9pm to stay at a friend's house in London as the scenes were begining to get ugly and I was concerned about my safety. Protestors however were told that no-one was allowed in and no-one was allowed out. Consquently I was forced to stay which in turn meant that I was forced to be in the frightening position.
The police followed us out of the camp. As all the tubes were shut and I am new to London and so no nothing of the bus routes to get my friends house, I gratefully went back to Earl Street where we were met with warmth.
The following day, myself and a group of friends were about to leave Earl Street to attend the vigil for Ian Tomlinson. We were keen to leave then due to the mounting police presence in the streets outside but a meeting had been called to agree on whether we should all leave the squat together or whether some would stay to maintain the space.
There was loud banging at the door as the police attempted to break the door down. There was an element of panic as people were unsure of what the group as a collective should do. We all ran upstairs to the 3rd floor and sat down in a circle with our hands in the air and told one another to be calm. Alex was stood up filming.
There was banging and shouting coming from several directions. The police burst in. We were all still sat on the floor with our arms in the air. An officer stood at the front of the room pointing what I thought was a gun at the group. Numerous police were shouting at everyone to "lie face down on the floor", "arms behind our backs" and "no-one move". Terrified I obeyed as I was unsure what the officer was holding. Alex was kneeling down still filming. I saw him being beaten on several occassions and heard his cries of pain. I tried to get a glimpse of what the officer was holding without it being obvious that I had my head up as I was on the outer ring of the group and after seeing Alex being hit for reasons that I did not know, was terrified of the consequences of not obeying. It was then that I realised that it was not shaped like a conventional gun so it must have been a taser.
The police seemed very pysched as the whole scene was very aggressive and completely out of proportion to how we inside Earl were behaving at that time of entering and indeed all morning. As far as I was aware there was no reason for the police to suspect that we would be responding in a manner that reasoned such aggression. I had taken shelter here as there was no way of reaching my friend's house. It was very frightening as I was unsure of exactly what the police would do in those first few minutes, particularly after seeing numerous examples of angry personal police reactions the previous day. Plus, I could still hear Alex moaning in pain.
There was lots of banging in the room next door (I saw after that the police removed the floor of the kitchen). They also smashed a window in the room we were in in an attempt to open a locked door (which had not been used by those contained in the building). And other doors in the surrounding area.
After time, the panic ceased, mainly due to fellow protestors asking for the police to calm and behave accordingly. These voices helped to reassure me that we were in this horrid scene together and would be protected by being in a group (unlike Alex who had been isolated). The police took some people aside (one of them Alex) to question I presume in a neighbouring room. They then started to get people off of the floor, search bodies and bags and then arrest them for violent disorder. In the mean time I could still hear Alex crying out in pain and I was confused as to why the police had seperated him from the group and wondered if he was still being beaten.
The police seemd to be confused as to what approach to do now they had secured the building, this was evident in their muttering amongst themselves after I heard them telling people different things. Some people were being "arrested for violent disorder", others got arrested for "suspicion of violent disorder" and others were "being detained for suspicion of violent disorder".
After a period of about 15/20 minutes, the scene was calm. People were being arrested and searched and the police officer asigned to me was informative and friendly. This however does not detract from the inappropriate initial violence and aggression that the police used to enter the building.
I was forced to hand over my details whilst being filmed despite having done nothing wrong and with no evidence to suggest otherwise. This made me feel like a criminal and was very belittling as we were led out to reporters with cameras in hand cuffs.
Apologies for this being more of a narrative rather than a statement. Please let me know if you wish for me to simplify specfic aspects.
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