UK Workers' Movements Newswire Archive
Snatch Squads and other "police tactics"
30-06-2011 19:55
Late reporting from Whitehall and surroundings.
Arrived in Trafalgar Square in the early afternoon, then marched on Whitehall towards Parliament Square. Police were busy directing people where they wanted them to be. Barriers stood in the middle all along Whitehall and police seemed intent in making the march go only on one side of them.
Once in Parliament square, I ended up on the green outside Westminster Abbey. A sound system was on one corner and on another one, a banner with the words “Workers Assembly”. Next to it was a speaker that seemed to welcome anyone who wanted to speak. I could see lots of people with the same model of t-shirt: “Real Democracy Now”, the main demand of what seems to be known as “The Spanish Revolution”. A real assembly seemed to be happening right there. People raised their hands and waved them from time to time (a sign of agreement with what is said at that moment).
On the way back to Trafalgar Square, I saw a small group in the distance, between the Square itself and the McDonalds restaurant, that seemed to be kettled, or in the process of being kettled. Heard reports of snatch squads and seemingly random arrest. People had seen police with “snatch cards” on their hands.
Noticed a police line being formed on one of the side streets. They allowed people to get through the line but at a given point, they stopped allowing anyone through. Before I could figure what was going on, a noise of running came from a few yards back. Three very big guys, bully thugs style, were running very close together. They were carrying a smaller guy between the three of them, clearly against his will. I then realised that the guy being carried in this way had his hands tied up behind his back. He did not have handcuffs, but one of those plastic bands used to hold cables together. His hands were placed in a very ackward and obviously painful position.
Now, these big guys in plain normal clothing carrying this other guy “were” allowed through this police cordon. Then the cordon eased off to allow a van in. After some talking and lots of note-taking by the thuggy guys and uniformed police officers, the guy with his hands on his back was put into the police van.
The incident just described is what is known as “snatch squad arrest”, where police in plain clothes choose one person from the crowd and quickly, by surprise and without any warning or even any word, they immobilise him/her and they quickly take him/her into police custody. I saw another person being taken into a police van in this very same way up in Trafalgar Square too.
Saw another, smaller march also in Trafalgar Square. People dancing to a samba band and with banners about Congo and Sudan marched towards Whitehall. They were escorted and surrounded by police, various big vehicles and other hired workers. Some of the workers picked up traffic cones in front of the march, from one of the big vehicles, leaving them there as the march passed next to them. Other workers put a white tape between the cones, in a way that made the march enclosed by police and by white tape too. Then a last worker removed the tape and put the cones on a last vehicle moving slowly behind the march.
When this small march went on to Whitehall, police had made sure the Strike march was out of the way from the smaller march. So both marches were never mixed up.
#J30 Sheffield Rally at the end of the March
30-06-2011 19:52
More photos of the Manchester j30 march
30-06-2011 19:32
All pictures are Creative Commons licensed. Pinkolady would like to be credited where they are used.
Cardiff J30- BHS and Vodafone occupied
30-06-2011 19:07
In solidarity with striking workers today, Cardiff city centre hosted "Busk Against the Cuts", Food not Bombs and 3 seperate UK Uncut actionsCritical Mass 30th June 11
30-06-2011 18:55
Thursday 30th June saw the first attempt to a General Strike in Britain for more than 80 years, although it was primarily a Public Sector workers' strike.
As part of the support for the strike from people who are not necessarily public sector workers, a Critical Mass happened in South London, visiting the picket lines that had been announced and showing support.
We met at about eight in the morning in Burgess Park. About 50 people on bikes set off at about half past eight, with more and more people joining as we biked.
The first drivers showed their solidarity by tooting, and soon we reached Elephant and Castle, where we greeted the picket outside the London College of Communication. After two rounds to the roundabout, the Mass continued towards Brixton, on the way meeting another picket line. We stayed with the workers for a few minutes while the mobile sound system got fixed, and we had music from then on.
Once in Brixton Oval (the public open space where Reclaim Your Food used to give away food every Sunday) we also joined some workers demonstrating there for a few minutes, and then what look like a hundred-strong crowd appeared at the door of Lambeth Town Hall.
After a brief spell up Brixton Hill we headed East again, towards Camberwell and on to New Cross. Up to that point the cyclists had managed to deal with the traffic by doing things like corking (staying static at junctions while the mass passed safely unrammed by cars and bigger vehicles). From New Cross on we had the kind help of Police (seven vans at one point) which made a difference in terms of respect showed by motorists. Amazing what the mere presence of a well-marked police vehicle can do to motorists' behaviour. On the occasions when we lost sight of them and then they appeared behind us again, all yelling at us, insulting and generally threatening behaviour from drivers on four wheels dissapeared. So in that sense their presence had a positive effect except on one occasion when a driver almost knocked off one of the bikers and a police officer just threatened to arrest both the aggressor and the victim.
When the mass arrived outside Deptford Town Hall, at about ten, it joined the demonstration that was taking place there. Lots of flags and a banner of South London Solidarity Federation were the landmark of a brief street party interrupted by the forces of law and order. The joint demonstration became a march towards Deptford and once there, the march and the mass went their own separate ways.
Police did not seem to realise it though, and a line of police on foot started to follow the critical mass. When it was obvious they would not keep up with the bikers, they were picked up – and apparently seven vans were needed for the picking up operation.
Critical Mass then made its way to Whitehall and Parliament Square, where it melted itself in the crowd.
J30 March in Manchester
30-06-2011 18:39
Full article | 2 additions | 1 comment
#J30 Sheffield March Against Cuts
30-06-2011 18:25
#J30 Sheffield Rally at start of March
30-06-2011 16:35
J30: More Photos from Wrexham
30-06-2011 16:22
J30: Photos and Report from Wrexham
30-06-2011 16:13
JCP and Atos Origin superglued shut
30-06-2011 15:55
J30 solidarity action
Last night we superglued the locks to the doors of Job Centre Plus on Canal Street, and also Atos Origin on Stoney Street.
Solidarity to the J30 strikers, unemployed workers, and all those suffering from the severe austerity measures forced upon us by government, which is combined with the corporate greed of private companies who are happy to aid the oppression of the state.
"Let Them Go!"
30-06-2011 15:25
Witness' see black men being stopped and searched.The 30th June Strikes and the Need for a New Working Class Movement
30-06-2011 14:12
Teacher and lecturers pension cuts
30-06-2011 12:38
j30 Critical Mass
30-06-2011 11:55
Watch live broadcasts from all over London, from the point of view of a cyclist! Follow live broadcasts from the critical mass cyslists who set off early this morning to ride around London to give support and encouragement to public section workers who are striking today. Brixton, Peckham, New Cross are some of the areas they will be passing.
They are now in New Cross:
Watch LIVE broadcasts here: http://bambuser.com/channel/cyclecast
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j30 Critical Mass
30-06-2011 10:32
Watch live broadcasts from a Nokia Phone all over London, from the point of view of a cyclist!Sheffield Trades Council March and Rally Tomorrow
29-06-2011 23:20
Sheffield Trades Council March and Rally 12 noon Peace Gardens/City Hall June 30thReflections on the Edinburgh Unite the Resistance Public Meeting on the 28th: Preparing for a Protracted Battle
29-06-2011 22:55
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that on the 30th of June, 4 major unions are planning to go on strike over plans to slash public sector pension packages. This includes the National Union of Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the University and College Union, and the Public and Commercial Services, and will involve around 750 000 people. In Scotland, this strike is more limited, involving the Public and Commercial Services Union which comprises about 20 000 civil servants. Wanting to know more, I found myself at Edinburgh’s Unite the Resistance Meeting, called by the Right to Work campaign last night.
