STORY-Camden schoolkids assaulted by 'level one riot cops' at M20 anti war demo
Camden @utonomists | 08.04.2003 19:45
Big brave policemen ganging up on small, puny schoolkids.
As they are bragging about being 'level one riot cops', maybe they should get a 'level one' riot delivered to the door of Charing Cross police station!
As they are bragging about being 'level one riot cops', maybe they should get a 'level one' riot delivered to the door of Charing Cross police station!
A letter taken from the pretty good Camden New Jornal, well worth a read, and it's free! KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE CAMDEN ATOMIZER THO. ITS CAMDENS ANSWER TO SCHNEWS AND ITS FREE TOO!!!
I feel strongly about what is happening regarding the war on Iraq so I decided with other friends from my lower sixth form that we would take part in the anti-war demo in parliament square on Thursday March 20 during our free periods and walked there from school reaching the demo at about 1:45pm.
When I arrived one of my friends Jack C., said I could sit on his shoulders. As he moved towards the traffic lights I thought it would be better if more people could see my "Stop The War' banner. So I went from Jack's shoulders to the top of the traffic light, at which point people were screaming and cheering me on. I waved my banner on top of the traffic light for about three minutes.
A lady looking at me asked me to get down. I realised my foolishness and decided to come down. As I put my right leg around the traffic light to slide down, my left leg lost its grip. Fearing that I might fall I caught on to the first thing I could get a hold of. I grabbed a black protuding pipe at the back of the traffic light and held on until it was safe enough to let go and I was down.
At this point I heard shouting from behind me and saw three huge policemen heading towards me reaching for their truncheons. Instinctively I ran for about seven metres where I tripped over a girl sitting on the road and was apprehended.
The officers picked me up and dragged me through the crowd. As I was being dragged I called out for help to my friends. The officers placed me behind a barrier and handcuffed me. They made me face one of the officers. The officer who I was facing STARTED TEASING ME by repeating in a mocking voice what I had said as I was being arrested. The exact phrase was "help me, help me".
At this point my arm was hurting from the handcuffs and I was angry. I kicked out at the officer teasing me and missed. The other OFFICER HOLDING ME THEN KICKED ME BETWEEN MY LEGS (IN MY GROIN).
I fell down and I don't know which ONE OF THE TWO THEN STRUCK A BLOW TO THE BACK OF MY HEAD CAUSING ME TO BECOME DIZZY AND DISORIENTATED.
The officers then picked me up and placed their hands around my neck very tightly and pulled me towards the police van (this was at about 2.15pm).
As the officer was putting me into the van HE PUSHED MY HEAD ONTO THE STEEL BAR IN THE VAN. I was placed in a seat with one of the officers holding my face into the window. As the van moved HE PULLED MY HEAD BACK AND SMASHED IT INTO THE WINDOW and kept it there for halfway through the journey to Charing Cross police station.
At one point the van braked hard and I went forward and banged my head on the front seat after which he put my head up against the window again. I asked him if he would give me a seatbelt, as I SAW THERE WERE SEATBELTS BUT HE REPLIED THAT THERE WERE NO SEATBELTS after which he then let go of my head.
From recollection the van had about five officers and one other protester. The police officers, from my memory, consisted of one driver, one front passenger seat officer, one officer in front of me (to my left, the one who had been teasing me), one behind me and one semi-standing to the left of me holding my head up against the window while my hands were handcuffed behind my back.
Jack C. the other arrested protester, was sitting behind me on the left with no officer next to him.
THE OFFICERS STARTED BOASTING AMONGST THEMSELVES OF HOW POWERFUL THEY WERE. THEY REFERRED TO THEMSELVES AS BEING LEVEL ONE RIOT POLICE. THE OFFICER WHO WAS TEASING ME AS I WAS ARRESTED CONTINUED TEASING ME IN AN ATTEMPT TO TRY AND PROVOKE ME FURTHER. I stayed calm with my face up against the window.
Some time into the journey in the police van, the officer who had beeen teasing me said: "IF THERE WERE FEWER CAMERAS WE WOULD HAVE BEATEN THE FUCKING SHIT OUT OF YOU".
The officer wbo had been holding my head up against the window said: "YOU'RE A LUCKY BASTARD YOU ARE". The officer who had been teasing me then replied: "WE COULD HAVE KILLED THEM".
Written by Faisal A. of WC1, letter to the Camden New Journal, published 3/4/03 page 13. Emphasis added.
I feel strongly about what is happening regarding the war on Iraq so I decided with other friends from my lower sixth form that we would take part in the anti-war demo in parliament square on Thursday March 20 during our free periods and walked there from school reaching the demo at about 1:45pm.
When I arrived one of my friends Jack C., said I could sit on his shoulders. As he moved towards the traffic lights I thought it would be better if more people could see my "Stop The War' banner. So I went from Jack's shoulders to the top of the traffic light, at which point people were screaming and cheering me on. I waved my banner on top of the traffic light for about three minutes.
A lady looking at me asked me to get down. I realised my foolishness and decided to come down. As I put my right leg around the traffic light to slide down, my left leg lost its grip. Fearing that I might fall I caught on to the first thing I could get a hold of. I grabbed a black protuding pipe at the back of the traffic light and held on until it was safe enough to let go and I was down.
At this point I heard shouting from behind me and saw three huge policemen heading towards me reaching for their truncheons. Instinctively I ran for about seven metres where I tripped over a girl sitting on the road and was apprehended.
The officers picked me up and dragged me through the crowd. As I was being dragged I called out for help to my friends. The officers placed me behind a barrier and handcuffed me. They made me face one of the officers. The officer who I was facing STARTED TEASING ME by repeating in a mocking voice what I had said as I was being arrested. The exact phrase was "help me, help me".
At this point my arm was hurting from the handcuffs and I was angry. I kicked out at the officer teasing me and missed. The other OFFICER HOLDING ME THEN KICKED ME BETWEEN MY LEGS (IN MY GROIN).
I fell down and I don't know which ONE OF THE TWO THEN STRUCK A BLOW TO THE BACK OF MY HEAD CAUSING ME TO BECOME DIZZY AND DISORIENTATED.
The officers then picked me up and placed their hands around my neck very tightly and pulled me towards the police van (this was at about 2.15pm).
As the officer was putting me into the van HE PUSHED MY HEAD ONTO THE STEEL BAR IN THE VAN. I was placed in a seat with one of the officers holding my face into the window. As the van moved HE PULLED MY HEAD BACK AND SMASHED IT INTO THE WINDOW and kept it there for halfway through the journey to Charing Cross police station.
At one point the van braked hard and I went forward and banged my head on the front seat after which he put my head up against the window again. I asked him if he would give me a seatbelt, as I SAW THERE WERE SEATBELTS BUT HE REPLIED THAT THERE WERE NO SEATBELTS after which he then let go of my head.
From recollection the van had about five officers and one other protester. The police officers, from my memory, consisted of one driver, one front passenger seat officer, one officer in front of me (to my left, the one who had been teasing me), one behind me and one semi-standing to the left of me holding my head up against the window while my hands were handcuffed behind my back.
Jack C. the other arrested protester, was sitting behind me on the left with no officer next to him.
THE OFFICERS STARTED BOASTING AMONGST THEMSELVES OF HOW POWERFUL THEY WERE. THEY REFERRED TO THEMSELVES AS BEING LEVEL ONE RIOT POLICE. THE OFFICER WHO WAS TEASING ME AS I WAS ARRESTED CONTINUED TEASING ME IN AN ATTEMPT TO TRY AND PROVOKE ME FURTHER. I stayed calm with my face up against the window.
Some time into the journey in the police van, the officer who had beeen teasing me said: "IF THERE WERE FEWER CAMERAS WE WOULD HAVE BEATEN THE FUCKING SHIT OUT OF YOU".
The officer wbo had been holding my head up against the window said: "YOU'RE A LUCKY BASTARD YOU ARE". The officer who had been teasing me then replied: "WE COULD HAVE KILLED THEM".
Written by Faisal A. of WC1, letter to the Camden New Journal, published 3/4/03 page 13. Emphasis added.
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Camden New Journal letter-3/4/03 page 13. not on webpage