ESF Arrests Update
wombles | 22.12.2004 05:06
This is an update of the people arrested & charged during the European Social Forum in London October 2004. Of those arrested only one was a UK national. (This may or may not have any significance).
The four people arrested at Kings Cross station on Sunday 17th while attempting to travel to the ESF demonstration: one person’s case (assaulting police) is still ongoing, one person had his charges (assaulting police) dismissed in court through lack of evidence, one person received a ‘caution’ for having a pocket knife, & one person, initially arrested for ‘firearms offences’, was released without charge when it was discovered the item in question was a bottle of eyedrops (!)
The two people arrested by the main stage at Trafalgar Square as they attempted to announce the arrests & police repression at Kings Cross: one received a fixed penalty notice (£80 fine) for a public order offence while the other returns to court in February 2005 to answer charges of ‘threatening words & behaviour’.
Other people arrested at Trafalgar Square during the ESF demonstration: one person received a ‘conditional discharge’ for possession of a knife.
The person arrested on Saturday evening outside Alexandra Palace after the stage intervention denouncing Ken Livingstone’s co-option of the ESF is charged with theft (of a police helmet!), assaulting police & ‘threatening words & behaviour’. His next court appearance is in February 2005.
Two people were arrested for shoplifting during the reclaim public transport/tube party action on Friday evening. Both received a ‘caution’.
A ‘caution’ is issued by the police (not the courts) on the condition the person admits the offence. No further action is taken against that person although it is kept on police record. A ‘conditional discharge’ is where the court finds a person guilty of the offence but does not wish to punish that person further. This goes on the person’s criminal record & depending on the conditions imposed by the court no further action is taken.
Of the three people whose cases are still ongoing all have ‘unconditional bail’ which means there are no restrictions on their freedom or movements.
We continue to give our unconditional solidarity & support to those arrested & those charged during the London ESF.
- wombles
www.wombles.org.uk/auto/reflections.php
The two people arrested by the main stage at Trafalgar Square as they attempted to announce the arrests & police repression at Kings Cross: one received a fixed penalty notice (£80 fine) for a public order offence while the other returns to court in February 2005 to answer charges of ‘threatening words & behaviour’.
Other people arrested at Trafalgar Square during the ESF demonstration: one person received a ‘conditional discharge’ for possession of a knife.
The person arrested on Saturday evening outside Alexandra Palace after the stage intervention denouncing Ken Livingstone’s co-option of the ESF is charged with theft (of a police helmet!), assaulting police & ‘threatening words & behaviour’. His next court appearance is in February 2005.
Two people were arrested for shoplifting during the reclaim public transport/tube party action on Friday evening. Both received a ‘caution’.
A ‘caution’ is issued by the police (not the courts) on the condition the person admits the offence. No further action is taken against that person although it is kept on police record. A ‘conditional discharge’ is where the court finds a person guilty of the offence but does not wish to punish that person further. This goes on the person’s criminal record & depending on the conditions imposed by the court no further action is taken.
Of the three people whose cases are still ongoing all have ‘unconditional bail’ which means there are no restrictions on their freedom or movements.
We continue to give our unconditional solidarity & support to those arrested & those charged during the London ESF.
- wombles
www.wombles.org.uk/auto/reflections.php
wombles
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wombles@hushmail.com
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