Lewisham Council Stop and Search.

Outraged of Lewisham. | 10.07.2005 15:49 | Repression | London

Every year an excellent public event called People's Day is held in Mountsfield Public Park in the London borough of Lewisham, only this year it was quite different.

At every entrance to the park today, Sunday 10th July, were unidentifiable people in orange T shirts patting down people and searching bags and prams. The police stood nearby but refused to take part in these proceedings. I offered to have myself searched by the police instead but they refused. One of the 'Council' searchers threatened to smash my camera and the police said they would arrest me, but backed down when I replied, "Go ahead then arrest me'. In the end I rode away on my bike refusing to be searched on these terms, after years of taking part in this event.

Question is, where will it all end? Will we be searched by any Tom, Dick or Harry as we enter pubs, churches, or supermarkets? How far do Local Council powers extend these days?

Outraged of Lewisham.

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

Reality check

10.07.2005 15:59

I bet you sounded pretty hard when you shouted "go on arrest me". Feel like Superman today do you?

Would you be on that "high horse" if a bomb did rip through this event?

Well then again maybe not, conpiracy No. 3,583 would come into effect wouldn't it?

Reality check!

Lewisham Len

Are you on drugs 'Lewisham Len'

10.07.2005 16:28

How did you get from: "when I replied, "Go ahead then arrest me'."

to:" when you shouted "go on arrest me"."?

Do you think we should all roll over and be searched by any arsehole in a uniform?

Seems like you've already given in to the terror.

BRB

Reality check?

10.07.2005 16:43

If the police thought there were sufficient grounds for a stop and search they would be doing it, but obviously they don't. Unlike you, they and I are the ones in touch with reality. I don't know where you are coming from Len, but I do know it is somewhere threatening to our civil liberties.

Outraged of Lewisham.

Yes reality

10.07.2005 16:56

Any excuse for a rant. Give it a rest guys. Don't kid yourselves you’d be complaining the same if the police were searching you just as the council people were.

Michael

Ummmm

10.07.2005 17:10

And just who do you think would take the time to bomb Lewisham? Chances are it would be the Local council just to get the place some publicity. Stay in your homes everyone, the outside world is just too scary.

A Lexicon

Yes reality?

10.07.2005 17:45

If the London police searched me they would, hopefully, unlike the Gleneagles bunch, have ID numbers and they would be required to make out a search report, in compliance with the law.

Naturally, if the police searched me and found nothing incriminating I would be entitled to 'rant' about it and why not? It is after all, as we are repeatedly told over and repetitively over again, a free and democratic country. But who are these anonymous searchers who can pat us down without any accountability or stated reason?

Obviously the terrorists are winning, by depriving us of our traditional civil liberties,

Outraged of Lewisham.

Actually...

11.07.2005 11:48

The cops doing the searching in Gleneagles were most often the Met or officers working with them or FIT, so don't be surprised to see a resurgence of the 'numberless' cops around London streets...

Observer