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SOCPA - film of anti-trident day of protest (1 of 2 - wmv version)

rikki | 19.03.2007 01:12 | SOCPA | Anti-militarism | Repression | London

twelve minute film shows celebs' press-call in the morning, the lock-on and parliament square blockade of the afternoon, and the cyclists' 'fish on bicycle' demo in the evening, followed by police harassment as the 'official' cnd protest finishes

a mixture of 'authorised' and 'unauthorised' demos made up 14th march, the day of the parliament vote about trident missles (even though we all know the facilities are already being built at aldermarston so the vote is a sham).

as the celebs (including anita roddick, vivienne westwood, annie lennox and bianca jagger) posed for press outside parliament, a plucky group of nine activists staged a blockade by locking-on to heavy concrete props, stopping traffic in parliament square. it took police several hours to finally free the activists. they were all charged with 'obstruction of the highway', and 'unauthorised demonstration', and will appear in court on the 29th march.

later on, cnd held a rally in the square, 'authorised' under sopca from 6pm to 8pm. cyclists passing through dressed as fish were violently stopped on the public road by police and dragged into the square. despite socpa warnings, some cyclists continued their protest without arrest, and this was the police theme of the evening - violence and intimidation (using socpa as the reason) to clear people from the square, but no actual arrests. one female child was held by throat pressure points and an older man was thrown to the ground and suffered a suspected back injury. modern socpa policing!

the film is just over twelve minutes long and is also available in quicktime mp4 format here shortly
recommended viewer 'vlc', widely available, is free for both mac and pc

original report and pics from the lock-on at  http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/365111.html

rikki
- e-mail: rikkiindymedia@googlemail.com

Additions

Met & The Press

19.03.2007 09:49

From the "Guidelines for Metropolitan Police Service staff on dealing with media reporters, press photographers and television crews"

"Members of the media have a duty to take photographs and film incidents and we have no legal power or moral responsibility to prevent or restrict what they record. It is a matter for their editors to control what is published or broadcast, not the police. Once images are recorded, we have no power to delete or confiscate them without a court order, even if we think they contain damaging or useful evidence."

More here:
 http://www.londonfreelance.org/photo/guidelines.html

"Photographers being arrested to seize evidence" claim at NUJ Photographers' Conference"
 http://www.epuk.org/News/489/photographers-conference-pace-seizure

Photojournalist


Great edit - thanks

19.03.2007 14:18

Just walked in the door from Aldermaston to find this - made my day. Great edit - other blockaders watching too and well chuffed. Nice to see cycle ride in action cos we missed all that!

Nine blockaders in court on 27 March, 10am Horseferry Road. Support welcome.

Next Aldermaston blockade 10 April.

jk
mail e-mail: btb@aldermaston.net
- Homepage: http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk


Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Excellent video Rikki.

19.03.2007 07:55

This puts the corporate media and the BBC to shame. They who dare not depict dissent as it really is in the UK nor how the police actually behave towards the general public.

Doug


Mainstream Media

19.03.2007 23:06

"This puts the corporate media and the BBC to shame."

Absolutely. It is very strange how they ALWAYS seem to miss a lot of what is going on with protests. On the 15th March the day after these protests the Independent 'newspaper' mentioned ABSOLUTE ZERO about ANY kind of protests against Trident. They had an article inside mentioning rebellion inside the Commons but nothing about CND protests and nothing about any road blockade. Certainly nothing about the kind of police-state-like physical abuse mentioned in the article above.

Instead the Independent has preferred to have their front pages taken up with diversionary articles provoking Zimbabwe opposition groups to submit themselves to torture at the hands of Magabe - very bloody useful.

When I get the time I will download these videos that rikki has posted (I am still on a slow dial-up connection).

Brian B