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Freedom of Assembly Protest - Part 2: Downing Street

Oscar Beard | 15.01.2008 23:11 | SOCPA | Repression | London | World

Part two video of the London Freedom of Assembly on Saturday 12 January 2008.

Following the ruckus on Parliament Square and police tempers began to visibly fray at the non-violent direct action human road blockade, the remaining protestors marched on Downing Street, some 60 or more.

Police vans raced in immediately. The three TSG (tactical Support Group) vans that had been following the demonstration since Scotland Yard sat on stand-by at Whitehall.

The rest, as they say, is Indymedia UK history - as you won't see this footage anywhere else - despite desperate efforts to urge the mainstream media to talk about the day's action and police response that left peace protestor Brian Haw beaten and arrested. Six others were also arrested that day. In the days passing others have contacted this journalist to inform of their injuries, mainly bruises on pressure points.

It was a day of some of the most powerful and defiant protests seen for quite some time on UK streets. And with only a few hundred people. A shape of things to come?

Oscar Beard
- e-mail: imc.oscarbeard@googlemail.com