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Pauline Campbell NOT arrested at Holloway.

Guido | 18.01.2008 11:23 | Repression | Social Struggles | London

Just two days before the anniversary of her daughters death in Styal Prison in 2003, Pauline Campbell was back at Holloway on Wednesday to demonstrate over yet another self-inflicted death inside its walls.

24 year old Jamie Pearce died on the 10th of December though her death has only just been rerecorded as “self inflicted” from “Unclassified”. There are now officially 8 such deaths recorded in England and Wales in 2007 a 166% rise from the year before. This was the 27th protest that Pauline has staged since her campaign began in 2004.

The group of protesters included two ex-prisoners (male); two grieving mothers whose loved ones had died in the 'care' of prisons in England; the mother of a teenager currently incarcerated in HMP Holloway; and a friend of the late Harry Stanley, who was shot dead by police in 1999.

Another death at Holloway...
Another death at Holloway...

...provokes another demonstration.
...provokes another demonstration.

Gwen Calvert mother of Paul who died in Pentonville down the road.
Gwen Calvert mother of Paul who died in Pentonville down the road.

More cops in attendance than usual.
More cops in attendance than usual.

Keeping everyone confined to the pavement.
Keeping everyone confined to the pavement.

Pauline attempts to discuss health and safety with the driver of a prison van...
Pauline attempts to discuss health and safety with the driver of a prison van...

...but is prevented form having her discussion.
...but is prevented form having her discussion.

The scenario is repeated...
The scenario is repeated...

...for the duration of the afternoon...
...for the duration of the afternoon...

...with the inevitable strain in relations.
...with the inevitable strain in relations.

This continues into the evening...
This continues into the evening...

...until the demo finally ends.
...until the demo finally ends.


Pauline and her supporters arrived on Wednesday to find a reception committee of no less than eight Police officers waiting. This marked a clear change in tactics by Police who must be wondering if there is anything they can do to deter Paulines campaign of direct action in solidarity with women prisoners?

She has now been arrested fourteen times for blocking prison vans trying to enter the locations of recent fatalities. Despite all her arrests she is yet to receive a single conviction despite the best attempts of the authorities. Last year the state pulled out all the stops in trying to give Pauline a criminal record but to no avail. See:

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/09/382185.html

14 failed attempts at prosecution can’t be good for morale. So now the cops have decided that containment is the best strategy. So on Wednesday each time Pauline attempted to discuss health and safety issues with a prison van driver she was pushed back onto the pavement by the assembled plods who steadfastly refused to arrest her. At one point she ended up on the deck but there was no repeat of the scenes that were witnessed at the previous Holloway demo. See:

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/07/375647.html

The fact that the Police now have to commit nearly ten plods, reluctantly employing the ‘softly, softly’ approach, to control Pauline is in itself a small victory. The campaign continues…


Guido
- e-mail: guidoreports@riseup.net

Additions

Demonstration Outside Holloway Prison

19.01.2008 15:42

I was present at the demonstration yesterday and have already left a comment on the other Indymedia page but would like to on this one as well. The number of deathis in custody in this country is a disgrace and the fact of no lessons having been learned and nobody being held accountable is even more of a disgrace. Pauline has, I know been arrested fourteen times and been roughly handled and bullied by police anbd other occasions as well as this one. A police sergeant yesterday referred to the force employed by her officers as "reasonable" it was nothing of the kind as these and other photos (see also London Diary show) I have seen the photographs and was there so this was just cheap nasty bullying, not proportionate to the situation and inconsistent with the restraint and professionalism that can be rreasonable expected from the police.
I have been active in prisoner support and campaigns for about four years; the fact is the judicial system is an oppressive and chaotic mess. The building of super size prisons will achieve nothing in the long term and perhaps we need to think more about what constitutes a crime and why has it taken place - we also need an authenticallyindependent body (which the IPCC is not and never has been) to investigate and regulate the behaviour of the police and easier access to redress for those wrongly imprisoned, fitted up and ill treated of which there are many. My own involvement has stepped up considerably following my own ill treatment and fitting up by police in Brighton, their physical andmental cruelty at a time when my health was not good led to an attempt on my life.
I identify with gwen Calvert and her situation regarding Paul and again send condolescences and good wishes to all who have lost loved ones to the "care" of the state or who are suffering in any way because of the judicial arm of the state

Dr george Coombs

Dr George Coombs
mail e-mail: georgecmbs@tiscali.co.uk


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  1. More police abuse ... — Activist