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New stop and search powers to be used against protest

fighting fit | 31.01.2008 15:06 | Repression

The main political parties yesterday fought to outdo each other as they both laid out plans to expand and extend police stop and search powers.

The Tories have said that they plan to give police complete freedom to stop and search who they choose, without any need for suspicion or additional authorisation. The Labour government are not far behind. They have announced the end of stop and search forms, which restricted the extent to which police could abuse their powers, and more measures to ‘free up’ the police are on their way.

The plans have sparked fears of a return to old style ‘sus’ laws even amongst the police force. On a national radio phone-in yesterday a man claiming to be a serving police officer stated that the police already ignored or abused regulations ‘on a daily basis’, as they carried out stop and searches purely to meet their performance targets. A representative from the black police association predicted that the police will use wider measures not to prevent crime but to exercise ‘more control’ over minority groups.

Inevitably, alongside black youths and Asian men, one of the ‘minority groups’ that will be targeted will be people involved in political protest. The police have long been frustrated in their attempts to use stop and search more widely against protest groups.

They have the use of s60 orders, to enable them to search for weapons, but the police struggle to get authorisation to use this measure unless they can show a likelihood of public disorder. They thought terrorism provisions (s44) would be the answer, but were severely criticised for their use of s44 to carry out repeated and widespread searches (sometimes with the use of force) at the DSEi protests in 2003. They even got PACE changed to allow them to search on the ‘suspicion of going equipped to cause criminal damage’ but this still requires ‘suspicion’ and can’t be used against large numbers.

What they really want – and what they look likely to get – is the freedom to conduct systematic searches of whatever number of people are attending a political protest, without the need for prior authorisation or the presence of ‘reasonable suspicion’.

It will be yet another way in which police can harass, intimidate and bully. And most importantly (for them) yet another way in which they can frighten and deter people from being involved in overt political activity.

However, they may not get everything their own way. A growing number of activists have become increasingly frustrated and angered by police tactics on protests.

As things stand, the police get away with a long list of bullying tactics. Demonstrators are forced into police pens where they are detained, sometimes for long periods of time. Release from the ‘pen’ often depends on the person agreeing to being searched and identified. Individuals on political actions and protests are photographed and filmed, and have their personal data entered onto a permanent database. Organisers come in for special treatment and can be personally harassed.

There is perhaps a mood of resistance building up, a growing number who are no longer prepared just to sit by and allow the police to bully and intimidate us.

If you would like to be a part of that, please come along to the Fitwatch meeting on Saturday 8th March , at the LSE at 2pm. People from all groups and campaigns are welcome, and it is hoped there will be a wide ranging discussion about creating some effective resistance to current police objectives that are forcing us off the streets.

fighting fit
- e-mail: defycops@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.fitwatch.blogspot.com

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asian & black coppers association,riots or transition's

31.01.2008 23:14

An Asian Chief superintendent from a National Black Police Association said this was a draconian, criticism came from liberal dems,even more from green,respect& anarchists. These are proposals some police oppose themselves as they know it creates more barriers in society & are likely to creates more riots.
 http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2249621,00.html
There are sadly many police who would abuse sus laws, especially as they are driven by short term targets, a true policy would help redress the criminal imbalance where most black & asian communities live in poverty & are deliberately put in ghettos.
The proposals do include more community liason & control of local police forces, but just seems like a politically correct after thought.
What is the answer?
Besides protesting these proposals & calling for more social balance, pragmatic voting is one tactic some especially older anarchists admit to using to keep the worst corporate party out, the same as our general tactic against the BNP.
Maybe rather than voting here & there we need a popular front like that in Spain without the Stalinism which is dead anyway, CNT voted for the front to stop repressive laws & get imprisoned strikers out. It worked for a while, large regions of Spain were revolutionary despite Stalinist comintern which abused power, then Franco was flown to Morroco by idiots in British"intelligence" to lead a army of Italian,Muslim& German Nazis. However freaky BNP & Front National fascism is, its less powerful than it was in the 1930's.
Popular fronts, transition councils,regional assemblies & proportional representation need looking at, it almost worked in Spain.

The other options are to hope people will join our autonomous zones&coop's, how long have we got? they are vimportant & do help inspire though.
Strikes are essential, but without the political back up create strife, are we ready?
Propaganda of deed can help,from art-music to go slows&Chaplin spanners, but smashing windows & assasinations or Reichstag fires are often exactly what the repressive state want.
How long have we got before we reclaim the world with more global warming& WMDs?
any idea's? maybe WSF does need to be more than just a web group forum?

aj