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Riot Police Continue to Attack Women and Children at the Camp for Climate Action

The Earth Aid Environmental Campaign | 06.08.2008 15:22 | Climate Camp 2008 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Workers' Movements | London | World

The relentless campaign of intimidation by the police against the Camp for Climate Action continued during the night.
Around 2 am the police switched off the floodlights at the front gate and rushed in four riot vans blasting out Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries which was the theme music of the film Apocalypse Now and also Adolph Hitler's favourite music.

The alarm was sounded immediately and about 100 climate campers quickly blocked the gates with wheelie bins to stop any attack by the riot police massing in front of them.
There was a stand-off lasting about 20 minutes during which the police kept shouting out random numbers before they were ordered back into their vans and they drove off and the lights came back on again.
One of the campers shouted at the police: "How would you like it if someone attacked and abused and intimidated your children like this?"
There was another call-out about 4 am at the back gate when the riot police marched en masse towards the back gate and hundreds of climate campers gathered again to try to prevent another possible attack against them.
A number of people were quite seriously injured during the vicious onslaught by the riot police on Monday afternoon.
The sudden attack on the peaceful protesters sitting down at the back gate took them by surprise and the police lashed out at everyone including women and very young children.
About 40 riot police managed to break through onto the site but were chased back out again by angry campers shouting "out, out, out".
Several officers fell over in their rush to escape.
The Metropolitan police commanders responsible for ordering the attack are being investigated for possible private criminal prosecutions.

The Earth Aid Environmental Campaign
- e-mail: earthaidcampaign@yahoo.co.uk

Additions

A good one for the lawyers to use in defence of the protestors.

07.08.2008 08:45

The relentless campaign of intimidation by the police against the Camp for Climate Action continued during the night. Around 2 am the police switched off the floodlights at the front gate and rushed in four riot vans blasting out Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries which was the theme music of the film Apocalypse Now.

A good one for the lawyers to use in defence of the protestors about the mentailly of the Police in comand of this operation.

Keep up the good work Constables, we will be able to rip you apart in the courts.

Loppy


Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Mainstream media silence?

06.08.2008 18:31

I've only got a radio but there's been bugger all about the camp from the BBC, the aims of the protest and above all about ANY police intimidation. Guess that's not surprising but it's a change from last years camp. With the government as biggest shareholders in UK energy and the police as their corporate protectors, it makes sense that the state controlled media would be keeping quiet on this. But I wonder if the cops have been given carte blanche this year, knowing there won't be much reporting back.

seepo


Dear brave peeps..

06.08.2008 19:42

It's cold comfort I know, but don't forget that the cops are doing all this because they're shit scared of our power and what we can achieve. The worse they are and the more pathetic their efforts (nicking bikes and kids crayons for fuck sake!), the surer we can be that they are worried big time.

Standtall


shit scarred?

06.08.2008 22:40

pigs are shit scarred of your power? you kidding yourself mate! its not like they can expect barrage of stones and molotov coctails binvading a camp and they would clearly kick the living shit out of everybody if they still wouldnt be constrained a bit by having to pretend that they "guardians of a free society", not thugs in uniforms enforcing a police state. Still- good to hear that people are resisiting in some way- questions is what sort of conclusions will be drawn out of this by ppl after the camp..
ACAB

anarchist


Evidence?

07.08.2008 07:36

Photos - Films anything that could be used to sue?

Realist


why are kids at the camp?

07.08.2008 09:21

One thing I loath is indocrination of the young, whether by religion or political factions, and the same goes for folk that take kids to protest camps and expose them to the trials and tribulations of such a existense. Did the kids have a choice in being there? I respect your right to protest, but I would have to question your parenting

excuseenwha


Women and children?

07.08.2008 09:39

Please. The police are truly our of order. No dispute there. And this is not meant to distract from that. And attacking 'women looking after children' or 'mothers with babies' is indeed worse than attacking general adults, but otherwise 'women' and 'men' should be no different. You'll be complaining that the pigs dared go for the 'fairer sex' next!

anti-sexist


Ride of the valkyries?

07.08.2008 09:55

I love the smell of bacon in the morning.....

Kurtz


For excuseenwha

07.08.2008 16:15

I think families have the right to bring their children to live in the way they choose, among the people they love - the climate camp isn't designed to be a warground, anymore than mainstream society, so it's not deliberately bringing their children to predetermined horrors. children being born into capitalist britain are also being subject to indoctrination and propaganda, so is it right for people to belive in what may be better ways to keep silent, so as not to risk propagandising, when those they oppose are screaming through every billboard, tv show, newspaper, pop song and shop transaction?

Pink


The Children Are the Future

07.08.2008 16:19

Sky News filmed the riot police attack from the air and have comprehensive footage.
The road protesters of the 1990s have brought their children with them because this is how we live.
The Children of the Eco Warriors will lead the Children's Revolution march on the Day of Mass Action on Saturday.
All welcome to the peaceful demonstration coming up.
Thank you to everybody for your support.

The Earth Aid Environmental Campaign


climate camp police

24.08.2008 09:14

Be joined to our formal complaint which up to now the Kent Police have neither acknowledged or answered Ian

Ian Campbell