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Met Police issues photos of 'suspects' from recent London Gaza protests

@ | 24.01.2009 17:48 | Palestine | Repression

The Met Police have issued on their website images of people they are seeking in connection to two demos for Gaza on the 3rd and 10th January 2009. The Met Police webpage has six photos of 'suspects'. Some of these images were also published in various newspapers this week.

Quote:

"Appeal to trace demonstration crime suspects
Detectives are appealing for the publics' help to track down suspects involved in attacking police and smashing shop windows during demonstrations this month.
Operation Ute, the investigation team, are seeking in the region of forty people following demonstrations on 3 January and 10 January in central London.

At least 55 police officers have reported being injured during the policing of these demonstrations. Fortunately the vast majority have been minor however, on Saturday 10 January one police officer was knocked unconscious after he was hit by a metal object.
Commander Bob Broadhurst, in charge of Public Order policing said:
"The Met will always facilitate lawful protest. However, what we have witnessed and what our officers have been subjected to was not and cannot be described as lawful protest.
"It is completely unacceptable that our officers were targeted in this way and subject to such violence and aggression. A small minority of people set out that day, not to air their views but to fight with police. I have no doubt that a small hardcore acted as antagonists during both demonstrations stirring up others within the crowd.

"We know that a number of responsible demonstrators worked hard to try and keep the hardcore calm, placing themselves in danger. The Met will not tolerate attacks on officers under the guise of protest. Our right to protest is an important one and should never be undermined by thugs and louts who simply want to cause trouble."

Demonstration on 3 January 2009:
On 3 January a lawful march of around 12,000 went from Embankment to Trafalgar Square. What followed saw around 2,000 start a spontaneous march from the Square to the Israeli Embassy. Police worked hard to facilitate to the march to keep participants safe. Along the route of the march a small number of people repeatedly tried to break through police lines and hurled objects including fireworks at officers. Once at the Embassy a small group continued to try and attack police, breaking apart barriers and throwing them at police. This went on for approximately three hours.
Afterwards a search of the area recovered a knife embedded in the Embassy gatepost, which police believe had been thrown at officers. Some thirteen people were arrested at the time, but detectives are still seeking in the region of seventeen people for offences such as serious violent disorder.


Demonstration on 10 January:
On 10 January a march left Speakers Corner for the Israeli Embassy. Police believe there were between 15 - 20,000 people taking part. An initial attempt to breach security at the north gate of Kensington Palace Gardens resulted in police coming under attack from a small group of protestors throwing sticks and stones. The gate and nearby street furniture were also damaged. In front of the Embassy itself officers came under a sustained three-hour attack from a group who were intent on breaching police security barriers. People hurled metal barriers, sticks and stones at officers.

Four shops had their windows smashed and people attacked police vehicles. Starbucks was looted and people used items they had stolen to then throw at police. Twenty-four people were arrested on the day; detectives are now seeking at least twenty people for offences including serious violent disorder. CCTV and material taken by specialist evidence gatherers is now being reviewed by the team."
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 http://cms.met.police.uk/news/appeals/appeal_to_trace_demonstration_crime_suspects

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- Homepage: http://cms.met.police.uk/news/appeals/appeal_to_trace_demonstration_crime_suspects

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Is there a solidarity group to help those arrested?

24.01.2009 18:57

Is there a solidarity group to help those people who were arrested with legal advice and other support?

@non


importante info...

24.01.2009 19:01

importante info to the the met in london [the finest ..] ..all suspects have been seen having coffee in starbuks in central london 2day afternoon , having plans to go to the cinema and after go back to the bunker in trafalgar square ...hope this info helps there capture and all the best for the amazing police force in uk....GOOD LUCK grass the shit out ........A.C.A.B help the police BEAT UP YOURSELF @

grass the shit out


When are you going to arrest Tony Blair ?

24.01.2009 19:37

He murdered a significant number of british soldiers by sending them to war on false pretexts.

And so on.

Hiding in Israel since he fled Downing Street, in case you've lost track of him, dudes at the police.

You defend a system and people who endlessly massacre even your own buddies.

I am speaking to you about MURDERS not a few punches during a demo.

Benny


Solidarity With Those Arrested

25.01.2009 12:57

Unfortunately the answer is almost certainly 'NO'. Most of those taking part weren't from organised groups that have the means to support defendants in such circumstances, and the anarchist groups who do have the wherewithall to support such people don't want to help out people they suspect of being Islamists, which is of course what we're going to be told to believe by the Met. True or not, these people deserve support.

And after what happened during the Bush demo in June, its pretty clear Stop the War will just want to wash their hands of the situation, possibly with a quick reference to police mishandling of the situation to save face.

I'd suggest that some people in London with experience of this sort of thing from the MayDay's and Arms Fairs etc of old get on, set up an email account and start calling round local mosques etc to get in touch with those who were arrested and begin defending them. Its not un-anarchist to support someone you often disagree with when faced with the same repression from the state. "First they came for the muslims, then they came for me" and all that.

Its clear the Met don't even believe they're complicit with the Israeli embassey on this one, so we must show it to them. Trying to imply that setting out to fight the police is somehow separate from expressing an opinion is just pure propaganda though.

Also Anon


support group

25.01.2009 23:54

i think this is the support group......islamic human rights commission ...www.ihrc.org when i got stop and search and later police station the legal advisers brought me this lawer from the islamic human rights is name is massoud shadjareh and they help people from the demos and anti police brutality hope i can help with this ..02089044222 fax 02089045183 email  massoud@ihrc.org or web www.ihrc.org FREEDOM TO THE COMRADES .... AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY A.C.A.B

gato