Climate Raids - Police Wrongly Break Into School and Seize Learning Equipment
imc | 14.04.2009 15:14 | Climate Chaos | Education | Repression
When the police raided a community centre in Sneinton, Nottingham yesterday morning to bust an alleged 'climate activists plot', they entered buildings which are part of a bigger complex. The ones they forced entry into are mainly empty with a few local business's renting space in them. It is reported that this is were the 114 arrests were made.
Next door to these buildings, at the bottom of the hill on street level, is where the Iona School is based. The Iona school is an independent school which exists through fund raising and is a registered charity. When the police raided the other buildings, the registered key holder for the school actually turned up to let the police in, but was then told NO, 'sorry we don't need you' and turned away. The police THEN smashed there way in through a number of the doors to the school. Once inside they then also smashed open lockers and cupboards and took away essential equipment from the school and made (according to locals) 'a right mess'.
Indymedia user Sneintonite commented: " I live in Sneinton, am a community activist and know a bit about what happened. Now the point I'd like to make is that one anything taken away by the police was not connected to the action planned and that two the school may have to close down because of this damage caused by the police. The school cannot afford to repair and replace the damage done and as many of you know, it will take months for the police to shell out for the damage and return the evidence and weapons. (I mean school equipment!) The people behind this planned action should be asking themselves how the police knew all about it (114 people in a direct action is a hard number of people to keep a secret!), but maybe they should also be asking themselves why choose a school in the middle of a residential area to meet up at. "
Maybe the 114 people are willing to come down and help the school survive this crisis, because it is a fair bet the police won't be helping out!
More information about the school: theionaschool.org.uk
imc
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