The Metropolitan Police official ‘Report on Policing of the G20’ submitted
ahead of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) public meeting on the
issue includes two glaring false claims.

- False claims

The report contains the following gross inaccuracies in specific relation
to the camp:

I. ‘Kettling’ of the Camp:

“47. At about 7.00 p.m., cordons were put in place around the Climate Camp
demonstration to prevent disorderly protestors from the Bank of England
joining this protest. However, during this time, Climate Camp protestors
were allowed to leave the cordoned area if they wished.”

The section highlighted in bold is irrefutably false! Those who happened
to be in the camp from this time onwards were detained for nearly five
hours.

This claim is also contradicted by comments made by the Silver Commander
of operations on the day to the protest to the Climate Camp Legal Team1,
never mind the experience of the hundreds of people who were stopped from
leaving!

II. Police liaison:

“26.…demonstrations connected with Fossil Fools Day and Financial Fools
Day. These groups [with whom the police include Climate Camp] do not have
organisers willing to discuss their plans with the police and that makes
it very difficult for the MPS to work with them to facilitate lawful
protest.

Representatives from the Climate Camp – in the presence of David Howarth
MP and his assistant – met with Gold and Silver commanders as stated. This
meeting was repeatedly requested by Climate Camp, and only took place
after Climate Camp publicly revealed the police reluctance to
communicate.2 .The first of these requests for a meeting was sent on 10
March – a full three weeks before the protest.

Prior to the 30 March the police had not attempted to make contact, but
continued to make similar statements in the press about Climate Camp being
unwilling to discuss plans with them.

“26… Gold and Silver did meet with representatives of Climate Camp on 31
March 2009, but they refused to divulge their plans.”

The Camp representatives in no way refused to ‘divulge’ plans of the Camp.
They instead clarified that everything apart from the final exact location
was in the public domain. They simply did not have this information.

It was however public knowledge that the focus was the European Climate
Exchange in Bishopsgate, and that this was where people would gather at
12.30pm.

- Repercussions

Frances Wright, member of the Climate Camp Legal Team comments: “The fact
that the Met’s own official report contains false claims and inaccurate
information undermines any talk from the Met about a ‘willingness to
engage’ with groups like Climate Camp in the future.

“It seems that the truth – never mind trust – isn’t even being factored
into the equation by the Met at this stage.

“This will not put Climate Camp off approaching the police in future. But
all we hope is that they are more inclined to listen when we come knocking
next time.

The fact they appear to be presenting false information to the very public
body to which it’s supposed to be accountable does not fill us with
confidence!

“We will see if the Met can change its ways. It certainly needs to and we
will be the first to welcome the transformation. But initial signs aren’t
promising.”

The Climate Camp Legal Team will review the rest of the report with great
interest. It plans to highlight the inaccuracies of the information
presented in the report to the Met itself and all members of the MPA.

- Ends -

Contacts:

0781 7575467, 07932096677 or 07772861099

Notes to editors

* Relevant excerpts of the Climate Camp Legal Team report on policing of
the camp in the city are below:

1. Email through website of City of London Police professional standards
on 10 March 2009, email 23 March 2009 to Met professional standards,
forwarded by them to Operation Command Unit on 24 March 2009, no response
received.

2. “19.23 Police Liaison has been informed – Silver Command has decided to
contain camp because it has ‘kicked off’ at Moorgate (i.e. the Meltdown
protesters there are being violent). They are going to hold the camp there
for 2 hours and then let them out 20 at a time.”

A full copy of the report can be accessed at
 http://climatecamp.org.uk/node/563

* A representative from Climate Camp Legal Team met with Gold and Silver
with a Climate Camp’s Media Team representative and Police Liaison
representative present. It was in the specific context of the Legal Team’s
previous email which was to seek a number of assurances (such as police
wearing their numbers) and to get information to enable Climate Camp
Police Liaison to establish a link to the command structure for the day.