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Civil Disobedience Protest By British Tamils Met With Police Brutality

Daniel | 14.05.2009 21:06 | Anti-militarism | Anti-racism | Repression

Police resort to the seizure of young children and physical attacks on women and children to break the blockade of Westminster Bridge, eyewitnesses report.

After the news of thousands of civilian deaths in Sri Lanka at the weekend, which the UN has described as ‘a bloodbath’, British Tamils began a civil disobedience protest on Monday morning on Westminster Bridge, in the hope that the British government might put genuine and decisive pressure on Sri Lanka to stop the atrocities it is currently committing.

Five hundred began the protest at Parliament Square at about six thirty in the morning. At 10.00am thousands more had joined them, at which point they moved themselves onto Westminster Bridge and closed it off to traffic. There were only about forty-five police officers guarding them at that time, and they were taken entirely by surprise.

It wasn’t until three in the afternoon that the police began to seriously challenge the blockade. The protesters had placed women with children in pushchairs at the front of the crowd, in the hope that this would deter the police from attacking them. Eyewitnesses report that the police responded by taking the children out of the pushchairs by force and removing them to nearby police vans, which succeeded in forcing the parents to leave the blockade so as to reclaim their children. Women and youngsters of around ten and eleven were still at the front of the protest, and the police then began attacking them. An eyewitness reported that the police were pushing women’s breasts and striking out at children with their fists. This eyewitness has scabs on his face where he says that he himself was hit by the police. It is said that representatives of the Tamil media outlet GTV were also targeted by the police and attacked physically, although no attempt was made to attack white journalists.

Daniel

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"white journalists"

14.05.2009 22:25

at least two "white journalists" were also injured by aggressive police as the roads were cleared on monday afternoon. not sure if your generalisation is helpful to any worthwhile cause.

shame, as the rest of this piece was informative and, according to others there, very accurate.

rikki

White journalists

14.05.2009 22:51

I was merely reporting what an eyewitness told me. I would be happy to edit the offending statement from the article, but I'm not sure how.

Daniel

no doubt no harm meant

14.05.2009 23:17

i am sure you have nothing but good intentions but this is a good reminder of the important rule : only report what you have seen yourself, never pass on what you have heard unless you are able to double check each fact properly.

i first learnt this rule from fellow activists in relation to riot / mass protest situations where passing on of rumours = opportunities for major f@ck ups to occur.

if you didn't see it with your own eyes you do not know it happened.

and that applies even when it is your best mate, husband, sister, whatever. the man is used to call "dad" was a grass being paid by BAE i know now, so i have learnt this from bitter experience.

in relation to writing articles rather than rumours in the midst of a riot, the sad thing is i suspect that every other sentence in your report is probably entirely accurate and yet will no longer carry the weight it might have.

i remain curious to know whether it was a matter of exageration (ie they MOSTLY only went for white journalist with a couple of noted exceptions) or whether this sentence was entirely a red herring?

take care peeps

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Final phase for the hostage rescue mission; over 3000 rescued

15.05.2009 04:09

Sri Lanka soldiers have rescued over 3300 civilians held at hostage by the LTTE terrorists by this evening (May 14) reveal defense forces. According to the sources , the rescue mission is underway with thousand more civilians seeking refuge with the soldiers in the Vellaimulliwaikkal area even at the time of filing this report.

Troops of 58 Division since last morning started maneuvering southwards along the coast on the Eastern border of the newly declared civilian safety Zone, and have been able to eliminate LTTE strongholds up to the Farah III shipwreck , located on the karyalaimullivaikkal coast.

According to the sources, the shipwreck has been the main costal stronghold of the terrorists, on which their heavy machine guns were placed. The soldiers had to encounter stiff resistance from the terrorist manning the shipwreck when they posed the open beachhead this morning. Infantrymen of 11th Sri Lanka light infantry and 12 Gajaba Regiment upon reaching the location have attacked and destroyed the dinghy boats on which the terrorists had attempted to escape

Meanwhile, a huge explosion has been reported in the civilian safety zone where the LTTE leaders are currently hiding in. According to the reports, the soldiers have heard the explosion around 6.30 P.M , after which they have observed thick black smoke rising above 200m from the ground. Following the explosion, all radio communications among the LTTE units have come to a standstill, the reports added.

Reports from 59 Division said that 4 civilians were killed and 14 others suffers serious injuries when the terrorists opened fire at them as they sought refuge with the soldiers.

Sri Lanka Air force has airlifted 12 of the injured to the government hospital Anuradhapura.

More information will follow...

"Tigers" must free their civilian hostages and surrender

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State propaganda is not welcome on Indymedia.

15.05.2009 08:25


and thats exactly what the comment "Final phase for the hostage rescue mission; over 3000 rescued" offers us.

 http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090514_17

proper goose
- Homepage: http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090514_17

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'Rescue mission'... why don't you fuck off?

15.05.2009 08:27

Nobody here is going to believe your sick propaganda so why don't you crawl up you arse and disappear?

Me

'White journalists'

15.05.2009 08:37

The assault on the two journalists (and a 'white' woman protester) was reported here:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/05/429979.html
Good piece apart from that little mistake.

Rosalba

Respect to the protesters but ........

15.05.2009 17:30

“The protesters had placed women with children in pushchairs at the front of the crowd, in the hope that this would deter the police from attacking them.”

But I don't get why people do this. I don't know why people trust the cops with their kids.

Protester

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Only 1.8km left to go

15.05.2009 17:32

Only 1.8km left held by the LTTE between the advancing Sri Lankan 58th and 59th Divisions.

Someone should adapt the song that went "Would you like a cheeseburger Bobby Sands" to "Would you like a cyanide pill Prabhakaran".

cyanide pill

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to sri-lankan state agent

16.05.2009 00:08

Why don't YOU take a cyanide pill so we don't have to read your bollocks propaganda pasted from Sri Lanka defense ministry website? The earth would be a better place without lying scum like you, sharing responsibility for and covering up murders of thousands and thousands of people. If you think you're not gonna pay for it, you're mistaken. You'll reap what you sowing.

scum should fuck off

eye witness, as if anyone cares

18.05.2009 07:59

Saw it myself on the day it started, they used push chairs (including kids) to push onto the road, and then put kids in front of buses as human shields (at one time 5 kids 1 adult) to stop traffic so the rest could cross.

From what friends (sorry but they are very trust worthy ones, but your point is a good one) who have been to shi lanka this is quite acceptable to them.

The cops know the world is watching and it is obvious that they are being told not to get involved.

I was there I did see it and it sickened me, they are hiding behind tiny children who have no idea why thier parents are making them freeze in a square in London.

shame

anon through right

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