Police entrapment on student demo in London 24.11.10

Letter sent to the Guardian about the policing of the student protest in London

The policing of the student demonstration in London yesterday (24.11.10) was nothing short of corrupt. The police play the 'innocent' game frequently, but in this case it is totally blatant as anybody with an authentically independent mind saw.

The placing of an empty police minibus (in Whitehall) in the path of a known militant march of student demonstrators is a 'red rag to a bull'. It is nothing short of entrapment and because of the huge policing resources and plans the police made to kettle demonstrators, is part of a deliberate 'newsmaking' for the right wing dominated media.

It is also intimidating for protestors to be pushed around and contained, and as such is an attack on the right to demonstrate. If there are any police still interested in real policing, I hope they will disassociate themselves from the operational plans and decision making of the Metropolitan police for that protest march.

Yours

Mayday
Homepage: http://mayday-magazine.com/

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Van was definitely a plant

25.11.2010 15:40

Also regarding that police van - look at it - there are no number plates, it's an older version and already has a 'police aware' sticker above the windscreen. Almost definitely a deliberate ploy to brand protesters as vandals and discredit the message they wanted to bring.

NETCU

It's happened before

25.11.2010 16:15

Something almost identical happened at the anti-WTO demo in London on November 30th 1999 - old police van left in the middle of the kettle wrecked by persons unknown. Result - photos everywhere the next day, fuel to the clampdown.

Don't take the bait, guys. Great energy yesterday, but this is a long struggle and we all need to keep our heads.

long memory

just wondering

25.11.2010 18:59

Presumably the cops expected it to be burnt as well. But I'm not sure, in the long run, about whether these things help a movement or not. It's a risky game, but I imagine it was some middle-level copper wanting an excuse to smash some skulls rather than from the top. I seem to remember the 1999 headlines being quite memorable though a rather pointless thing after J18.

Krop

Are you a Cop Krop?

25.11.2010 19:29

Your analysis smells of Bacon!

Anarchist

erm

26.11.2010 10:22

i think krop is not a cop actually mate, and one of the few regular IMC posters with any sense.

anarchist

This is very common

26.11.2010 11:45

Actually this happens so often that its' practically SOP. There was another incident where police cars were left in the path of demonstrators in Canada recently as well. Its' just what they do, along with infiltrating demos with black block tossers.

anon