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Occupy Cardiff not allowed to Occupy

Catholic Matthew | 11.11.2011 22:27 | Occupy Everywhere | Free Spaces | Globalisation | Policing

'Total policing' methods stop the setting up of Occupy Cardiff.

Today, Occupy Cardiff met at Nye Bevan statue and marched to the Castle grounds, and set up tents. about 60 people turned up to support, but only about ten tents set up. a general assembly was called, and there were speeches and discussions, including speeches by a Plaid Cymru politician. There were also undercover policemen who went around asking people questions. unfortunately for the campers, today in Cardiff has been a cold wet day, not really good weather to camp, and the people who were not camping slowly drifted away. The police waited until it was dark, and then there were far more police than campers. the police had horses.. A 'section 60' was read out, and the police came in and smashed the tents, pushed people out, and threatened people with arrest if they entered the castle grounds. A few people were arrested and are now being detained by the police. The grounds were cleared by the police, and they are, as i write this, hanging round the castle to make sure nobody turns up later. They said they wanted to clear the space before the Friday night drinkers come out, and also that there had been some damage to the grass in the castle grounds, health hazard etc etc.some archaic law from the 19th century was also mentioned. usual police crap. Occupy Cardiff was unable to occupy the castle grounds due to the 'total policing' methods of the South Wales Police.

There will no doubt be a further meeting by Occupy Cardiff to discuss this situation. is it just me or is there something a bit totalitarian about total policing?

will keep Indy posted on the fate of those arrested, although it seems doubtful that they will be detained for long. The South Wales Police had researched and done their homework on how to handle this kind of situation. Occupy Cardiff was not really prepared for this situation. The only good thing about this is that some of the more 'fluffy' protesters, who spoke in the meetings about 'working with the police', and the 'police are part of the 99 per cent', have now learned an important lesson.

Britain is turning into a police state! police everywhere, justice nowhere!

Catholic Matthew

Comments

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Section 60...

11.11.2011 23:10

for 10 tents!!

Read up on this if they can get a S60 that easy.

 http://libcom.org/organise/section-60-advice-guide

companero


not s 60

12.11.2011 08:02

Six people were arrested last night in Cardiff for taking part in an occupy protest and refusing to leave. Tents and other personal belongings were seized by the police.

The powers they used were not s60 as stated above, but s61 of the same act, which relates to trespass on land 'with the common purpose of residing there for any period'.

Where: reasonable steps have been taken by or on behalf of the occupier to ask them to leave and—.
(a)that any of those persons has caused damage to the land or to property on the land or used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards the occupier, a member of his family or an employee or agent of his, or.
(b)that those persons have between them six or more vehicles on the land,.

The police can then issue a 'direction to leave' which gives them the power to arrest those who do not. It also prevents the 'trespasser' from returning to the land within a three month period.

The use of this power on an occupy protest is so full of holes its hard to know where to start. The only 'damage' to the property was from people walking on the grass in the torrential rain we had last night, the same 'damage' that is incurred on these sites from the regular public events held there.

Trust South Wales Police to be the one that decides to act with unreasonable force!

val
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