transport police checked tickets of people leaving the tube at the station. meanwhile, anyone boarding at camden had to pass betwen two rows of cops, numbering around a dozen. they all had surgical gloves on, ready for searches, (most white, and a few in a fetching bright blue colour). they picked on anyone looking a bit foreign, and also anyone looking a bit 'alternative/crusty'.
substantial searches took place. the foreign looking ones were handed over to immigration officials dressed in flack jackets, and some were carted away to black unmarked immigration dept vans with holding cages (see photo).
i asked some people who were stopped what reasons were given. one had been suspected of using a child photocard, while over sixteen - they had been searched, though no grounds were given for the search. another had been sniffed by a police drug dog, although a search found no evidence of drugs - they had been asked for name and date of birth details as well as a very thorough search. a third had been searched having been told that the search was 'just routine' - a clear breach of the law of stop and search, which is only allowed if there is a 'reasonable suspicion' of an offence.
these police swoops must be of questionable legality, and are a serious erosion of civil rights. i have seen posts about them on indymedia before, but this is the first one i've actually witnessed.
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