Yesterday evening, a protester died during demonstrations against the G20 outside the Bank of England in London. The circumstances are currently unclear, but he died inside a police cordon (or kettle) where police had crushed and baton charged protesters. The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. A solidarity demonstration will be held today, assembling at 1pm at the Bank. [Demo info]
Anyone with information they believe may help clarify the circumstances surrounding his death should, as soon as possible, write a full statement and contact the legal team at Bindmans Solicitors on 020 7833 4433 and the Legal Monitoring groups present at the demonstrations. Information can also be sent to Indymedia London: imc-london@indymedia.org (this is a private email address).
Comments
Hide the following 33 comments
POLICE LIES
02.04.2009 09:10
All proved to be lies.
Don't believe a word of what they're saying now.
I think we'll find some CCTV cameras were either "switched off", suddenly "defective" or ooops! footage "accidentally" deleted.
That's why accurate accounts of what happened not only need to be got to lawyers pronto, but also publicised.
If you saw anything which was, or might have been relevant, do what it says above. Don't exaggerate anything or fill gaps with assumptions. If some part of your account is what someone else told you rather than what you saw yourself, make this clear. In general, accounts should be first-hand, but there's nothing wrong with "Someone told me X so I went to the corner and saw Y and Z."
Remember, pseudonyms or anonymous accounts are fine for Indymedia or other publicity, but sod all use to lawyers. They have to be able to contact you to make use of the info. you give them.
Stroppyoldgit
e-mail:
dodgy@umpire.com
Police vs protester battle to the death, this is what some CEO's want!
02.04.2009 09:41
I wasnt at the scene,please lets not turn this "war" full scale, the world cant afford it in more ways than 1. Direct democracy is within our grasp if we keep our heads disciplined, someone should lose their job for this death & any provocatuers trying to provoke violence against people, should stop protesting & get a life, wether they work for police or private security firms, the BNP or misguidance.
If I see coppers try to hurt any of us Iam one of the first of many ready to help stop police doing that by force if forced, in self defence& we have reinforcments too allover the world.
RIP the Unkown protestor,we need more info on this matter asap please,does anyone have family-friend details after they hear so we can support them.
Shame on media companies exploiting this against people&democracy, ever wonder why you get hacked so much & people are turning more to indymedia+ people reporting??
Green Syndicalist& Universal Democrat
There's an article in the S(p)un about this person.
02.04.2009 09:49
The S(p)un continues to spin the line about Police being pelted but fails to mention that the small handful that were throw stopped as soon as the situation became clear.
Jo
no wonder he had a heart attack when riot police kettle&then provoke protesters
02.04.2009 10:00
The Chief con, Gbrown or any CEO who tries to order anymore crackdowns better be vvvvvv.careful, we do have people everywhere vvvvdeep:)pe@ce
james
Photo of the man that died
02.04.2009 10:04
This is a link to a picture of the man that died. Don't click on it if you find such pictures disturbing.
I do, but it didn't stop me zooming on the photograph and seeing the bruises on his head and face.
ThedaProle
e-mail:
demonspark@hotmail.com
Police Brutality
02.04.2009 10:04
At Bank I witnessed people being beaten around with batons being ordered to move when they had nowhere to go - We were already being crushed in a police kettle. This was the kettle were we had been pushed by police into the RBS building and held there, assaulted and then the police stood and watched while a small number of people reacted by breaking RBS's windows. The police allowed this to happen for a good hour before stepping in to move the crowd on.
In the evening outside Climate camp the police were again being excessively heavy handed and a large group of protestors outside the kettled Climate Camp (of which I was part) decided to sit on the ground to show that we were none threatening and not give them any excuse. The police then proceeded to kick people who were sat down in the face. (It is worth noting that the polce had already blocked that road off so at this point the protestors were not even stopping traffic).
The group were then chased by Riot Police the length of Bishopsgate as far as Kingsland Road (a good 20 minute brisk walk). We ran through complete fear, anyone in their way was being beaten. Some people attempted pulling barriers etc into the road to try and slow police down but with no avail.
At the point they stopped chasing us a number of people dispersed. Some of us returned to the Camp to try and check if people there were ok. Some people had been let out, the camp had been cleared and those unnaccounted for we assumed were in police cells of hospital beds.
By contrast a large protest took place yesterday afternoon at trafalgar square with several thousand people from the same groups / organisations as the other demos, but with one exception, virtually no police presence. At this demo, there was no violence, no damage. The demo took place, the speakers said there piece then everyone went home. Coincidence ?
There were headlines of Violence Sweeps City and Protestors Clash with Police etc yesterday morning before any demos had even started. I guess the police had to justify their £7m bill somehow which they couldn't if all was peaceful so provoking a few clashes to jusify their presence seemed to be the order of the day. . .
Peaceful Activist
I also read that an autopsy is being planned
02.04.2009 10:05
Jo
Level Head
02.04.2009 10:18
By all means report what you saw, but please don't level accusations at anyone unless you did see something suspicious.
BTW: I am anti-civ / anti-capitalist, so am not writing from any pro-police angle.
Pylon
Yes the police were brutal, but people were also rioting
02.04.2009 10:20
RIP unknown.
sad
This mans a HERO, shame on police there, whoever is responsible will have to pay
02.04.2009 10:22
Green Syndicalist& Universal Democrat
ThedaProle...
02.04.2009 10:38
Objective
tear gas?
02.04.2009 10:38
Anon-pt
Assumptions
02.04.2009 10:45
Then we have...
"the camp had been cleared and those unnaccounted for we assumed were in police cells of hospital beds."
"can it have been caused by the police tear gas or other sort of chemical??"
Objective
@Objective
02.04.2009 11:58
Anon.
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) says it is to...
02.04.2009 12:08
Jo
BBC world: He was killed by protesters
02.04.2009 12:49
You would believe a policeman wouldn´t you?
y
Some Yank give description on the BBC approx 12:45pm
02.04.2009 12:54
Well we seen the pictures and he not in his 50's... suck up cunt and anyway why was you there?
Jo
Bottles were thrown at him and he collapsed? That's pissed poor.
02.04.2009 12:59
Jo
Why?
02.04.2009 13:00
witness
Because they were in Roit Gear and people thought that they were Snatch Squads
02.04.2009 13:05
Jo
Witnesses tell how unnamed man stumbled and fell
02.04.2009 13:13
The G20 protester who died on Wednesday.
The first witness accounts have emerged of the final moments of the protester who died in the City last night at the end of a day of violent G20 protests.
The man, who is believed to have been in his 30s, but has not been named, collapsed in St Michael's Alley close to the junction of Birchin Lane and Cornhill at 7.30pm.
A tribute march to the dead man is taking place in the City this lunchtime. Its organisers are also using the event to highlight what they term "the enormous police repression that happened against protesters outside the Bank, the Climate Exchange and elsewhere in the City of London" yesterday.
Jasper Jackson, 23, from London, who photographed the man's collapse, said he had been standing in front of a line of police dog handlers minutes before he fell over. "The picture I have of him is of him stumbling in front of the protesters and in front of the police dogs looking dazed," he said. "He had a glazed look on his face. Then it was drawn to my attention that somebody shouted to the police with a loud hailer that there was a casualty and said, 'Can we get a medic?' "
Jackson said the man was then surrounded by police officers who were pelted with at least one missile.
"There were a couple of people throwing bottles in that general direction," said Jackson. "But they were told to stop doing that by the crowd. In fact, some people in the crowd threatened to kill them if they did anything to disrupt the treatment."
According to other witnesses present, lines of riot police had been sweeping down the street just before the man fell in an attempt to move protesters away from the bank. Sporadic scuffles broke out, with police using their batons intermittently. There is no suggestion that the man's death was caused by anything other than natural causes.
Another witness, Fran Legg, said she and a friend had rushed to help the man after they realised he was not well. "People were calling out: 'Please, we need medics over here'," said the 20-year-old student, from Tavistock, in Devon. "Someone called an ambulance." Her friend put the man in the recovery position and noticed he had blood on his face and was losing consciousness.
Legg said protesters were calling for people to move back and give the man space as eight police officers arrived. By the time the ambulance reached the scene 10 minutes later, the man was very white and could hardly breath.
Elias Stoakes, 25, also a student at Queen Mary, from Exeter in Devon, said: "There were a lot of people around him trying to help him and asking for medics.
"One or maybe two plastic bottles were thrown, but it was by people further back in the crowd who did not know what was going on. There definitely wasn't a rain of bottles.
"There were lots of us gathered around him telling people to give him space. The idea that protesters did not care is completely false."
Scotland Yard said last night that a member of the public alerted police to the collapsed man. A police spokesman said: "That officer sent in police medics through the cordon line and into St Michael's Alley, where they found a man who had stopped breathing. The officers took the decision to move him as, during this time, a number of missiles – believed to be bottles – were being thrown at them."
A London ambulance spokesman said: "Our staff immediately took over the treatment of the patient and made extensive efforts to resuscitate him both at the scene and on the way to hospital."
The death has been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), as is routine in such cases. A spokesman said: "IPCC investigators will be assessing the circumstances throughout the day. They will be examining CCTV and attending the post-mortem this afternoon, as is usual in cases of this nature.
"When all the available information has been assessed, the IPCC will make a decision about the level of involvement it needs to have in progressing the investigation into this case."
The directorate of public standards at both the Metropolitan and City of London police have also been informed.
Dave
Objective
02.04.2009 13:41
The Daily Fail -
ThedaProle
e-mail:
demonspark@hotmail.com
Eyewitness accounts from METRO
02.04.2009 13:44
Fran Legg, a politics student studying at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "I heard people shouting that there was a man down on the ground and I saw there was someone lying on the pavement on his back."
She said her friend went to help him while she stayed a few metres further back.
The 20-year-old, from Tavistock, in Devon, said: "People were calling out: 'Please, we need medics over here'.
"Someone called an ambulance."
She said her friend put the man in the recovery position.
He had blood on his face and was losing consciousness.
About eight riot police arrived with police medics and stood around the man.
Miss Legg said protesters were calling for people to move back and give the man space and she said the majority of people co-operated.
She said the ambulance arrived about 10 minutes later, by which time the man had gone very white and was having breathing difficulties.
She said by the time police medics took over from her friend, the man had fallen unconscious.
Elias Stoakes, 25, also a student at Queen Mary, from Exeter in Devon, said: "There were a lot of people around him trying to help him and asking for medics.
"One or maybe two plastic bottles were thrown, but it was by people further back in the crowd who did not know what was going on.
"There definitely wasn't a rain of bottles.
"There were lots of us gathered around him telling people to give him space.
"The idea that protesters did not care is completely false."
Harry
Time to go home
02.04.2009 13:58
Firstly (1) Witnesses said the incident happened outside the police cordon, in which officers were holding the main body of demonstrators.
(2)Police medics who tried to help him after he collapsed at about 7.30pm in St Michael's Alley say they were pelted with bottles and rubbish by the crowd.
Pathetic work
Pete
Pete
@ThedeProle
02.04.2009 15:03
Notice the word "assumed" that you used previously. That means that your not exactly clear in what your saying.
So how does the link you produced to the Daily Mail "back you up" in anything? *even bigger cringe*.
Objective
Headwounds
02.04.2009 16:24
There were a number of people yesterday wandering round looking disorientated, some of whom had just been battoned on the head. We all need to be looking out for each other & should recognise the symptoms of head injuries, especially when no wound is apparent. These include:
-Being disorientated, irritable, or combative. If you see someone with a bloody face baiting the police the head wound might have something to do with it...
-Dark rings forming around the eyes, or pale yellow liquid coming from them
-Dark patches forming behind the ears
-Vomiting & dizziness
-Unresponsive pupils
This can lead to shock, which can kill. Keep the person warm & make sure someone is looking out for them in case they lose consciousness. If they show any of the above symptoms they should be taken to a hospital. Unless severe, or damage to the spine is suspected (eg if blow is delivered to lower part of the skull) people should try and take the injured person themselves, as calling an ambulance to the scene of such protests can bring more police.
Ideally, lots of activists should educate themselves with first aid or do some action medic training:
It's sickening the way the media have downplayed this man's death.
The police are responsible. Whether it was the consequence of a blow to the head or a heart attack, it would not have happened had they not behaved in the appalling way that they did, which created a highly stressful and dangerous situation. Bottom line.
Yet another death on police hands.
action medic
Objective
02.04.2009 16:24
ak
Objective... please read my posts again
02.04.2009 17:02
Notice the word "assumed" that you used previously. That means that your not exactly clear in what your saying.
So how does the link you produced to the Daily Mail "back you up" in anything? *even bigger cringe*
Erm... I didn't actually say anything like that.
As for the photograph in the Mail, it was simply to back up my own observation and investigation into the man that died. It appears that a few other media sources are now showing this picture too.
ThedaProle
e-mail:
demonspark@hotmail.com
Death in the City eyewitness report
02.04.2009 17:15
Contrary to media reports, people did not pelt the police as the man who died during the G20 protests was being taken out. Andrew Kendle reports from Wednesday night’s protest frontline
Fiona
e-mail:
website@redpepper.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.redpepper.org.uk
Responsibility
02.04.2009 17:59
anon
Overplay
02.04.2009 20:45
It's also sickening the way you lot have overplayed this mans's death for your own anti-police agenda.
CJ
CJ since you know what happen..
02.04.2009 22:04
Jo
Spread the Word
03.04.2009 19:14
The more views and ratings the easier the videos can be found by others:
pfm