A protest was held today (30th Nov) in Lancaster city centre by school students, adult college members and uni students.
Around 300 were there. March took place and participants were roughed up by the police and directed during this.
Protesters were kettled in Dalton Square with protesters who attempted to break out being roughed up and thrown back. Protesters were kettled again while attempting to march past Lancaster Royal Grammar School. Protesters were also denied (by the police) access to the University Of Cumbria campus.
Around 300 were there. March took place and participants were roughed up by the police and directed during this.
Protesters were kettled in Dalton Square with protesters who attempted to break out being roughed up and thrown back. Protesters were kettled again while attempting to march past Lancaster Royal Grammar School. Protesters were also denied (by the police) access to the University Of Cumbria campus.
A protest was held today (30th Nov) in Lancaster city centre by appx. 300 school students, adult college members and uni students.
The attendance was supposed to be higher, but the local constabulary had threatened local school children in assemblies the day before wrongly claiming the protest to be illegal and warning the children of arrest.
This also put off many naieve uni students.
There was a noisy and fun atmosphere to begin with whilst in Dalton Square with drums, and a sound system.
The protest then marched through the city centre, during this participants were channeled onto very narrow areas of pavement and were roughed up by police for stepping onto the road.
At this time the police also attempted to kettle groups of protesters who had broken off from the main march, but they soon gave up.
One woman was threatened with arrest, but was not.
After a procession through the city centre a speech was given by students in Market sqaure and leaflets were distributed to interested locals.
Protesters were later kettled in Dalton Square with protesters who attempted to break out being roughed up and thrown back. Protesters were kettled again while attempting to march past Lancaster Royal Grammar School. Protesters were also denied (by the police) access to the University Of Cumbria campus.
No arrests were made, no damage occured and no real violence occured.
Though questions are raised about the need for police to kettle such a calm and relatively small crowd.
The attendance was supposed to be higher, but the local constabulary had threatened local school children in assemblies the day before wrongly claiming the protest to be illegal and warning the children of arrest.
This also put off many naieve uni students.
There was a noisy and fun atmosphere to begin with whilst in Dalton Square with drums, and a sound system.
The protest then marched through the city centre, during this participants were channeled onto very narrow areas of pavement and were roughed up by police for stepping onto the road.
At this time the police also attempted to kettle groups of protesters who had broken off from the main march, but they soon gave up.
One woman was threatened with arrest, but was not.
After a procession through the city centre a speech was given by students in Market sqaure and leaflets were distributed to interested locals.
Protesters were later kettled in Dalton Square with protesters who attempted to break out being roughed up and thrown back. Protesters were kettled again while attempting to march past Lancaster Royal Grammar School. Protesters were also denied (by the police) access to the University Of Cumbria campus.
No arrests were made, no damage occured and no real violence occured.
Though questions are raised about the need for police to kettle such a calm and relatively small crowd.