A group of protestors and bystanders resist police pushing them from the pavement into a side street
Resistance to police push
At about 14:20 on 4th July, Riot police forced protesters and bystanders from the pavement of Princes Street into St Davids Street. A line of protesters formed to resist the police push.
The protesters where not an organised group, and formed spontaneously in resistance to the police aggression. The protesters included people from Edinburgh, from else-where in the UK and from other parts of Europe.
The police slowly pushed the line back down the street, charging against the back of there own line to move the protesters forward. Many shoppers and people who had been in Princes Street, stood looking on, applauding the protesters and berating the police response.
The protesters did not appear to attempt to push police lines back, they were just trying to hold their ground and defend there right to protest and be in the street.
Eventually the police seemed content that they had the line held, and started to form up, in what looked like an attempt to force through the line and grab some of the protesters. At about 14:46 the line spontaneously broke up and scattered into the surrounding roads.
Some shoppers, protesters and other bystanders remained in St Davids Street for some time, joking and laughing and posing for pictures in front of the line of riot police.
The protesters where not an organised group, and formed spontaneously in resistance to the police aggression. The protesters included people from Edinburgh, from else-where in the UK and from other parts of Europe.
The police slowly pushed the line back down the street, charging against the back of there own line to move the protesters forward. Many shoppers and people who had been in Princes Street, stood looking on, applauding the protesters and berating the police response.
The protesters did not appear to attempt to push police lines back, they were just trying to hold their ground and defend there right to protest and be in the street.
Eventually the police seemed content that they had the line held, and started to form up, in what looked like an attempt to force through the line and grab some of the protesters. At about 14:46 the line spontaneously broke up and scattered into the surrounding roads.
Some shoppers, protesters and other bystanders remained in St Davids Street for some time, joking and laughing and posing for pictures in front of the line of riot police.
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Why?
05.07.2005 02:28
Kevin
cos they have to
05.07.2005 07:25
annon
Data protection
05.07.2005 09:32
Observer
To stop the mainstream media
05.07.2005 10:28
To stop police taking the photo and holding it on file indefinitely (the seven years they hold their own "intelligence" is bad enough).
And since when has, not doing anything illegal been enough to prevent police harrasment of protestors? I would have thought that yesterday, by iteself, would have been enough evidence that the police will do whatever they feel like, regardless of how peaceful and good natured protesters are.
Don't you think the police are obscured enough already (the only one whose shoulder you can see isn't wearing any ID numbers - which most of the riot police weren't by the way)?
Mike