Hospital workers report treating 30 fence spike injuries (carnival edinburgh)

indykid | 05.07.2005 07:55 | Free Spaces | Globalisation | Repression

When police laucnhed baton charges against people at the Princes street park yesterday they were forcing people to climb over a fence with spiked railings. There was no choice for many as the police rained down blows and they were forced to climb the metal fence.

Fence

Several serious injuries were reported at the time.

Later with people in hostpital, staff there said they had treated around 30 similar injuries sustained as people were forced over the fence.

indykid

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Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

Not right

05.07.2005 08:49

Hang on that's not a true report and I was there !

A small group of about 40 people had spent the previous hour trying to wind up the police, I and many others tried to stop them but it was obvious they wanted to fight and get the police to use their battons. A number of photographers had clearly been pre warned to expect a picture.

The police finaly gave in when these same individuals starting to vandalise trees and fences in the park, at this point the majority of us walked peacibly away and were ignored by the police. The small group who had started the problems then got the fight they had worked so hard to start but ran when the police started to respond. Everyone of those who jumped over the fence was from this group.

steve

Not what other eyewitnesses have said

05.07.2005 09:18

The above comment doesn't tally with other eyewitness reports or indeed much of the reporting by the mainstream. What gives? You trying to justify the cops attacks? You think that a couple of pricks in hoodys calling names at cops in riot gear is justification for battering womens and children and unarmed people?

ggg

I was there and I saw it

05.07.2005 09:37

I can't comment on what other people reported (where they there ?) but I saw what I saw.

I'm not here to defend the police but batton attacks on women and children simply didn't happen. A group wanted a fight and they got one- simple really

steve

Playfair Steps

05.07.2005 11:58

I was concerned about the Playfair steps though at around 20:30. The Police had reopened the area around the gallery but failed to open the gate to the steps or put a closed notice at the bottom. As such, after climbing up the steep stairs, many decided to climb the spiked fence. This looked like an obvious way to get injured. The two Police traffic wardens nearby just watched on

Tim

Another Eye Witness

05.07.2005 12:09

The fist batton charge, at the top of Waverly Bridge, was not provoked. The police seemed to suddenly change their mind about how far along Pinces Street we were allowed to go. They did not have enough officers there to move us back propperly so the thin line of non-riot police had to use their battons to mostly swipe and sometimes connect with people to get them running away. This was incredibly dangerous as the front of the crowd were forced to run back into the main group. The police stupidly broke their line. I was not at the very front of the crowd but still got swiped at while trying move away.

JKH

spike injuries

06.07.2005 17:00

I was present on Monday as a street medic, and me and my partner treated 7 or 8 spike wounds. From talking to other medics, I would estimate that 30-50 people were treated for this by street medics.

medic