One does not expect to get off a train and be held in a police kettle in Brighton. But that is what happened midday today.
inside the kettle
Easter bunnies against Fascists
EDL
I got off the midday train at from Victoria. Something was up. Police everywhere.
Before I knew it, I was held in a police kettle.
We can not let you leave, you are part of an assembly. No I am not, I said, I am walking down road, or at least I was until I was held against my will on the street.
The officer pointed to the pink slip in my hand which I had been handed moments before as justification for my being detained. The pink slip informed me off my legal rights. Thus having a pink slip informing me of my legal rights if held on the street is justification for holding me on the street! If this is political policing I do not know what is.
To be fair to the police, they were not heavy handed or aggressive, and they did have a problem of keeping apart two opposing demonstrations, and they did say once the other lot moved off, I could leave.
I was asked if I was press. Had I said yes, maybe I would have been allowed to leave, but I was honest and said no.
It was then announced everyone was being escorted to Victoria Gardens. Not having any wish to be escorted to Victoria Gardens, not even knowing where it was, I again tried to leave. This time I was stopped by a young inexperienced officer who did not appear to have two brain cells to rub together. He refused to let me leave on the grounds I should have left earlier!
I would have raised the matter with whoever was the senior officer in charge, but I spied a gap in the police lines, and so quickly exited.
About an hour later I encountered the opposing demo, a bunch of moronic chanting thugs.
I thought kettles were now illegal and could only be used in extreme circumstances. This clearly has not filtered down to the Boys in Blue in Brighton.
Before I knew it, I was held in a police kettle.
We can not let you leave, you are part of an assembly. No I am not, I said, I am walking down road, or at least I was until I was held against my will on the street.
The officer pointed to the pink slip in my hand which I had been handed moments before as justification for my being detained. The pink slip informed me off my legal rights. Thus having a pink slip informing me of my legal rights if held on the street is justification for holding me on the street! If this is political policing I do not know what is.
To be fair to the police, they were not heavy handed or aggressive, and they did have a problem of keeping apart two opposing demonstrations, and they did say once the other lot moved off, I could leave.
I was asked if I was press. Had I said yes, maybe I would have been allowed to leave, but I was honest and said no.
It was then announced everyone was being escorted to Victoria Gardens. Not having any wish to be escorted to Victoria Gardens, not even knowing where it was, I again tried to leave. This time I was stopped by a young inexperienced officer who did not appear to have two brain cells to rub together. He refused to let me leave on the grounds I should have left earlier!
I would have raised the matter with whoever was the senior officer in charge, but I spied a gap in the police lines, and so quickly exited.
About an hour later I encountered the opposing demo, a bunch of moronic chanting thugs.
I thought kettles were now illegal and could only be used in extreme circumstances. This clearly has not filtered down to the Boys in Blue in Brighton.
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
Kettles not yet illegal
25.04.2011 08:49
Pot Calling
legality and use of kettles
25.04.2011 13:04
The police were correct to keep apart opposing forces. There would have been a riot otherwise.
The EDL scum needed a police escort to prevent attacks on people and property.
Those opposed to EDL did themselves a disservice and only served to give EDL an importance they neither deserve or merit.
EDL may be a bunch of moronic thugs, but they have the right to march and express their views.
Let them march. let everyone see them for what they are, a bunch of moronic thugs.
Keith
Ignorant of the law.
25.04.2011 14:48
In a recent event, they assassinated a man in cold blood in Brighton one afternoon. No justification needed, they operated a shoot to kill policy.
You escaped lightly being kettled, Mick Fitzpatrick was murdered by Brighton's killer cops.
Brighton Eye
Now thats the kind of Easter Uprising thats good to see
25.04.2011 15:08
Bugs Bunny
higher resolution pictures
25.04.2011 21:20
Easter bunnies against Fascists
English Defence League
Keith
Sue the f******rs!
26.04.2011 00:47
pinkolady
geez
26.04.2011 21:02
antifascist
Can you tolerate intolerance?
21.05.2011 15:56
b) The argument that the counter-protest was needless and stupid because everyone could see what thugs the EDL (/MfE) were is ridiculous; we need to show people that this is not OK, and that people are standing against it. Ignoring the issue in this case will not make it go away. If, for example, a tourist (or even a citizen) encountered a protest such as this, and no counter protest, they will assume that all of England implicitly agrees, or at least doesn't care enough to stop it. Therefore the counter protest was useful and needed, and there was contention amongst the protesters whether the aim was to stop the other march, or just to be a visible presence of anti-fascists.
Sandy