Over 250 DR Congolese on Anti-Deportation demo in Birmingham

What was a very boisterous, good-tempered demonstration was marred early on by heavy-handed police tactics.

They had only expected 30 people and had cordened off a small area on the grounds of the reporting centre. As more and more people turned up the police kept shoving them into the cordened off area, crushing people, eventually getting fed up with being pushed the demonstrators started pushing back.

Forced the police back into the main road and occupied the road for an hour and a half, dancing and singing and marching up and down the road.
Eventually police reinforcements turned up, at this point the demo being of sound mind and a benevolent disposition, gave the street back to the police.

Two of the demonstrators were arrested at the start of the trouble and one of them was assaulted by one police officer.

John O