Jenny Jones welcomes mayor's approach to G20 policing questions

Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), today spoke warmly of the outcomes of the MPA's discussion of the Met's handling of the G20 protests.

She said:

"I welcome the creation of the civil liberties panel, and the fact that its first job will be to examine the policing of the G20 protests. The terms of reference for this panel incorporated all the concerns put forward in the two motions that went to the MPA."

"I feel that the London Mayor has listened to the concerns of Londoners and achieved a consensus about the way forward."

Ms Jones, who has been a Green Party member of the London Assembly and the MPA for nine years, continued:

"Part of our examination will cover the areas of major concern, like the level of force used against the peaceful protestors at the climate camp in Bishopsgate."

The Met's report to the police authority refers to organisers of the camp being avowed non-violent demonstrators and the success of the police's containment policy in keeping out violent elements (also known as kettling). Concerns remain that the police have failed to provide any evidence of any violence at the camp. On the contrary, video footage shows only passive resistance, said Ms Jones.

She continued: "I think that the use of riot shields and batons against peaceful protestors was fundamentally wrong and we have to keep on challenging the Met on their use of tactics like riot police, dogs and kettling."

But she welcomed:

* The Met's acceptance of her invitation to meet the climate camp protestors and include them within any review.
* Clear statements from the police that photographing officers is legal, and that the police cannot require protestors to delete photographs, or hand over mobile phones at these events, by reference to anti-terrorism legislation (a paper clarifying this policy is to be produced soon).
* Acceptance that officers should not systematically stop people on their way to a protest, asking for their names, addresses and even ID.

Met G20 tactics "fundamentally wrong" - MPA motion

A motion has been tabled for the agenda of the next public meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority on the 30th May, 10am at City Hall.

The motion recognizes that policing the G20 demonstration on the 1st April was:

"difficult, but believes that the strategy and tactics adopted by the Metropolitan Police were fundamentally wrong."

The motion outlines two key criteria which the current review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) needs to meet in order to restore confidence in the police:

"[it] must take evidence in a public forum from all concerned, including protesters, and closely examine other recent protests to consider the growing concern that police tactics have become more aggressive in recent years."

The motion outlines six principles which the review of public order policing must be based upon and concludes that:

"If these principles are not fully incorporated into the HMIC review and any recommendations that arise from it, then this Authority will re-examine what further steps need to be taken, including the possibility of instigating a further review."

Jenny Jones AM, Green Party member of the MPA and the party's home affairs spokesperson, said yesterday evening:

"As more and more stories flood out, the reputation of the police has declined with every slow motion replay of the latest corroborating video footage."

She continued:

"It would be easy to think that this misbehaviour is a sudden and worrying new development. Yet there is evidence that the G20 policing debacle is the result of repeated failures by police watchdogs, the media and politicians to deal with incidence of violent and repressive behaviour from the police in recent years."

"As a member of the Met Police Authority for the last nine years, I have been a critical friend of the police, defending them when I see the coverage is unfair, but making it clear when I think they have got it wrong. On 1st April, they got it disastrously wrong. They took away the liberty, the civil liberties and the human rights of hundreds of people who were protesting peacefully. Who had every right to protest and who needed the police's support. What the police did to the fluffy, happy, musical, picnicking Climate Camp part of the protest was violent and unprovoked."

Huhne: Police warned on hiding identification numbers three years ago

The Liberal Democrats have highlighted an IPCC report which criticised the Police for obscuring them during the anti-hunting Bill protests in 2004, reinforcing the Inspector of Constabulary comments that the Police should always display their identification numbers

The IPCC report in the pro-hunting demonstration in 2004, stated that: "Two such areas were quickly defined: firstly the failure of some officers to comply with an instruction to wear black epaulettes on their yellow fluorescent jackets, thus ensuring easy identification. This is a managed issue; a sergeant is attached to a unit of six constables and this should be a relatively easy task to comply with."

Another example of the Police without identifying numbers at the Kingsnorth protest

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne went on to say:

"Three years ago, the IPCC raised concerns that some officers were obscuring their identification numbers during the pro-hunting demonstrations.

"It is deeply disappointing that this problem raised its ugly head again during the most recent protests, particularly when we were given firm assurances that it would not.

"There have also been reports of this unacceptable tactic being used at the Heathrow and Kingsnorth demonstrations. It has got to stop. Senior officers must reassert discipline among those policing demonstrations."

The hypocrite and the thug: sounds like politics to me...but its not!

I have a number on rules that I try to follow in life. Amongst others, I Don't eat yellow snow, don't kiss women who have stubble on their faces, don't cross the motorway on foot during rush hour, don't borrow money from friends and don't hit women whatever they do. These rules have served me well throughout my life and I think I have lead a reasonable existence so far as a result.

I was disgusted to see TV footage over the last couple of days of a police sergeant (without his ID number displayed on his shoulder as he should've done) at the G20 protests in London the other week who hit a woman half his size first with a backhand worthy of Nadal and then with his telescopic kosh hit her another two times to the legs. The man is a thug, a cad, a coward and is representative of much that is wrong in our society (well...other than the stuff Gordon Brown is representative of...and there might be some cross over!!!). I thought that this situation couldn't be any more depraved and sickening.

That is until the woman who was the victim, the anti-capitalist protester who was there to make a point that money was the root of all evil in the world decided that this was her golden ticket to the big time. Social parasite Max Clifford was close at hand and has helped her sell her story for £50k (as reported in the papers). She is also preparing a compensation case against the police (which will undoubtedly run into the £millions) because she is claiming all kinds of anxieties and distress.

The thing that really upsets me is that the thug and the hypocrite only got together because a group of twenty wanted to get together for a bit of dinner. As a result of this much hyped dinner party I'm a bit more angry and a bit more disappointed in my fellow man and woman, neither of whom I would ever dream of hitting or suing.

MPA vice chair Kit Malthouse responds to commissioner's request for HMIC G20 public order policing review

'I welcome the Commissioner's swift and decisive action in asking the HMIC to review the Public Order policing tactics used during G20, which will also report to the MPA.

'It is vital that the police retain the trust of Londoners and a thorough review by the HMIC will be crucial to help inform conclusions about how public order events should be policed in the future.

'The most recent footage of G20 is alarming and I also fully support the Commissioner referring the matter to the IPCC and suspending the officer concerned pending the outcome of the independent investigation.

'The MPA has already convened an urgent meeting of its members to review tactics employed during G20 protests and will be questioning the Commissioner about this matter in public at its meeting on 30 April.

'While we take this matter extremely seriously, it is worth pointing out that the Metropolitan Police are responsible for maintaining public order during dozens of protests throughout the year. The vast majority pass off peacefully, and the recent demonstration by the Tamil Community in Parliament Square is an example of this. Nevertheless we cannot afford to skate over even isolated incidents and must get to the truth and learn the lessons of both this incident, that involving Ian Tomlinson, and the G20 generally.'

Howarth: Full-scale criminal investigation into G20 protest death needed

The video which shows the man who died at last week’s G20 protests in London being hit from behind by a police officer, has been described by David Howarth as "sickening".

Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth, who attended the protests to monitor police behaviour, went on to say:

"This video clearly shows an unprovoked attack by a police officer on a passer by. It is sickening.

David went on to call for criminal investigation to find out the facts of the incident:

"There must be a full-scale criminal investigation. The officer concerned and the other officers shown in the video must immediately come forward.

"Questions must also be asked about the hyping up of the prospect of violence in the run up to the demonstrations. An atmosphere was created in which this sort of conduct became more likely."