Hosted in parliament on 080911 by j4b President  Peter Hain MP, and addressed directly by Bolton MPs, human rights lawyers and protest leaders, the Right to Protest public meeting described the Right to Protest as ‘precious’ and adopted a comprehensive action plan.

Supporting the call for a People’s Enquiry into the policing of an anti EDL protest in Bolton on 20th March 2010, the group rejected attempts to create divisions between ’good’ and ‘bad’ protestors, and called for enforceable procedures on How to Police Protests.

During the meeting Michael Oswald of Bhatt Murphy, who acts for nine anti fascists seeking accountability for their treatment at the hands of the police in Bolton on 20th March 2010, explained:

 

”During the shocking series of events that took place around the arrest of Mr Alan Clough, five of my clients, including Mr Clough, were seriously injured and/or wrongfully arrested.  My clients are determined that those events should be fully investigated and that those responsible for the treatment they received at the hands of the police are held to account for their actions. In addition, four others who were subject to similar treatment at the demonstration have brought civil claims against GMP in order to try to achieve accountability in respect of their own treatment.”

 

A j4b spokesperson added:

“In light of all of these incidents, and the treatment of many others who have chosen not to pursue their treatment through legal means but have expressed very serious concerns to justice4bolton, it is plain that the policing of the demonstration on 20 March 2010 was blighted not only by the misconduct of individual ‘rogue’ officers but by organisational failings on the part of GMP.  Such failings must be addressed at an organisational level and the lessons learned from this – and other -protests so that the police change the way they police protests.

This week, on the same day that the newly appointed head of the Metropolitan Police, Bernard Hogan-Howe, declared that he wants a police force that the people could trust, the Trades Union Congress passed a motion calling on its General Council to reaffirm the right to peaceful protest as a basic democratic freedom and to call for full independent investigation into any allegations of police aggression or instances of ‘kettling’ being used during future demonstrations and protests.

Constructing enforceable procedures on How to Police Protest is a good place to begin to rebuild trust and avoid police aggression and kettling in the future.

Download the full press release here.