[update 11:40 BST 5 April]
It is becoming harder and harder by the day for the IPCC not to open an investigation into Ian Tomlinson's death. Everything we've been saying about this death, although it now seems clear he was a bystander, is being corroborated by more and more witnesses - he was caught up in the 'kettle' and the police charges. He was 'assaulted' by police before falling.
Did police murder G20 protester Ian Tomlinson? - first posted Friday 3 April.
Today's [originally posted yesterday 4 April] memorial march and demonstration for Ian Tomlinson, and in support of his family and friends at this painful time, is also in disgust at the suppression of dissent his death represents. The strength of feeling and support shows he did not die in vain for the sins of capitalism as the mood of anger grows.
The police for years now have been taking unto themselves an ever expanding array of powers, courtesy of the politicians and establishment.
They are now officially allowed to use intimidation,harassment violence and prison against people protesting peacefully on our streets. Now someone has died in
what was part of a wider campaign plan of police brutality meted out to absolutely everyone caught in the path of the whirlwind of hate that seemed to inspire the riot police wound up like attack dogs.
The rapidly growing coercive and oppressive powers of the police may arguably go back to the defeat of the miners strike. But certainly we can all agree the war on terror has given this creeping state authoritarianism a massive boost. British police have become even more brutish, bullying arrogant and violent.
The crushing of the climate camp and the death of Ian Tomlinson are not going unanswered. The G20 protests galvanised a broad coalition of progressive forces, from the 40-50,000 that marched to 'Put People First' to the 10-15,000 who converged on the Bank of England and Bishopsgate to make the case that another world is possible. A national movement of outrage for the right to protest without being beaten or even killed beckons.
I work for a media company in the City and someone in ad sales commented that the 'pikeys' - a racist slur in the UK for people from the traveller community which he assumed made up a large part of the social profile of the climate campers although they were actually predominantly students - deserved all that they got in the way of a kicking from the police. And he said some appalling things on hearing the news that someone had died. This is a sick indictment of the way in which the media has whipped up a hysterical campaign framing G20 protests as a violent threat 'to order' and preemptively sanctioning the extreme police violence of the past few days.
So a line may have been crossed this April.
More and more people are deciding enough is enough and are fighting back - like the workers occupying the Ford parts factory in Enfield after being sacked at a week's notice by Visteon, owners of the factory since 2000. Many have worked at the site for 30 years service and are getting no severance pay and face the loss of their pension. Bailiffs have twice tried to gain entrance and as a consequence the plant room is now totally blockaded.
Whether it's fighting for a sustainable planet we can all live on or for equality and social justice at home and across the globe - be it Gaza, Haiti London, or Strasbourg, a challenge is being laid down not just to our rulers' financial order but to its social and political ones too.
Remembrance march and rally for Ian Tomlinson and against police brutality, Sat 4 April assemble 11:30 Bank of England.
Rally at Visteon factory occupation 11:00am Saturday 4 April, Morson Road, near Ponder End train station (from Liverpool St or Tottenham Hale).
It is becoming harder and harder by the day for the IPCC not to open an investigation into Ian Tomlinson's death. Everything we've been saying about this death, although it now seems clear he was a bystander, is being corroborated by more and more witnesses - he was caught up in the 'kettle' and the police charges. He was 'assaulted' by police before falling.
Did police murder G20 protester Ian Tomlinson? - first posted Friday 3 April.
Today's [originally posted yesterday 4 April] memorial march and demonstration for Ian Tomlinson, and in support of his family and friends at this painful time, is also in disgust at the suppression of dissent his death represents. The strength of feeling and support shows he did not die in vain for the sins of capitalism as the mood of anger grows.
The police for years now have been taking unto themselves an ever expanding array of powers, courtesy of the politicians and establishment.
They are now officially allowed to use intimidation,harassment violence and prison against people protesting peacefully on our streets. Now someone has died in
what was part of a wider campaign plan of police brutality meted out to absolutely everyone caught in the path of the whirlwind of hate that seemed to inspire the riot police wound up like attack dogs.
The rapidly growing coercive and oppressive powers of the police may arguably go back to the defeat of the miners strike. But certainly we can all agree the war on terror has given this creeping state authoritarianism a massive boost. British police have become even more brutish, bullying arrogant and violent.
The crushing of the climate camp and the death of Ian Tomlinson are not going unanswered. The G20 protests galvanised a broad coalition of progressive forces, from the 40-50,000 that marched to 'Put People First' to the 10-15,000 who converged on the Bank of England and Bishopsgate to make the case that another world is possible. A national movement of outrage for the right to protest without being beaten or even killed beckons.
I work for a media company in the City and someone in ad sales commented that the 'pikeys' - a racist slur in the UK for people from the traveller community which he assumed made up a large part of the social profile of the climate campers although they were actually predominantly students - deserved all that they got in the way of a kicking from the police. And he said some appalling things on hearing the news that someone had died. This is a sick indictment of the way in which the media has whipped up a hysterical campaign framing G20 protests as a violent threat 'to order' and preemptively sanctioning the extreme police violence of the past few days.
So a line may have been crossed this April.
More and more people are deciding enough is enough and are fighting back - like the workers occupying the Ford parts factory in Enfield after being sacked at a week's notice by Visteon, owners of the factory since 2000. Many have worked at the site for 30 years service and are getting no severance pay and face the loss of their pension. Bailiffs have twice tried to gain entrance and as a consequence the plant room is now totally blockaded.
Whether it's fighting for a sustainable planet we can all live on or for equality and social justice at home and across the globe - be it Gaza, Haiti London, or Strasbourg, a challenge is being laid down not just to our rulers' financial order but to its social and political ones too.
Remembrance march and rally for Ian Tomlinson and against police brutality, Sat 4 April assemble 11:30 Bank of England.
Rally at Visteon factory occupation 11:00am Saturday 4 April, Morson Road, near Ponder End train station (from Liverpool St or Tottenham Hale).
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