The Independent Police Complaints Commission is to investigate the cover-up by the police of the murder of Ian Tomlinson. As consistently demanded on this site - we want to know who was responsible for spreading the lies and disinformation contained in the initial media reports based on police briefings: Police are to be investigated over whether they deliberately misled the public over the suspected involvement of officers in the death of Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said today . The launch of a separate and independent inquiry into "the Metropolitan police service (MPS) and City of London police media handling of the death of Ian Tomlinson" comes after weeks of concern that the public were misled about events surrounding the death of the 47-year-old newspaper vendor, during the G20 protests in London. It raises the possibility that police were involved in a cover-up, and deliberately withheld crucial information about ...

LOBBY AND PROTEST AT THE IPCC'S NICK HARDWICK! 6pm, Tuesday 12 May 2009 The Karibu Centrel, 7 Gresham Road, London SW9 “The meeting will be an opportunity for Lambeth residents to raise any issues of concern with IPPC (sic) Chair Nick Hardwick.” - So says the Community Police Consultative Group for Lambeth (CPCG) website . The United Campaign Against Police Violence is calling for those angered with the way the IPCC is squarely on the side of the police to come along, build the 23 May demo against police violence outside the event and put some questions to Nick Hardwick that he won't want to hear!

IPCC, contrary to Hardwick's statements to parliament, is now trying to stop videos appearing in the public domain. It sought, unsuccessfully, an injunction to stop Channel 4 showing an excerpt on YouTube that has since been removed. Abolish the IPCC now. Well done to the Guardian for broadcasting the full footage on it's site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/22/new-ian-tomlinson-g20-video

A parliamentary committee will be talking to the Independent Police Complaints Committee's Nick Hardwick today. Don't expect him to get a grilling from the the very same parliamentarians that granted all those powers to the police in the first place. The IPCC is of course financed by the Home Offfice and it's lack of independence will no doubt be on display today as it tries to explain, if asked, its cosy relationship with the police and government. Hardwick says we need a national debate on policing. No, what we need from his IPCC is for it to do its job and help to bring violent and criminal police officers to account. But isn't it remarkable what a difference a week makes as media outlets, and others, apparently fall over themselves to start focusing on police behaviour instead of demonising peaceful protesters. In addition to our new converts in the media in the fight against police brutality, we also have Tory politicians like Boris Johnson calling for a speedy an...