Ban "kettling". It is a clear infringement of a democratic right. Call it: Don't Put the Kettle On.
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423 comments
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Gordon Craig
commented
Should we consolidate our votes to make them count and pick a campaign that best suits the "No Confidence/ General election vote?" I personally feel no confidence says it all and should then lead to a general election.
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Gordon Craig
commented
Should we consolidate our votes to make them count and pick a campaign that best suits the "No Confidence/ General election vote?" I personally feel no confidence says it all and should then lead to a general election.
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richardindeed
commented
What happened? I did a comment that listed several organisations who have spoken out against kettling, but my comment first appeared and then was removed. Can you please explain this 38 Degrees?
I'll try again. Here are some groups with experience of being kettled, who have a view, and who others anti-kettlers may wish to know more about. I don't see why that should be removed from the comments.
Coalition of Resistance is a broad united national campaign against cuts and privatisation in our workplaces, community and welfare services, based on general agreement with the Founding Statement issued by Tony Benn in August 2010. http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/
Save EMA - school age people as well as students campaigning to save this allowance, with the result that they get kettled.
http://emacampaign.org.uk/sign/
Million Voices (To save public services) Expecting to be kettled on 26th March London demonstration.
http://million-voices.org
UKUNCUT say that at the same time as making massive cuts to public services, this government is letting rich individuals and corporations avoid billions of pounds of tax. They suggest thgat you join UK Uncut’s Big Society Revenue & Customs (BSRC) and become part of an army of citizen volunteers determined to make wealthy tax avoiders pay. Lots of experience of being kettled (and avoiding being kettled.)
www.ukuncut.org.uk -
Terry Kelly
commented
CS Gas, Kettling, under cover police spies, Cavalry Charges, beatings of students etc. etc. A famous guy answered when asked this question "what do you think of western democracy?" he said "I think it would be a great idea" (Mahatma Gandhi)
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richardindeed
commented
If you were on the riverbank and you saw a banker drowning, would you photograph him in black and white or in colour?
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richardindeed
commented
As a follow-up to the comment from "aintnobodygonnastopme" below, the Early Day Motion 1257 on “Kettling” which is being raised in the House of Commons by Katy Clark MP has the following 'open'signatures on it. If your MP hasn't signed it, why not? They work for you. Write to them and get them to support it, at
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
List of signatories:
Clark, Katy
McDonnell, John
Lucas, Caroline
Hopkins, Kelvin
Nandy, Lisa
Riordan, Linda
Durkan, Mark
Ritchie, Margaret
Sanders, Adrian
Skinner, Dennis
Meale, Alan
Campbell, Ronnie
Caton, Martin
Corbyn, Jeremy
Dobbin, Jim
Flynn, Paul
Rotheram, Steve
Lavery, Ian
Edwards, Jonathan
Brooke, Annette
Hancock, Mike
Hoey, Kate
Leech, John
Glindon, Mary
Huppert, Julian
Singh, Marsha
Dobson, Frank
Kaufman, Gerald -
Aye-Oh-Aye-Oh-Aye-Oh-Aye-Ohhhh
commented
Yes, it would be only fair if the Metropolitan police showed a little solidarity with the Egyptian cops and went to join them. Might be tricky though as the Cairo police have now stopped hitting and kettling their own people - and have run away. They were only doing it for Mubarak (and pay.)
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jacobsladder
commented
As the police are definitely being outwitted by the students at the moment, I offer the suggestion that ACPO could send a shipload of officers out to Cairo, where they could practice their kettling on the million protestors there. I wish them well.
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firstwetakemanhattan
commented
Kettle(has had its)chips.
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aintnobodygonnastopme
commented
Get your MP to sign the Early Day Motion 1257 on “Kettling” which is being raised in the House of Commons.
“That this House is concerned about the use of kettling as a police tactic against demonstrators in the United Kingdom; expresses serious concern that in recent demonstrations individuals, including minors, have been indiscriminately kettled by police for up to nine hours without food, appropriate facilities or access to medical assistance for those who require it and have been refused the right to leave; notes that a number of individuals have suffered very serious injuries, such as bleeding to the brain, as a result of police action during recent kettles; believes this kettling to be an infringement of the fundamental right to peaceful protest; and calls on the Government to take steps to stop this practice.”
Easiest way is to use http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ to write to your MP.
Taken from: http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/2011/01/get-your-mp-to-sign-edm-1257-on-kettling/
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Democracy is coming to the UK
commented
It says on UKUNCUT that the young people in Oxford Street were pepper sprayed.
http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/press-release-uk-uncut-condemns-political-policing-at-peaceful-protestPerhaps this is what Mr. Law 'n' Orde ("Sir" Hugh Orde, head of ACPO,) meant when he said police might adopt "more extreme tactics." How long before the water cannon? He did after all learn his trade in Northern Ireland.
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humanrights
commented
Here's some 'game theory' advice about avoiding kettling, suggesting that it's really a game to be played intelligently.
http://anarchish.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-win-at-kettling-guide-for-non.html
And here's an indication of the discussion already going on about what might happen if you really do display that intelligence effectively.
http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/events/event.cgi?id=285 -
lenosfootsbetter
commented
Someone below is asking for "strict and clear guidelines" for when kettling could be used. It doesn't matter what any set of "guidelines" say, if the police feel they can do what they want, irrespective of guidelines or democratic norms, and they do. A pretty good alternative guideline is that if you get thousands of people on the street, protesting about the introduction of policies for which there is absolutely no mandate at a general election, it may be a good idea, not to kettle them, but to listen to them. (This assumes, of course, that you are a democrat.)
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UK Unkettled
commented
Newsflash: Egyptian police have decided, errrr, not to kettle protestors, even though there might be a slight breach of the peace. A principled approach I am sure.
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holding back the river
commented
How can ACPO be a private limited company (whose duty is to make a profit) when it receives large amounts of taxpayers'money?? (And, runs these expensive, and rather feral, undercover cops.)
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smokedapplewood
commented
CONGRATULATIONS to the EMA/Fees students on Friday 29 Jan who avoided being kettled by being faster, sharper, more quick on their feet and cleverer than the police. (Not actually that difficult in some circumstances.) Kettling CAN be avoided, if protestors want that enough.
SYMPATHY to the protestors in Oxford Street who had to be taken to hospital for treatment after police used CS spray on them when they were peacefully protesting. CS spray???? What next? (Could this use of CS spray be considered "anti-social behaviour? I think it could. Whoever sprayed it should be detained, and perhaps given a Control Order.)
WARNING: Last week, Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Police Officers, (a PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY by the way, with property interests, but receiving taxpayers' money) said that police "could adopt more extreme tactics to counter the growing wave of protests (and hinted UKUncut demonstrations could face criminal and civil charges.") Nice to know you are displaying that profound understanding and empathy, Sir Hugh. What kind of school did you go to?
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ratzinger
commented
Watch out for the new legislation from Theresa May. This is presented as a streamlined approach to ASBOs, one which is quicker and cheaper to implement, described as "a toolkit of measures." Thanks Theresa. But, we all know that legislation, supposedly for one purpose,eg on "terrorists" gets used for an entirely different purpose. (They're not daft, are they? Ruthless maybe,cunning maybe, heartless maybe, but not daft. Or perhaps this is just the civil servants doing it for them, so maybe they are daft.)
Kettling is not working, and more and more people are beginning to see it for what it is.So, this legislation contains proposals for " a direction to leave" which will see any individual "causing or likely to cause crime" directed away from a particular place and "related items" confiscated.
It's been mentioned before in the comments, but any definition of "anti-social behaviiour" is clearly much more applicable to police behaviour (and especially the TSG), than it is to those exercising freedom of speech. But we are not likely to see it used against those who are directing mounted police charges against children, or simply cracking heads with their shields and their batons..
If the legislation is passed, it provides the opportunity to "direct an individual , causing or likely to cause crime [a kettler with a bad attitude???] away from a particular place and to confiscate "related items" [batons, shields, big horses???]. No, only they can do it, not you.
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Siobhan Markwell
commented
I despise kettling and all it stands for - the desire to make people too scared to protest but I'm not sure it could be banned. Imagine a EDL protest heading for an all Asian area with violent intent...What we need are strict and clear guidelines for when it is appropriate. These guidelines would clearly not include that someone, somewhere was violent earlier today so you lot are bloody stuck in one place too.
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missizicks
commented
I was in Manchester on Saturday, while the students were demonstrating against the EMA proposals. On Deansgate, at the corner with the Hilton hotel, I estimated around 2.5 police officers per student. One group had been penned in by around 25 officers, one of whom was stating through a loudhailer "We are here to ensure that you go about your protest in a safe and peaceful manner. If you do not think you should be contained in this area, please speak to a police officer." Another group were being herded towards the Hilton concourse by four mounted police. There were at least five TAU vehicles parked along Deansgate, the former occupants of which were lined up and ready to charge on anyone who dared exercise their right to go about their protest. I was only going into town to do some shopping, and I felt threatened by the number of police who were present. It disgusts me that this is the chosen response to people's right to voice their protest against the actions of a distant and disinterested government.
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smokedapplewood
commented
I would like to suggest that the TUC put out a formal statement, well ahead of the 26 March demonstration, indicating politely but absolutely clearly, that marchers that day should not be kettled, and will in fact actively resist being kettled. Kettling of this large demonstration would not only frustrate participants right to protest and to free speech, but would be very likely to lead to injuries or deaths for both the marchers and the police. Once such a statement has been made by this respected body (the TUC) it would be hugely irresponsible and highly provocative of the police to ignore the statement and to attempt to kettle. This provocation would undoubtedly lead to violence on a large scale. The responsibility for this would rest squarely with the police. Let the people speak, or they will react. Anyone else think this is a good idea?
