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G20: Getting to the truth- the death of Ian Tomlinson RIP

This from the witness statements at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/08/g20-ian-tomlinson-death-witnesses

E: Amiri Howe, 24, actor/musician, west London

We stood on a ledge near Cornhill. Before he got hit, at the beginning of the whole thing - we were watching the protesters at the Bank of England. Police got into a couple of scuffles with people. They were pushing the line forward, pushing the line forward.

We saw a couple of scuffles happening. Our friends were inside trying to get out - no water, no food, we wanted to get them out. Police started coming forward. Missiles started to be thrown. They came in with their batons, stamping.

The guy [Tomlinson] was stood there. He got hit near the head with a baton. It was like a pencil, he just fell to the floor and hit his head again when he hit the floor. When he got hit, police were coming forwards. I saw him fall so I moved back. But I saw him on the floor and someone picking him up - that's when I took the picture.

If there was CCTV then they will see exactly what happened - which is exactly what I said happened. You see in that corner where the dogs came up, it was proper chaos. After that, I was taking pictures of police and the dog line, and a girl came and said, 'this guy needs help'. He was further back down the road. It was the same guy that got hit. He was wearing the exact same stuff.
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This suggests to me that Ian Tomlinson was smacked on the head minutes before he was pushed over - is that correct? That might explain why he was acting 'provocatively' (in the words of some trying to justify the police actions) by walking nonchalantly in front of the cops before he was pushed over, still dazed by the first attack.

Blimey, even the Hate Mail's going with the story he was attacked twice:

Riot police targeted the man who died at the G20 protest on two separate occasions, it was claimed this afternoon.

The newspaper seller was manhandled by an officer 15 minutes before a colleague was videoed striking the 47-year-old with his baton before shoving him to the ground, it was alleged.

Photographer Anna Branthwaite claimed Mr Tomlinson was pushed to the ground and struck twice with a baton by another officer.

He was then dragged to his feet by the policeman who continued to push him along the street, she claimed.

Minutes later, a passer-by captured footage of Mr Tomlinson being felled by a police officer's baton. It is not clear if the same officer was involved in both incidents.
Click to expand...
 
xes said:
Can I score some advice please. Guy on another forum was arrested on the thursday, at the temperary memorial, where he's accused of writing on the floor. He's a little nervous and doesn't really know what to do/say.
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My advice is this:

Tell him not to say anything without a solicitor present.

Get him his own lawyer. Don't use the duty solicitor as they tend to be far too friendly with the plod.

Go 'no comment' to everything.

Don't sign anything, especialially not statements and/or a police officer's notebook.

Another piece of advice would be to visit the website of the legal defence and monitoring group (LDMG) and see what they have to say.
 
xes said:
Can I score some advice please. Guy on another forum was arrested on the thursday, at the temperary memorial, where he's accused of writing on the floor. He's a little nervous and doesn't really know what to do/say.
Click to expand...
Tell him to contact LDMG.
 
durruti02 said:
again not read whole thread but one thing i have heard over and over was that riot police were trying to hit peoples legs and knees .. possibly so media could not see .. this is something i have not heard / seen before
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quite common ime. they'll go for heads if the action is too close for them to get a blow at the legs, iyswim
 
Just catching-up on the news, it’s a fucking disgrace – that little piggy needs to be done for manslaughter at the very least. :mad:
 
smokedout said:
in fairness, i was there for that bit, and they did stop the ambulance for a while, but then someone very senior looking came and screamed at them to let it through
Click to expand...
You can see the senior officer in this video:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=18919752001 around 2:10.

It's Chief Superintendent Alex Robertson.

You can also see one of the people who helped Ian Tomlinson up (in g vid), at the same time in the crowd on the left side.
 
_pH_ said:
quite common ime. they'll go for heads if the action is too close for them to get a blow at the legs, iyswim
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I was surprised to see raised clubs .. surely anyone striking someone on the head would automatically be guilty of using unreasonable force ?
 
_pH_ said:
quite surprising to see comments like that on the Hate Mail!! :eek:
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Fucking hell when Daily Mail readers are saying: -

20090408-g41b6bufu65d3mj26jg75qfgtw.jpg


You know something is up!
 
gentlegreen said:
I was surprised to see raised clubs .. surely anyone striking someone on the head would automatically be guilty of using unreasonable force ?
Click to expand...

I was at the Climate Camp convergence centre (I left about two hours before it was violently raided) and people coming back were reporting that the police were routinely hitting people on the head, using over-arm baton strikes.
 
I saw a ticker on Sky earlier saying no officers at the scene (I presume the 2nd incident, Guardian vid) have come forward.

Has there been any update on that front?
 
Brother Mouzone said:
Fucking hell when Daily Mail readers are saying: -

20090408-g41b6bufu65d3mj26jg75qfgtw.jpg


You know something is up!
Click to expand...

Not necessarily mail readers. I have a comment on that page too and I wouldn't pay for that shitrag. Just felt it was a more appropriate place to put my feelings because I would rather people who didn't agree saw it IFYSWIM.

It's only the second time they've put one of my comments on there. But it's probably only the second time my comment didn't end in 'ought to be dragged out of Northcliffe House and shot.'
 
claphamboy said:
Just catching-up on the news, it’s a fucking disgrace – that little piggy needs to be done for manslaughter at the very least. :mad:
Click to expand...

talked about this today and none of those ive spoken to feel anything will happen to the scum who killed him, it has just been on the bbc 6 news, will be the 630 itn news, and the c4 saying they have a new vid of Ian being hit, we can all desire the scum to be charged but will not happen as it will lead to an open door of those who was also beeaten on the day and night, and the next day comeing forword, no there will be some farce of an investigation, it will say the police actions was wrong on the day, but there was a need blah fucking blah police murdering scum as they allways do walk free..
 
lopsidedbunny said:
Have we got a video link of this I keep hearing/reading about?
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The ITN footage isn't worth bothering with tbh. It's taken from further away than the footage the Grauniad has, but it does corroborate it i spose. Shows Mr Tomlinson falling to the floor, but there's too many people in the way to see what really happened.

I do wonder though, why ITN are only showing this now :confused: Spineless media? surely not?

e2a: just seen it on ITN news on telly, no link.
 
The ITN footage confirms that he WAS struck by the baton, 1st witness to speak out about the earlier attack on him as well.
 
ITN also saying that 4 riot police separated from other police had to 'beat off a ferocious attack by protestors' just before the incident in the grauniad footage. Yet their own video footage doesn't show this. wtf.

ITN's coverage is utter bollocks - they still seem to be going with the line that protestors attacked police continuously and ferociously. twats
 
unbelievable. breaking news on ITN. following a meeting between the Home Office and the MET this afternoon, a major anti-terrorism swoop has been brought forward this evening with 10 arrests in Liverpool, Manchester and Clitheroe.
 
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