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

[shaman75]

Just seen this video



Very short, but this shows a bit more police action in the royal exchange passage around the time of the tomlinson events.

 

[winjer]

Were they CoL cops in that incident though?

The dog handlers and other soft hats are CoL , the ones in helmets are Met, not far out of shot is a line of BTP. The most senior officer seen nearby is a CoL Chief Super, later seen with ambulances at the junction of Cornhill and Bishopsgate:

 

[lostexpectation]

look at the police medic with his baton raised, why?

 

[lostexpectation]

Well according to one photographer sher saw him bundled over and hit twice with a baton several moments earlier, which might explain his groggy appearance.

yes but he had a few drinks on his friend has said, his behaviour hands in pocket was drunk man, can't we just agree it was likely he was drunk, not that that gave a reason to attack him.

 

[Bernie Gunther]

yes but he had a few drinks on his friend has said, his behaviour hands in pocket was drunk man, can't we just agree it was likely he was drunk, not that that gave a reason to attack him.

We have eyewitness reports of a prior attack on him, it's entirely possible that he might have been dazed as a result. I'm quite certain that he'll be smeared by the police/government PR people as an alkie who might have died at any moment due to his own moral turpitude, but that'll just be a bunch of evil twats covering their arses with the media. The fact, thanks to the video, remains that he was violently attacked by a policeman, like hundreds of other people that day, only he had the misfortune to die of it.

 

[SpookyFrank]

look at the police medic with his baton raised, why?

Keep himself in work?

 

[well red]

look at the police medic with his baton raised, why?

Well, dur. To hit people.

I've read several accounts that said that the medics were amongst the most violent of the cops that day.

 

[nick h.]

look at the police medic with his baton raised, why?

They're not full time medics - just officers who've had a little first aid training and an awful lot of public order training. For every injury they treat they have to inflict seven to maintain the appropriate level of shock and awe.

It's a cracking photo - it's even got a Nazgûl in it.

With luck Agricola will be along with a more accurate story.

 

[free spirit]

the guy looks out of it before the police attack him on the new video as he has in all the photos

look at the police medic with his baton raised, why?

not sure, but it defo removes them from the non-combatant type role that medics usually take for granted IMO - eg army medics etc. (sass would have more info on this).

bet they'd be the first to bleat on about medics being attacked if one of them got injured by someone fighting back (or more likely hurt their poor little wristy by hitting a protestor too hard, then logged it as an injury caused by a protestor)

no wonder the police assumed the action medics in scotland were just cover for the people organising the protests, and went round nicking them all if this is what the police medics get upto though

 

[lopsidedbunny]

look at the police medic with his baton raised, why?

The police medic are "Police Medics" and don't attend protesters injuries if they can help it. Their main job is to put out fire from petal bombs etc. They are nothing like the army medics who play no active role in fighting a war to speak. They still have an active role to play in "Accommodating Protesters".

 

[free spirit]

The police medic are "Police Medics" and nothing are not like the army medics who play no active role in fighting a war to speak. They still have an active role to play in "Accommodating Protesters".

that is just plain wrong IMO





(not saying you're wrong btw, just the whole situation is fucking wrong)

 

[SpookyFrank]

not sure, but it defo removes them from the non-combatant type role that medics usually take for granted IMO - eg army medics etc. (sass would have more info on this).

When acting as a first aider on actions/protests in the past I've always been careful to steer clear of any trouble myself. If only becuase it's hard to treat others when you're bleeding on the floor of a jail cell...

 

[free spirit]

When acting as a medic on actions/protests in the past I've always been careful to steer clear of any trouble myself. If only becuase it's hard to treat others when you're bleeding on the floor of a jail cell...

exactly.

that's what the role of the medic should be, and is the rationale behind medics being non-combatants... well that and the hope that the other side will leave them alone if they're seen as being non-combatants, so that they can get on with treating the wounded in the middle of a battle without too much fear of being attacked.

I know this isn't an army style battle, but the principles should be the same IMO, medics do not attack and medics do not get attacked.

puts all that (unfounded as it turns out) press outrage about medics getting bottled into perspective IMO, if they can be in the police line battoning people like that, then they'd obviously think nothing of being part of a police snatch squad either.

fuckers

 

[AKA pseudonym]

Blue ribbons?

Just read latest family statement here. At the end of the article there is mention of blue ribbons...

Sounds to me like a simple n effective way to register our solidarity with the family and highlight our concerns...

Anyone hear anymore about this?

Would be interesting to see how this develops..
feckin blue tho!
I would wear one for sure.. and would ask peeps to consider promoting such a 'campaign'...

 

[exleper]

steve bell in guardian tomorrow:

 

[Bernie Gunther]

Guardian are saying that the Police/IPCC told them to take the video down ...

It began with an anodyne press release from the Metropolitan police more than three hours after Ian Tomlinson died. It ended with a police officer and an investigator from the Independent Police Complaints Commission asking the Guardian to remove a video from its website showing an unprovoked police assault on Mr Tomlinson minutes before his heart attack.

In the space of five days through a combination of official guidance, strong suggestion and press releases, those responsible for examining the circumstances surrounding Mr Tomlinson's death within the City of London police and the IPCC, appeared to be steering the story to what they thought would be its conclusion: that the newspaper vendor suffered an unprovoked heart attack as he made his way home on the night of the G20 protests.

Late last Friday, after investigators from the IPCC had spoken to detectives from City police, the commission which claims it is the most powerful civilian oversight body in the world, was preparing to say it did not need to launch an inquiry into the deathduring one of the most controversial recent policing operations.

But the release of the video by the Guardian this week, which revealed Mr Tomlinson was subjected to an unprovoked attack by a Met riot squad officer minutes before he died, has forced the IPCC to step up to the demand that it launch a full independent inquiry.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/09/g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinson-g20

 

[winjer]

yes but he had a few drinks on his friend has said, his behaviour hands in pocket was drunk man, can't we just agree it was likely he was drunk, not that that gave a reason to attack him.

Barry Smith, 55, an Evening Standard vendor who had known Mr Tomlinson for 26 years, said he helped out on the stall every day, starting at 7am.

Speaking through tears, Mr Smith told the newspaper: "Ian was always there with me, from the minute I started work until the end of the day. He had a drink problem but that day he was completely sober and was looking forward to starting work again the next day.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6058186.ece

 

[winjer]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/09/g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinson-g20

It gets worse:

...the family's police liaison officer told the Guardian he was extremely unhappy the paper had spoken to them. He told the Guardian's reporter not to contact the family "for 48 hours".

Meanwhile official guidance from the IPCC to another Guardian journalist accused the paper of doorstepping the family at a time of grief. The IPCC guided that the family had been deeply distressed by the newspaper's approach. On the same day the IPCC told journalists from rival publications there was "nothing in the story" that Mr Tomlinson had been assaulted by an officer.

Scum.

 

[Wilf]

It gets worse:

...the family's police liaison officer told the Guardian he was extremely unhappy the paper had spoken to them. He told the Guardian's reporter not to contact the family "for 48 hours".

Meanwhile official guidance from the IPCC to another Guardian journalist accused the paper of doorstepping the family at a time of grief. The IPCC guided that the family had been deeply distressed by the newspaper's approach. On the same day the IPCC told journalists from rival publications there was "nothing in the story" that Mr Tomlinson had been assaulted by an officer.

Scum.

Jesus fucking wept. The family might as well ignore the IPCC and start planning for the private prosecution. That - along with a campaign that won't let it drop - is the only way they will have even the slightest chance of any kind of justice (and even then, its a minimal chance, with plenty of hurdles to get over before ever hitting the court).

 

[free spirit]

Fair play to the Guardian on this one for not accepting the official line, and actually doing some proper journalism on it.

IMO this shows why people don't have faith in the IPCC to investigate this properly.

 

[free spirit]

Jesus fucking wept. The family might as well ignore the IPCC and start planning for the private prosecution. That - along with a campaign that won't let it drop - is the only way they will have even the slightest chance of any kind of justice (and even then, its a minimal chance, with plenty of hurdles to get over before ever hitting the court).

yep

 

[Herbert Read]

steve bell in guardian tomorrow:

Brilliant.

 

[bluestreak]

i think unless there is some very quick action by the police over this death, people should take to the streets and protest because of 1) the misinformation put out by the police, 2) the total lack of investigation by police and 3) very probable destroying/ignoring of evidence that this happened by police.

who is organising one?

Against Police brutality- Saturday 11th April-


WHEN: This Sat the 11th of April...11am

WHERE: From Bethnal Green Police station to Bank


Over the last week across London there has been a series of demonstrations
and protests against the policies and programs implemented by the G20
leaders.


We are taking to the streets to express our compassion with the family of
Ian Tomlinson who tragically died during the 1 April protests at the Bank
of England. We are calling for an independent public inquiry into the
instances of police violence that occurred thoughout the week and to
establish the true circumstances of his death.

We wish to communicate our disgust and anger at the violent and brutal
policing of the G20 demonstrations.

The press once again created an atmosphere of fear and violence in the
lead up to the protests, preemptively justifying the police violence that
occurred. They also misreported and lied about the circumstances of the
tragedy. We recognise that for many communities the reality of police
violence is a daily occurrence. The demonisation of communities, like the
demonisation of protesters makes police violence seem normal.

As the crisis deepens and continues there will be increased resistance -
from factory occupations to demonstrations, strikes and people coming
together on the streets. We need to speak out now to defend our freedom to
protest, our communities and our dignity.

 

[danny la rouge]

It's becoming clearer and clearer that this isn't the case and it was par for the course behaviour. Don't believe me? Do any of the other pigs in the film look remotely bothered or concerned?

And did they come forward in the week since the incident, to give the family answers?

Added to the clearing of the climate camp, and various other skull-bashing activities.

Nope, not good enough to say it was one bad apple.

 

[Ted Striker]

Some extra footage of the Tomlinson attack has aired. He get's quite a whack with that baton.

(apologies if this is already posted, I did a brief check)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090408/tuk-g20-footage-officer-comes-forward-dba1618.html

 

[Chairman Meow]

Ive been following this thread in disgust at the cops action. Heads should roll for this.

 

[Cressi]

One week and one day later the Independent wakes up........http://www.independent.co.uk/opinio...t-tell-the-met-is-out-of-control-1666141.html

 

[DotCommunist]

Oh fuck the Indy, and fuck Deborah Orr

Both of them are an irrelevance

 

[danny la rouge]

Some extra footage of the Tomlinson attack has aired. He get's quite a whack with that baton.

(apologies if this is already posted, I did a brief check)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090408/tuk-g20-footage-officer-comes-forward-dba1618.html

Yup, that angle really shows the force of the blow to the legs. And yet the BBC (way down the running order) are still calling it a "push". It's an assault.

 

[xes]

So, officer cuntface has stepped forward (only took you a week you fucking cowardly wanker) Let's see what today brings.