Summary
MET Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson identifies the Tamil protests as "causing problems" by drawing resources away from other policing operations (18 May). What clearly is a problem is the heavyhanded policing of the peaceful though impassioned Tamil presence in Parliament Square. Trying to force people away by blocking Whitehall as if in expectation of a riot is risible to those of us who remember truly violent confrontations like the miners' strike and the poll tax riots.
When I went down to the square one evening at about 7pm and took some photos, I was told I was in some sort of prohibited area and was manhandled. On talking to the officers I discovered they were drafted in from Richmond and had been there since 4.30am. Their line was that Westminster needed protection from the terrorists (did they really mean the tourists?).See the full content of this document
Extract
Tamils Need Lighter Policing ; Letters
Rather than seeking to strangle reasonable protest, Stephenson could challenge politicians ove...
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