Today's South London Press (3 December 2010) reports that a 15-year-old school girl from East Dulwich was injured as a result of police action on the students demonstration in Whitehall on November 24th. According to her mother: 'She was kettled with her schoolmates in Whitehall. She tried to climb a fence to get out and was pushed to the ground and hit across the foot with a police baton. She was kept there for two hours after being injured until her friends managed to persuade police to let her out of the area because she was so distressed and obviously in pain... My daughter was wearing her [Sydenham] school uniform so it would have been clear to officers she was a young child'. At Kings College Hosptial she was diagnosed with a broken foot and will remain in plaster for six weeks.
Update: this case is now being taken up by Liberty, who are supporting legal action against the Police in relation to the the kettling of children. If you have any information that would assist with this, please contact Liberty.
They broke her foot? A policeman hit a CHILD so hard he broke her bones? Wish I could say I am shocked and appalled, but after all the DISGUSTING behaviour the Met have shown this last few weeks, I'm really not.
ReplyDeleteYet more proof as if it were needed, that the UK's police officers are simply state-employed thugs.
ReplyDeleteThe officer responsible should be jailed for many years. I'm so angry right now.
Why is any mother letting her 15 year old daughter on a demonstration in London. It doesn't excuse the police action which was atrocious, but it was her that should get a belt round the head to wake her brain up!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest Lochnager, I think that anybody of any age should be able to go on a demonstration without being prevented from leaving and being assaulted. I started going on demonstrations when I was that age - my mum had no say in it - and I certainly have no regrets about it, even if looking back it was sometimes scary.
ReplyDeleteDark Lochnagar
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you. Protest is a right for every human on earth in my view.
Physical intimidation or behaving brutaly towards those protesting is no way to deal with political dissent in any democracy.
Remember, it wasn't for protests, slavery would still be a normal part of life in the UK, women wouldn't have the vote, and indeed, most males wouldn't either.
Bravo to that young girl for getting up off her backside for something she believed in. I hope those responsible are brought to account, while the young girl finds it in herself to continue participating in protests.
After all, this is a democracy. Isn't it?
A policeman seriously injured a schoolgirl? Sick, sick, sick.
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