A Shameful Day
A friend of ours, the talented musician and composer Dirk Campbell, who has played for the Royal Shakespeare Company and who writes film scores, has just allowed himself to be arrested in defence of his human rights, by refusing to be searched by the police when trying to exercise his right to visit a legally organised camp in a field.
At the recent Climate Change Camp the police set up a large marquee and insisted on searching every single person who entered the camp. This resulted in 1-4 hours delay as a vast queue built up as each person had their luggage poked through by policemen wearing rubber gloves. If you watch the film clip below you’ll see it was quite clearly an operation designed to obstruct the camp. As you watch it, ask yourself “Whose interests are the police representing? Why does the issue of people protesting over climate change warrant this response?”
What a sad indictment of our government and the police that they feel it necessary to do this to prevent people protesting about the fact that we are destroying the environment. It is shameful and simply reinforces reinforces any sense we might have that we are moving closer and closer to Orwell’s vision of 1984.
For background:
An Eco-Storm production-Exposing government tactics in reaction to environmental protests. Tactics shown in the film include arresting journalists and environmental protesters, Espionage, news manipulation and legal threats.
4 Responses to “A Shameful Day”
That was very uncomfortable viewing. When did Thatcher come back into power? I must have missed that one.
I was part of a march on Washington, D.C. during the protests against the US government in El Salvador, late 70’s, working for Michael Moore’s then local newspaper, taking photos. I ended up amongst the environmental groups attending. Even perambulating the Pentagon we weren’t harassed. We weren’t searched in the capital’s Mall area. Watched yes, not searched, for goddess’ sake. Is this some response to the newly invented ‘terrorist threat’? Or is Britain’s government bent upon industrializing the entire island?
Oh dear – its moments like these when I suffer a huge professional values conflict… just who in the Metropolitan Police made a decision like that…?
natnemeton – would the decision have been made by the Met. Police – or by a “faceless watcher” in Whitehall? Whilst some of the police who attend these exercises, or strikes may have their own opinions, in the most case they are following orders – which they agreed to do as part of their job.
It is frustrating that the terrorism campaign has now become a useful tool to spy on people once again.
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