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Edo Demo ends in police violence
At the Edo demo yesterday 8 people were violently arrested. This report was received via the Bristol Stop the War Yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bristol-stop-the-war...
Chief Inspector Kerry Cox of Sussex Police recommended that Edo/MBM – a Brighton Based arms company - should spend well over £50,000 on an injunction to end the yearlong campaign of peaceful protest against them. The final result agreed only a few days ago after much legal wrangling essentially allows protestors to continue doing what they’ve been doing for the last year.
David Jones, the Managing Director of the company is no doubt looking for some value for money which is why, yesterday at the arms dealers premises, the police were drafted up to the factory in huge numbers to deal with a group of 65 protestors of good nature who had nothing but peaceful protest in mind. It was clear that the police had nothing but violence and arrests planned for their day.
A hired thug in a black suit was employed by the company to serve notice of the injunction on all those present; in most cases this was done with unreasonable force and in the case of one 80 year old man what amounted to assault. Police seemed unwilling to deal with this intimidation and assault taking place in front of them.
After a while the police had had enough of various people daring to put their feet on the road so they launched themselves in force at protestors on the edge of a 80ft drop on to a railway track putting lives seriously at risk.
The first target was the 80-year-old man who was wrestled to the ground by at least 3 thugs dressed as police officers and badly hurt in the process. His daughter who was distressed by this assault rushed to his aid and was herself arrested. He was subsequently offered a caution for obstruction which he refused and his daughter was charged with assault. He later said “I fought against Nazis and Totalitarianism in the 2nd World War but never thought I’d find myself doing it again at my age”
In total 8 people were arrested, some violently, in a second assault by the police again putting protestors’ and their own lives at risk by pushing people towards the 80ft drop. Interestingly nobody was charged with breaching the injunction as it might prove slightly embarrassing to test in the High Court.
All the people arrested were taken to the local custody centre and another small demonstration was held outside until all had been released.
Once again salaried thugs in fluorescent jackets have criminalised peaceful protest. We will not cower in the face of this intimidation but will continue the campaign with renewed vigour.