[g8-sheffield] [Fwd: [ssf] G8 arrests in Derby] someone else could write an analysis
Chris Malins
chrismalins at gmail.com
Mon Mar 21 11:49:14 GMT 2005
With regard the oil barrel from Friends of the Earth going to the
summit, I can tell you what happened exactly.
During the course of the afternoon in Derby, the Friends of the Earth
protest, which had been arranged with police, albeit not satisfactorily,
took a place in the 'protest pen' with two oil barrels, filled with
water bottles bearing messages about water and climate change. The
protests went off very peacefully, with FoE in particular acceding to
the police demand to protest only within the proscribed area. We also
had a small five a side match in the protest space, seeing as it was a
nice football pitch sort of size.
During the afternoon, a representative of FoE, from the London office,
approached one of the inspectors in charge of the operation, to
reiterate the request that we should be allowed to present our bottles
to the ministers. Eventually, a senior officer came down from the hotel
and spoke to FoE and People and Planet, and he agreed, partly because
the protests had been peaceful and largely respected the police
(although many people would not enter the pen, they did stay in the
market square and made no attempt to confront the police), to let two
representatives each from FoE and PandP through to the inner cordon, to
present the water bottles to anyone who Defra were willing to send out.
At about 4.30pm, two FoE representatives (myself included) two PandP
reps and a FoE photographer were taken in an unmarked van through the
outer conference perimeter. This consisted of several police roadblocks
(ie vans of coppers parked up at side of road), and one checkpoint at
which we were searched.
From there we were joined by a Guardian photographer, and taken to the
inner perimeter, the metal security fence which was around the hotel
(and still some distance from it). as I understand it, all of this was
done on the authority of the police inspector we had talked to. At the
hotel gates, we were allowed to do a photoshoot, under heavy police
supervision, but it was made clear that Defra would not send anyone out
to meet us and receive our message. My interpretation of this is that
they did not want to set a precedent for receiving legitimate concerns
during such meetings. I believe the inspector acted in good faith, and
gave us as much access as was within his authority. It is an obvious
tactic to create a division of responsibility between holding and
policing the conference, as it makes it completely impossible that any
protester should ever be able to address anyone involved in the talks.
The police have no more interest, responsibility or mechanism for
passing on messages than they would on any other day.
The conference refused to receive our messages or the report we'd
commissioned, and we were driven back.
The conclusions to be drawn from this are not entirely clear. As this
element of the action was reported and given at least some context, we
could consider it a partial success - FoE have managed to associate
environmental protest groups with this meeting in the mind of those who
read these reports. In terms of affecting policy, the action may have
been less successful. It seems unlikely that having refused to receive
us, the ministerial gave any time to our specific concerns that would
not have been given anyway. It is not even clear whether the fact and
nature of our protest went any further than the Defra police liason.
Clearly, the sympathetic media may be willing to report peaceful, legal
stunts of this sort, which are based not on numbers or confrontation but
on passing on a message in a creative way. Unfortunately, this could
also give the impression that the government were willing to listen to
our concerns, which was not the case. It reinforces the idea that if you
are a good little protester, you will be more effective than naughty
protestors. This is not necessarily the case.
Food for thought, will be happy to give any other details you think are
relevant,
Chris
Philippe Deux wrote:
> I propose this twofold approach (the artistic approach, together with
> urbanparanoia):
> grounds: the key to reject violence from protesters : if you don't
> ignore orders against the public protest, there's nothing to fear.
>
> Check sheffield indymedia:
>
> http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2005/03/306796.html
>
>
> Critical mass would be out of place. "Processions" as the derby city
> council labeled marches, were be banned. Entirely. (What about using the
> air perimeter? Balloons banned as well?)
>
> idea 1: an artistic approach that takes symbolism into account is
> proposed, together with the more pragmatic one: $$$$$.
>
> At Derby M17, Friends of the Earth and other environmental groups were
> reported as having sent *an oil barrel containing hundreds of water
> bottles*
> (this seem to imply that symbolism may be working better than other
> types of action)
> (how did they send it to the G8 summit? by messenger? this could be the
> point: any response/reaction ?))
>
> For Derby as a sample, check excellent indymedia
> pictures showing the official printed order glued to lamp posts.
>
> two: the immense, disproportionate *EXPENDITURE* by police forces and
> their authorities: this is every taxpayer's waste of money: public
> should be informed. (check protesters on one side and forces on the
> other). *Expected* floods of bearded dirty anarchists are a *lie* to
> account for such an expenditure.
> three: what a shame for "left" political parties? where are they? on the
> other side of the pen?
> Check indymedia photo again: the few protesters inside an allowed "pen":
> people from Derby on the other side, watching street theatre... and
> mass police force around every ring. Describe protesters: how violent
> they look, indeed! Mothers and fathers with their young children... Are
> these
> the tsunami of anarchists without a warning system to protect the oceans?
>
> o hell! o yell! o butterflies!
>
>
> ________________________
>
>
>
>
>
> Dozens of protestors staged a "go-slow" bike ride through the city
> streets and some were arrested for ignoring orders against public protests.
>
> A meeting later in the city's Market Square passed off peacefully.
>
> Campaigners sent an oil barrel containing hundreds of water bottles to
> the G8 summit to raise awareness of drought conditions in some parts of
> Africa.
>
> "People in Africa need clean water, not oil," Ms Lister said.
>
> Derbyshire Police said the summit is the biggest operation the force has
> had to deal with since the miners' strike.
>
> The force successfully requested powers from the Home Office to ensure
> protestors have to meet at an agreed central meeting place.
>
>
> *On 14 March BBC Derby said
>
> *A Home Office spokesperson said: "The Home Office has received two
> applications from Derby City Council under the Public order Act 1986.
>
> "They are for a ban on marches through Derby city centre and for a ban
> on trespassary assemblies in the parishes of Long Eaton, Breadsall and
> Morley.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dan wrote:
>
>> Robin's pasted a very interesting article below. Question now is -
>> what do we do?
>>
>> Can anyone write up any minutes from Wednesday's meeting / give any
>> bullet points? (Sorry for not making it. Slight burn-out this week!)
>>
>> Dan
>>
>> -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [ssf] G8 arrests in
>> Derby Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 18:49:24 +0000 From: Robin Ouzman
>> <ouzman at giftoftongues.co.uk> To: SSF <ssf at lists.aktivix.org>
>>
>>
>>
>> The City Council itself asking for bans on marches. The force asking
>> for a protesting "focus" and avoid mobile actions. Twelve protestors
>> arrested yesterday at Derby (from about 150, about 10%?) No "legal
>> observers" present. Hello up there, Looking at these facts, doesn't it
>> seem as a bit more reasonable to call the g8 to disband (just to make
>> things clear to the public), give some press-conferences before (as i
>> keep suggesting ), a press conference can be made by two persons, and
>> just forget about the whole b***dy thing.
>>
>>
>> (anyway, just keep reading:)
>>
>>
>> Don't know anything about arrests, but this report was in the
>> Guardian. Looks like they were holding a practice run.
>>
>> http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,9061,1440584,00.html
>>
>> *2,000 police close school and throw five-mile ring of steel round
>> village in £2m top security alert for environment meeting
>>
>> *Paul Brown, environment correspondent Friday March 18 2005 The Guardian
>>
>> In what Derbyshire police called the biggest security operation since
>> the miner's strike, 2,000 police from 10 forces sealed off Breadsall
>> Priory hotel and country club yesterday so environment and
>> development ministers from 20 countries could talk to each other.
>>
>> A five-mile ring of steel fencing with a specially laid metal road
>> capable of carrying fully laden riot vans on 24-hour patrol was one of
>> five perimeters set up to protect the 30 ministers. The operation,
>> costing at least £2m, included the closure of Breadsall village
>> primary school for two days.
>>
>> The venue, chosen because it is close to the constituency of Margaret
>> Beckett, the environment secretary, and MP for Derby South, is
>> normally a £110 a night golf and health hotel.
>>
>> On the advice of Derbyshire police, following "intelligence reports",
>> Mrs Beckett insisted that full security measures be taken. The number
>> of police and sheer scale of the operation is in marked contrast to a
>> meeting two days earlier, involving many of the same ministers, which
>> was held at the Brewery Centre in Chiswell Street in
>> central London.
>>
>> There 25 police were deployed to keep in check a demonstration of
>> around 50 people while Gordon Brown, the chancellor, made his first
>> speech about climate change.
>>
>> Police from as far afield as Brighton and Durham were bussed in to
>> protect the ministers who met for two hours yesterday afternoon before
>> being taken in police convoys to Chatsworth House 10 miles away for
>> dinner, where they were protected by another large police presence.
>>
>>> From Derby it took two hours for journalists to penetrate the police
>>
>> cordons, even though all had registered in advance. Some delegates,
>> who had come by car and not taken advantage of the first-class train
>> compartments from London used by ministers, were also caught in police
>> cordons. Among them was Ian Johnson, vice-president for sustainability
>> at the World Bank in Washington.
>>
>> "I confess I have never seen anything on this scale before, this
>> number of police and these steel perimeters," he said. "The police are
>> only doing their job, however, and are all very good humoured about it."
>>
>> He had to leave his car two miles away in Drum Hill Scout Camp and
>> penetrate five roadblocks and security checks to reach Breadsall
>> Priory. Police using dogs and explosive experts searched everyone
>> entering the site.
>>
>> A demonstration march from the centre of the city to the conference
>> centre planned by environment groups including Friends of the Earth
>> was banned by the home secretary, Charles Clarke. Instead around 150
>> demonstrators were allowed to hold a rally outside the town hall. They
>> were outnumbered five to one by police.
>>
>> Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth, said: "While we
>> welcome the first ever meeting of environment and development
>> ministers to discuss critical issues like climate change and Africa we
>> deeply regret the fact they feel they have to hide behind security
>> shields and police cordons to avoid the very people they are supposed
>> to represent. It is hardly surprising that if they only talk
>> to each other and not to the people whose problems they are supposed
>> to be solving they do not achieve very much."
>>
>> Journalists from as far away as China were confined to the golf club
>> house at the hotel and ministers, meeting 150 metres away in a hotel
>> annexe, were invited to come and talk to them. In fact none did
>> yesterday, although a press conference is due to be held today.
>>
>> Officials said environment ministers were discussing the report of
>> Tony Blair's Commission for Africa yesterday and the problems of
>> species loss and maintaining biodiversity.
>>
>> Today they will be discussing how to improve the delivery of
>> international aid after the tsunami disaster on Boxing Day and climate
>> change in Africa in the light of the Commission for Africa's report.
>>
>> They will also hope to have a policy to prevent continuing trade in
>> illegal logs to the developed world.
>>
>> Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited
>>
>>
>>
>> At 15:22 18/03/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>>
>>> I see from the Herald that the 5000 anarchist demonstraters who would
>>> 'riot in the streets of Derby' turned out to be 150 people with a
>>> 'peaceful and party-like' atmosphere. But there were 10 arrests for
>>> public order offences. Does anyone know anymore?
>>>
>>> Jane
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> From BBC DERBY 17 March
>>>
>>>
>>> Protestors arrested at G8 summit
>>>
>>> Hundreds of police are on duty at the G8 summit *Twelve environmental
>>> protestors have been arrested for public order offences on the first
>>> day of a G8 summit meeting in Derbyshire.*
>>>
>>> About 100 demonstrators gathered in Derby city centre to raise
>>> awareness of Africa's need for water.
>>>
>>> Calle Lister from Friends of the Earth said police overreacted to
>>> what was intended as a peaceful protest.
>>>
>>> Government ministers from around the world are meeting for an
>>> environment summit at nearby Breadsall Priory.
>>>
>>> *'Water not oil'*
>>>
>>> Dozens of protestors staged a "go-slow" bike ride through the city
>>> streets and some were arrested for ignoring orders against public
>>> protests.
>>>
>>> A meeting later in the city's Market Square passed off peacefully.
>>>
>>> Campaigners sent an oil barrel containing hundreds of water bottles
>>> to the G8 summit to raise awareness of drought conditions in some
>>> parts of Africa.
>>>
>>> "People in Africa need clean water, not oil," Ms Lister said.
>>>
>>> Derbyshire Police said the summit is the biggest operation the force
>>> has had to deal with since the miners' strike.
>>>
>>> The force successfully requested powers from the Home Office to
>>> ensure protestors have to meet at an agreed central meeting place.
>>>
>>>
>>> *On 14 March BBC Derby said
>>>
>>> *A Home Office spokesperson said: "The Home Office has received two
>>> applications from Derby City Council under the Public order Act 1986.
>>>
>>> "They are for a ban on marches through Derby city centre and for a
>>> ban on trespassary assemblies in the parishes of Long Eaton,
>>> Breadsall and Morley.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________ G8arrestsupport
>>> mailing list G8arrestsupport at lists.aktivix.org
>>> http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/g8arrestsupport
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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