Coming fittingly after our call-out to @XRebellionUK rebels to tell us about the policing of the October Rebellion, this essential new report completely validates everything Netpol has been saying for five years about the oppressive policing of anti-fracking protests
It highlights how police leaders have sought to define what constitutes "acceptable" protests and how protesters have reported experiences of violence, intimidation and aggression from police officers at multiple fracking sites across the country
It also sets out how police's claim that they're ‘stuck in the middle’ between competing demands from protesters and fracking companies is rejected by campaigners who see a failure by police to fulfil their obligation to protect protesters’ rights and facilitate peaceful protest
The recommendations of the report are spot-on: "police commanders have a responsibility to respect the legitimacy of participation in protests and to integrate this as a key factor in operational planning". So how come we aren't seeing this?
The report also recommends that the senior officers need not only to commit to the principle of proportionality of policing operations but EXPLAIN what this means in practice - something that the Metropolitan Police also singularly failed to do with @XRebellionUK protesters
Because of the consistent complaints of "physical injuries and inflammatory and antagonistic behaviour towards protesters", Netpol fully supports the report's call for an independent investigation into the @LancsPolice operation at Cuadrilla's site at Preston New Road, Lancashire
We also agree that police forces assisting corporate interests to obtain an injunction that seeks to criminalise protest – including the sharing of information and intelligence with that company – is "wholly incompatible with a human rights approach to the policing of protests"
Interviewees also endorse what we have consistently said about the targeting of protesters and that the suspicion that some arrests are intelligence-driven has understandably "compounded the overwhelmingly negative view" of Police Liaison Officers
Amongst all the statements in the report, however, this one really stands out:
"Against the backdrop of the climate emergency, the importance of peaceful environmental protest must be respected".
Right now, that's not happening
"Against the backdrop of the climate emergency, the importance of peaceful environmental protest must be respected".
Right now, that's not happening
We have just noticed this at the start of the report - "We would like to thank: participants, reviewers and The Network for Police Monitoring."
It's lovely to see academic recognition for Netpol's work, thank you!
It's lovely to see academic recognition for Netpol's work, thank you!
