Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Jenny Jones on Newsnight on the G20 Police Riots

Interview on Newsnight with our Green Party rep on the London Assembly, Jenny Jones, with Gavin Esler. About 12 minutes in, although the first bit is worth watching too, as it is about the Kendall House case.

Good review of the lick-spittle response of the corporate media to this story on the Guardian's CiF blog by Duncan Campbell.

In the comments we read (Ctrl+F, enter "No thanks") from a Guardian staffer:

When the Guardian offered this astonishing footage to the BBC News at 6, apparently the response was "No thanks, we're not covering this, we see it as just a London story."

Great news sense down there at TV Centre.

Great news sense indeed. Or maybe great communications between the Met Managerialisationists and the BBC.

I wonder how the the riot policeman who "apparently" (to use Gavin Esler's term) pushed Ian Tomlinson over from behind while he was walking away, hands in pockets, is feeling. Did he sleep last night? Has he told his wife? Or does he just not care, and is he hoping that the CCTV cameras covering the incident are found to be mysteriously defective, as in the Menezes case?

Policemen are human too. The officer who pushed must be identified, disciplined and re-trained, but the responsiblity for Ian's death does not stop there: it goes right back up to Bob Broadhurst, who apparently in overall command, and whoever else was in the loop. Jackie Smith maybe?

Kettling must be radically modified at very least, if not banned altogether as incompatible with our civil liberties. (Incidentally, Liberty is strangely silent on this issue).

It is great to have Jenny Jones in the GLA. She has been on the Police Authority Committee for years, doing great green work.

1 comment:

Beki Adam said...

You ask whether the policeman involved has told his wife? Has he told his boss? What did he tell his colleagues who all saw it? If none of them came forward, and continue not to come forward, what does that say about them?