Tom Brake MP, Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman, has today released a video of a journalist detained within the police cordon while covering the G20 protest.
The video was taken by the MP and his team who were inside "the kettle" during the G20 protest at Bank on 1st April 2009 as legal observers.
The journalists is seen urging the police to follow agreed guidelines.
Brake said : "This video raises concern about the relationship between the police and the media during the G20 protests. This journalist was obstructed in his work as we was not allowed to leave the area. This was an attack on the freedom of the press. There are clear guidelines laying out how the police should deal with the media: they have to allow them to go about their business."
The video has now been submitted to The Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Tim Gopsill, editor the NUJ's magazine, The Journalist, attended the G20 demonstration as an observer. He said of the video: "Trapping people in a cage for hours on end was an outrage, whether they were press or not. For journalists it meant they couldn't get out to work on their reports, which was an assault on press freedom - journalists should have freedom to leave events as well to get into them."
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I followed the silver horse we marched peacefully from london bridge delaying a few cars and buses for about 10 minutes as we passed. The atmosphere was peaceful and demonstrators and police were getting on fine. As we approached the bank of England we willingly walked through lines of police vans so as to converge of the bank of England. After the bulk of the demo had passed a line of police quickly sealed up our exit. It was only after many hours of getting increasingly annoyed at being kept without food, water or toilet facilities that any pushing occurred. One can only conclude that the police were intent on changing a peaceful demonstration into a riot. Luckily other than a smashed window the protesters restrained themselves.
"kettle the met" is a light hearted protest at police tactics – just send them your old kettle!
[quote]
Disposing of your old kettle in an environmentally friendly way is difficult. Since the police seem to like kettles so much help them out by sending your old kettle to:
Metropolitan Police Service
New Scotland Yard
Broadway
London
SW1H 0BG
Pass the idea on to anyone you know who has an old kettle they want to get rid of or who wants to protest against police tactics
[/quote]
see "kettle the met" on facegroup http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82210837463
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