Britain braces for more civil unrests

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158916.html


The British anti-cuts campaigners, students leaders and union officials as well as hundreds of online activists will meet next week to discuss ways to push forward their agenda.

The meeting on Saturday will focus on connecting local campaigns with anti-tax avoidance groups, student protesters, unions and anti-racism activists in a motion called NetrootsUK conference which has been organized by bloggers and received backing from the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

One of the organizers of the conference is Sunny Hundal, editor of the leftwing Liberal Conspiracy blog.

"There is widespread concern over what the coalition is doing to our economy and in recent months we've seen an enormous buildup of energy from across the country to do something about it. But most of it has been in separate campaigns. What we're trying to do here is bring together veteran campaigners with new movements so we can learn from each other, and use social media to keep on top of what works and what doesn't. It's the first time we have seen anything like this on such a scale", he said.

Clifford Singer, campaign director of the anti-cuts website False Economy, said there were great advances in online activity in the UK in 2010 but that "much of what is going on is still fragmented. To mobilise hundreds of thousands of people behind anti-cuts campaigns in 2011, we're going to need a more coordinated effort, learning good practice in each other's areas and helping the public see the links between issues and the case for the alternative."

The conference on Saturday is being held at TUC headquarters in central London and will host workshops on hyper-local campaigns, new social media tools and how to transform online campaigns into offline action.

Meanwhile, student protesters have announced several dates on which they will resume their fight against the increase in university tuition fees and education cuts in the new year.

On Wednesday, January 29, groups including the Education Activist Network (EAN) will be holding the fourth “Day X” demonstration to defend the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

On Saturday, January 29, the National Union of Students (NUS) and University and College Union (UCU) will join the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in holding a large-scale rally in Manchester dubbed: "A Future that Works: National Rally for Young People".

The protest is aimed at highlighting issues relevant to young people including access to education, youth unemployment and government plans to scrap EMA.

On Saturday, January 29, the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) and the EAN are organising a demonstration in London to resume their struggle against tuition fees and funding cuts.

On Saturday, March 26, the NUS will join the TUC national demonstration against spending cuts at Hyde Park, central London. Protesters will march from Victoria to Hyde Park before holding a rally to call for a "Robin Hood" tax on the banks, an end to tax loopholes and fresh policies to boost jobs and green growth.

Campaigners censure UK protest ban

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155840.html


British civil liberties activists and student groups strongly condemn senior police commissioner's comments over a possible total ban on anti-government protests in Britain.

Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson said Wednesday he was considering to ask the Home Secretary to enforce a total ban on student protests all across the UK.

“That's one of the options we have got. Banning is a very difficult step to take, these are very balanced judgments”, Sir Paul said, when asked about the possibility of a ban.

He said protest marches could be banned altogether provided that it receives an approval from the Home Secretary, Theresa May.

He admitted, however, that campaigners would be likely to march in defiance of a ban, which could “just be inflaming the situation further”.

The police commissioner said he did not favor a “paramilitary model” of policing, adding the police are considering whether they should use water cannons in their attempts to contain protesters.

The remarks were made after tens of thousands of students from universities, colleges and schools poured into the streets in London and other UK cities to protest a decision by the government to triple university tuition fees in England to £9,000 per year.

The motion was narrowly clinched by lawmakers last week on December 9 at the parliament in defiance of violent clashes between the police and protesters outside the parliament building that left 14 police officers and dozens of protesters injured.

Police said they have arrested more than 180 people in London in the aftermath of the protests for instigating public disorder after the police reviewed the footages.

Matt Horne, a Detective Chief Superintendent, said that the number of arrests is likely to increase as police study footage of the protests.

“I would urge those who turn up for protests to think about the impact this could have on their future careers”, he warned.

Simon Hardy of the National Union of Students (NUS) warned Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights that if the authorities “increase the police repression” then it would be “only a matter of time” before a protester or passer-by is killed.

Police mull banning all UK protests

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155603.html


The British police chief says he is weighing up an option to ask the Home Secretary to enforce a ban on any future protest gatherings altogether across the UK.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson referred to the level of violence in recent student protests against the rise in tuition fees, saying that he does not rule out banning all future student protests across the country, the daily Independent reported.

Tens of thousands of student protesters from universities, colleges and schools have been marching across England in protests against the huge hikes in tuition fees, together with the scrapping of Educational Maintenance Allowance and proposed cuts in college funding.

Police have arrested more than 180 people in London after four protests against the government's plan to increase the fees.

The motion was voted on and approved last Thursday in defiance of the most violent protest scenes in and around Parliament Square where the clashes between police and protesters left 12 officers and more than 40 protesters injured.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said banning students from marching was a power he had not ruled out using.

"It is one of the tactics we will look at and something we will keep under review, and if we think it is the right thing to do then we will do it," said Sir Paul Stephenson.

The head of the National Union of Students (NUS) dismissed the police chief's idea as in clear contrast to civil freedoms.

"Peaceful protest is an integral part of our heritage and it is the responsibility of the police to help facilitate that", said the NUS president, Aaron Porter.

Speaking about the suggestion that water cannons could be used to control crowds in the future, Sir Paul said that the force had ruled that option out three years ago but that officers were taking advice from colleagues in Northern Ireland about its efficacy in London.

Plain-clothes police were in protests

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155600.html


A British civil rights activist says there are eye witnesses saying plain clothes police officers were present in last week student protests in London.

Chris Dowdeswell, who earlier released his own footages of officers without ID and badge numbers in the demonstrations, said some of his colleagues have seen a number of police officers in plain clothes among the protesters and that they occasionally went to uniformed officers to talk.

Dowdeswell who runs the Brutal Cops website told Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency (IRNA) he has been covering public protests in Britain for the past seven years but the police have been exceptionally violent during past weeks' demonstrations.

He said he witnessed the most brutal of such scenes in the Thursday rallies during which the police beat up protesters.

Dowdeswell also lashed out at the 'kettling' operations carried out by the police during the rallies and said it is natural for the people to become angry and aggressive when they are penned in for several hours in freezing cold temperatures without access to food and water.

He described kettling technique as a provocative act by the police, which is unacceptable and unlawful and pushes demonstrators toward violence.

Also on the violent treatment of a police officer with the disabled journalist Jody McIntyre who was pushed off his wheelchair and dragged on a pavement during Thursday rallies, Dowdeswell said the British police is essentially brutal and violent.

He added he has posted many examples of police rough treatment of people who were not even demonstrators in different occasions on his website.