The Fifth Horseman. Blue: Police Provocation

With over two million people now unemployed in the UK, climate chaos, rising inequality and the banking system in meltdown, everyday people seized the opportunity today to express their dissatisfaction to world leaders gathered in London for the G20 summit. Young, middle aged and elderly from all walks of life gathered to protest peacefully for change. Four marches took place to represent the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Red horse against War, green horse against Climate Chaos, silver horse against Financial Crimes and black horse against Land Enclosures and Borders. But the smiling faces that started marching cheerfully were carried away on a glum shuffle of frustration and despair. Some that were even broken and bloodied. Hopes dashed by violent and provocative tactics used by police in their attempts to contain demonstrators.

Myself and other Greens, including Cllr. Romayne Phoenix, joined the “Green Horseman” and peacefully left Liverpool Street. The march progressed, good humoured and with a carnival spirit accompanied by cheers from workman and passersby. Frogs, Pandas, Chickens and even the Cat in the Hat danced merrily along to cycle sound systems and drummers. We marched on into Princes Street and as the last of the line passed in we heard the wail of sirens behind. A line of Police rushed in behind to seal our flanks, swiftly followed by the Police vans emanating their wail.

The march paused for a moment. It was quite obvious that one could not leave through the Police line behind. “So”, we all thought. “This must be a tactic to keep the march moving”? As we could only move forward, the march carried on stopping and starting, due to the sheer volume of people, until we reached the Bank of England. Here we met with other Greens including Shan Oaks, Parliamentary Candidate against David Davis in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful.

After a while, some of our party wanted to join the protest at the US embassy however, as it was now 1pm, we’d missed the start time. Instead we decided to head for Trafalgar Square and the STWC rally at 2pm. We looked for a quick exit. All exists seemed to have large crowds who where prevented from moving by lines of Police and Police vans. Very few people occupied Mansion House Street, so that’s where we headed, only to be greeted by a Police line. We approached them and asked to leave but were refused and told we could not leave until a Senior Officer had instructed the Police. Despite speaking, and making protestations to, the officer in charge, it was quite obvious we would not be allowed to leave. Several members of the crowd pointed out that the Police tactics were inflammatory, that they wanted to leave, and the Police tactics would obviously cause a panic. All protests were ignored. Cllr. Phoenix asked under what pretext we where all detained only to be told, “We don’t need one”.

The crowd hunkered down and decided to grin and bear it. Another crowd was opposite, again corralled by the Police. The crowds waved and cheered to each other to keep up moral. We where later joined by another Green, Payam Toyabi, from Tower Hamlets. Payam told us that he’d not been on any of the marches but decided to come along to the Bank of England. Despite entering easily, he was unable to leave from where he had entered and soon after joining the crowd witnessed a mounted police and baton charge. This police action then provoked the smashing of a window in the Royal Bank of Scotland. We had now been held for over an hour and continued to request release, only to be refused. We pointed out that pregnant women and children were being detained and requested for these to be allowed to leave. Again, we were refused. Requests for food and water where also refused.

Occasionally, Police in riot gear would be marched through the crowd opposite who would then stand facing the crowd for a couple of minutes and wade back in again. This was obviously an attempt to provoke the crowd into reacting. (We where told that we would be held as long as the senior officer thought the crowd was a threat. So when they’re quiet, provoke them with riot Police to agitate them and then you have a reason to hold them longer). People around me felt panicked, trapped, distressed and wanted to leave. Several girls behind me were obviously very afraid and wanted to leave. They didn’t want this; they had come to protest peacefully. A smartly dressed boy in his twenties was becoming very agitated and panicked. He approached the line and asked to leave but was refused. Moments later, in a blind panic, he rushed through the line. He was handled roughly by several officers including, I was shocked to see, one of two police medics! After several minutes the crowd was being pushed from behind. The only place to go was forward, into the police line. The numbers of people pushing forward in a non-violent way overwhelmed the police and some of the crowd was able to leave the area. Some protestors remained behind, unable to leave after the line regrouped and I understand that they were allowed to leave at 6:30 after having been forcibly detained by the Police for over 5 ½ hours without food, water or toiletry facilities.

I will be writing to Green Party Assembly Member and member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Jenny Jones, to describe my personal experience of police violence and inappropriate tactics urge any other protestors present to do the same. The tactics used by the police caused widespread mayhem and panic and served to provoke a response allowing them to justify further detention. During the time that I was detained I spoke to Lawyers who advised that this incident should be followed up.