Breaking news:
A man has died at the G20 protests although details are unclear as yet. He was found unconscious at the Bank of England and was declared dead at a nearby hospital.
Sky says that protesters threw bottles at police trying to help him - this is definitely not true.
I have an eye witness account from on the ground who saw a man who'd collapsed (rather than pushed or beaten to ground or whatever, although he may have been concussed from an incident earlier).
Protesters called for assistance from the police and helped medical assistance get through. The police were not obstructed in any way.
It is definitely and absolutely untrue that the police were pelted with bottles. This did not happen.
Remember Menezes. Remember how the police use lies as propaganda to cover themselves. Don't fall for it. My eyewitness was there the whole time and nothing of the kind happened.
The Guardian on this story. Is this the best we'll get?
Andrew Kendle writes for Red Pepper on what he saw.
Jack writes on what natural causes might mean in this case.
Michael Greenwall analysises the reporting on both sides.
Justin on learning the lessons from past media lies.
Phil on the death.
Lenin on the death. He also includes this appeal;
"Anyone who witnessed any part of this, or has any pertinent information, should write a full statement and contact the legal team at Bindmans Solicitors on 020 7833 4433 and the Legal Monitoring groups present at the demonstrations."
Annie Leonard and co. (
Adrienne Mayor (
Ed Howker and Shiv Malik
Floella Benjamin (
Mark Watson (
Tim Jackson (
David Wilson (
Clive Lord (
Nickie Roberts
16 comments:
Yeah, it is the usual lies and propaganda from the cops.
Does anyone know what time this happened re the man collapsing?
Oh, and the reports on the BBC were appalling, 'protesters goading cops'.... Bollox!
I was there:
http://infantile-and-disorderly.blogspot.com/2009/04/can-police-add-murderers-to-their-list.html
Typical Murdoch media lies. Just like the crap peddled by the Sun after the Hillsborough disaster!
how does the media peddle this bullshit, from an organisation with a track record of just this sort of lying, with no attribution, just as fact? with a straight face? then go back to claiming to be journalists and not just propaganda?
What's particualrly galing is that the press accept without question that politicians lied about past wars, that the police lied during previous scandals.
We know from Menezes, we know from last years climate camp and a whole host of other events that the police ADMIT they lied after the event - but they think they can get away with the lies during the heat of battle (which is when it's useful for them). And of course as far as the press is concerned they can.
Unfortunately the credibility of the witnesses is somewhat brought into question, since you refused to speak out against the missiles that were thorwn throughout the day, the police officer who was hit by the pole, and the clear goading of the police by drunk anarchists at the front. Indeed, nobody has corrected 'harpymarx' at the top of the thread for denying what anyone would have been able to see from watching the live feeds throughout the day. You people have no credibility whatsoever and are more culpable than the police for this man's death.
We've had Menezes, Hillsborough and the Iraq war. Do we have anymore cliches? Do your best....
There's a big difference between someone responding to police violence and goading the police INTO violence.
But that's beside the point. The police have made a specific allegation that as they tried to get help for this man the officers concerned had missiles thrown at them and they were obstructed from getting him medical assistance.
This isn't true.
The person I spoke to on the phone last night was very clear about this - protesters assisted the efforts to help this man.
I've now heard this from others who were there. It makes no sense to think that protesters did not want another protester to get medical assistance when they were clearly unwell.
Does your 'source' have a name/blog?
I spoke to them on the phone. I'm not naming them.
If you want something you can read elsewhere because you don't trust me try this.
There's plenty of other eyewitness stuff out there now too.
DOn't worry Jim, I trust you, thought not everyone I know who hasn't heard of you will...
I thought this was important eye witness testimony: (from http://leninology.blogspot.com/2009/04/accidental-death-of-anarchist.html
“My boss (yes, a senior manager at the bank I work at!) went over last night to see what was going on. He literally was next to the man who collapsed and died. He swears NO ONE was throwing a thing. And that the reason the police couldn’t get to the guy was because the cops were using dogs against the protesters and the protesters were running away from them (towards where the guy was). Now interestingly, my boss said the guy looked about 50. The man who died went to the ground and started convulsing. So he seemed to think it was natural causes. But other than that bit, every single thing the police have said is wrong. I will ask my boss to contact the solicitors, as he is a senior manager at the bank and a very unimpeachable source (in that the police can’t say he was involved in any way or had any sympathies to the protestors - they can’t just brush him off)."
Mike Clark - forgive me all, but I can't help but respond to this troll-like figure who has the termerity to call the murder of an innocent civilian by his police friends a "cliché". You have no credibility at all fella and should confine your rancid rammblings to a BNP site somewhere. Rozzer tactics did for this bloke one way or another, you're just swallowing the usual stream of lies and like a good likkle boy defending the status quo because you've got no imagination, ambition or sense of social justice. And no you haven't hit a nerve - your type couldn't hit a nerve with a hammer. Now do one you collabo.
I have just come back from Bank after a protest re the man who died yesterday. It kicked off again, the cops were unbelievable in their casual violence. Cops on horse back, cops with dogs, cops with batons.... tooled up cops!
the protest was peaceful, and then the cops started to get aggressive and then reinforcements started to appear, more cop vans, and they started to separate us. Deja vu!
I left at 5pm, there was a stand-off.
The Guardian is now doing a better job.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/02/g20-summit-protester-death
But the tragedy of an innocent man's death is still being marred by the need to spin the story that police were pelted with "missiles" as they attempted to attend to the man (or as the Guardian has it, "at least one missile"), described by the eye-witness as bottles. I would be very very surprised if it was a glass bottle rather than an empty plastic water bottle that was being thrown in the vicinity. The police were wearing riot gear & crash helmets that would make them entirely unaffected by a plastic bottle.
I don't believe anyone or any report on this issue. I mean anyone. Too many people saying things to support their side.. you're gullible if yu believe anyone.
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