Trafalgar square soundsystem attack
Tux n Geri | 01.05.2006 16:11 | Mayday 2006 | Repression | London
Police attempted to seize pedal powered soundsystem from the front of the autonomous bloc despite resistance. Rumour has it that four people were arrested as a result of attempting to defend the sound system. A few missiles were thrown but most violence on the part of the police. Police then briefly penned in the crowd before allowing them to disperse.
3.45: Autonomous bloc penned in outside national gallery. Riot police and ordinary police involved. No copper would say which law was being used to pen in the crowd. Finally allowed to leave after intervention by legal observers.
Tux n Geri
Additions
More info on this...
01.05.2006 18:32
The police later explained that there were no sound-systems allowed into trafalger square, which is why they said they acted to prevent one one from possibly being taken into the square.
I didn't see anyone arrested, though there was some pushing and shoving and a few people were 'given a talking to'.
While the bloc was cut off from the square people gathered around the police line shouting "solidarity" and "let them in".
Later when some people from the bloc tried to walk around the top of the square, police moved to surround them, but they weren't really held there as people could leave pretty much as they wished.
Again though all a bit over the top. At least it didn't rain!
me
Human Rights abuse
01.05.2006 18:39
![](/web/20170307144636im_/http://www.indymedia.org.uk/img/extlink.gif)
Thus, it might be argued that they breached both Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." (
![](/web/20170307144636im_/http://www.indymedia.org.uk/img/extlink.gif)
![](/web/20170307144636im_/http://www.indymedia.org.uk/img/extlink.gif)
The sound system is beside the point, the possible harassment of the bloc was of all members, not just those in charge of the system, and was from the very start of the march when the police apparently showed no interest in shutting it down. The simple fact of the concentration of police presence exclusively around those waving red and black flags could possibly be described as harassment.
Just something to think about (I was just ahead of the Autonomous Bloc in the march).
Donnacha DeLong (personal capacity)
e-mail:
donnacha.delong@tiscali.co.uk
no arrests
01.05.2006 23:26
ACAB
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