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Annons
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Jas: I'm absolutely horrified, as I think everybody else here is. It’s obviously really disgusting that somebody could be killed and the police still get away with it. It shows how institutionally corrupt the system is. Does it change your perception of the police at all?
To be honest, no. This has happened so many times. It’s obvious that this is not the first person to die at the hands of the police and nobody be charged for it. They’re racist, they’re corrupt, they’re murderers. This certainly reinforces that opinion. Do you feel safe knowing they're the guys who are charged with looking after your safety?
No, definitely not. Not with the Olympics going on and army officers everywhere, missiles on our roofs and the police being able to stop and search everyone at will. Patrick, 26, studying for a PhD in human trafficking. Patrick: I guess the longer it went on, the longer I thought it would be that decision. It’s a travesty. It’s just another person killed by the police. Like Smiley Culture, who tends not to get talked about as much. I guess it’s just because they had this guy on camera – otherwise it would be spoken about as much. Has this changed your perception of the justice system at all?
The problem is that it’s a jury decision, so the man or woman on the street has said what Simon Harwood did was acceptable – that it was a difficult job in difficult circumstances. It’s not like an IPCC cover-up, with the police saying “what we do is fine”. It’s Joe Bloggs who has said, “you push someone over, they die, you’re not responsible”. It doesn’t give you much hope for your fellow citizen. We’ve got Wenlock, the cuddly police Olympic toy. You’re supposed to be able to ask an officer for directions, but they’re more likely to push you over, they’ll walk off, you’ll die and that’ll be the end of it. Hmmm, I think you might be exaggerating a tad there, but I take your point. Does this change your attitude towards the police?
I was CS sprayed at a demonstration last year, so I don’t trust them anyway.
Annons
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I’ve seen their behaviour. I was at the G20 myself. I’ve been beaten up by the police several times. I’m unsurprised by their actions and the verdict but it’s still outrageous. It feels ridiculous to say it but it feels like we’re inching closer towards a fascist police state. The Ian Tomlinson verdict is not only a warning to everybody not to protest, but that anyone who might be near a protest is in the firing line.
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