110-404: The 2009 G20 London summit protests occurred in the days around the 2 April 2009 G20 London summit . The summit was the focus of protests from a number of groups over various long-standing and topical issues. These ranged from disquiet over economic policy, anger at the banking system and bankers' remuneration and bonuses, the continued war on terror and concerns over climate change . Although
220-533: A Green New Deal in both rich and poor countries. The Put People First alliance of more than 160 unions, development, faith and environment groups called on the G20 leaders to recognise that "only just, fair and sustainable policies can lead the world out of recession, and that a return to 'business as usual' – with the associated poverty, inequality and climate change – is not an option". Christian NGOs including World Vision and Tearfund organised an ecumenical service on
330-468: A Metropolitan Police Service officer and hit with a baton minutes before he collapsed and died. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) subsequently ordered a second post mortem and set up an independent criminal inquiry to determine whether Tomlinson was assaulted by police, and whether that assault contributed to his death. The results of this second post mortem have revealed that Tomlinson actually died from an abdominal haemorrhage caused by
440-419: A 17-year-old girl, have been charged in connection to this damage. RBS has asked for £40,000 in damages from the teenage girl, who has admitted burglary and criminal damage. Following the damage to the bank there were violent confrontations with the police with police using batons against the protesters while trying to push them back. Some protesters fought back, including one masked protester who hit police with
550-563: A Liberal Democrat MP, said: "I am increasingly worried that what the police are saying about the protests will end up in a self-fulfilling prophecy. By talking up the prospect of violence they [the police] will put off peaceful demonstrators and start to attract other sorts." Jenny Jones , a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority , said of reports of police brutality that "If the police were hitting people who were sitting down with their hands up, we have entered
660-584: A call was launched for an international demonstration on 18 March 2006. At the rally in London, Police estimating 15,000 marchers took part, but the groups organising the protest. which included CND and the Muslim Association of Britain as well as Stop the War, thought between 80,000 and 100,000 people had participated. According to Kate Hudson : "The government must listen to the voices of the people, which
770-554: A carnival outside the bank" and to "overthrow capitalism". Protesters referred to the day as "Financial Fools' Day", a reference to the protest taking place on April Fools' Day . The protest started at 11:25 as four planned marches, each led by one of the " Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ", converged on the Bank: the red horse against war approached from Moorgate ; the green horse against climate chaos from Liverpool Street station ;
880-511: A formal complaint about the "deplorable behaviour" of Nick Hardwick, Chairman of the IPCC, for passing "lofty and withering judgment on London's police officers". Home Office minister Lord West of Spithead said in the House of Lords that "thousands of officers acted absolutely professionally and proportionately, thousands were actually able to demonstrate peacefully on our streets, criminal activity in
990-684: A new era of overt violent policing in Britain that will deter people from protesting and cut back our civil liberties". A police Commander said that their "tactics were proportionate and worked". Jean Lambert, MEP , of the London Green Party , wrote an open letter to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner after the event asking for an explanation of the police tactics at the climate camp. A number of allegations of police misconduct have been reported, including by
1100-714: A peaceful Stop the War Coalition march from the American embassy in Grosvenor Square to Trafalgar Square which brought together protesters from the Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign , The British Muslim Initiative, and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament . An "alternative G20 Summit" with speakers including Tony Benn , Ken Loach , Ken Livingstone , John McDonnell and Caroline Lucas
1210-668: A platform with her because of accusations that she is a supporter of the Assad government. According to Amr Salahi, writing for the Left Foot Forward website, no Syrian was among the speakers at the event, but the former Guardian foreign correspondent Jonathan Steele said that he would have happily shared the platform with Mother Agnes. At the time of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, according to journalist James Bloodworth , "Stop
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#17327799141441320-427: A pole, resulting in one injury and a smoke or flour bomb was also thrown. A branch of HSBC also had windows smashed. A journalist reported that the police "were spat on, hit and had vile abuse screamed into their faces from inches away." A professional photographer saw what they described as " agents provocateurs " instigating violence. One who was throwing bottles was challenged by protesters, who accused him of being
1430-662: A police officer within a police cordon of the G20 Meltdown protest near the Bank of England. Initially, the City of London Police denied that any incident with the police had occurred, and the death was attributed to natural causes. One week, later video evidence emerged of a Metropolitan police officer pushing Tomlinson to the ground. Including a number of raids on squats on 2 April 2009, the police made over 100 arrests and said they had identified and would track down those who had broken
1540-442: A police officer. He ran to police lines and was allowed through after showing I.D. Tom Brake MP has also said that members of the crowd told him about suspected agents provocateurs who had been encouraging the crowd to throw objects at the police. A police spokesman said that "We would never deploy officers in this way or condone such behaviour." Without alternative facilities, people used the entrances to Bank Underground station as
1650-458: A press photographer. The IPCC has received 185 complaints relating to police actions at the demonstrations, 40 of which were ineligible and 80 of which concern violence. An officer is being investigated and has received a written warning after writing "Rob Ward can't wait to bash some long haired hippys up @ the G20" as a Facebook status update on the evening of 1 April. Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne has noted "the canteen culture of some parts of
1760-508: A promise to formally hand over his position as StWC's chair to Andrew Murray. In his speech at the event, at a Turkish restaurant in Southwark, south London, Corbyn said the "anti-war movement has been a vital force at the heart of our democracy" and "I think we've been right on what we've done". Kurds who supported British airstrikes on ISIL targets also protested outside the dinner. Tariq Ali , in an article for The Independent , thought
1870-608: A representative of democratic politics". In this early period, Stop the War had a broad base. Ann Treneman wrote in The Times in January 2003 that the "two most obvious strands" of StWC support consisted of "the Establishment and the grassroots. This makes for some very strange bedfellows, who include retired generals, old peaceniks, former ambassadors, anti-globalisation protesters, Labour activists, trade unions, [and]
1980-411: A urinal, although the police said that temporary toilets and water were made available to protesters. As people were eventually allowed to leave at about 20:00, they were asked for their names and addresses, and required to have a photograph taken. They are, under the law, obliged to provide their name and address, however they did not need to provide the photograph, but those who refused were put back in
2090-612: A war against Afghanistan would be perceived as an attack on Islam and that Muslims, or those perceived as being Muslim, would face racist attacks in the United Kingdom if the government joined the war. The Coalition worked closely with the Muslim Association of Britain in organising its demonstrations. Andrew Murray was its first chair from 2001, and its vice-presidents have included Kamal Majid (who, according to Independent columnist Andy McSmith , helped found
2200-778: A week's notice. According to journalist James Bloodworth , in early 2003 Stop the War released a statement signed by officers of the Coalition appearing to support the Iraqi insurgency , recognising "the legitimacy of the struggle of Iraqis, by whatever means they find necessary, to secure such ends", which led to the resignation of former ASLEF union leader Mick Rix from the StWC executive, saying: "If you think I am going to sit back and agree with beheadings, kidnappings, torture and brutality, and outright terrorization of ordinary Iraqis and others, then you can forget it." An Early Day Motion
2310-677: Is an illegal infringement of human rights and the Geneva conventions . A march past parliament was organised climaxing in a rally in Trafalgar Square . A papier-mâché statue of Bush was toppled in an action reminiscent of the much televised pulling down of a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad by American soldiers. Speakers included politician George Galloway , then SNP leader Alex Salmond and Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic . The coalition estimated that 300,000 people were present at
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#17327799141442420-607: Is calling on them to bring the troops home from Iraq". On 23 September 2006, a demonstration was held outside the venue for the Labour Party Conference in Manchester . Estimates of attendance varied from "around 20,000" by the police, "up to 50,000" from the Coalition, to "more than 50,000" by the Socialist Worker . The 2007 demo took place on 24 February 2007 in London, jointly organised with
2530-514: The 2004 European Social Forum . Estimates of the number of marchers vary from 45,000 by the police to over 100,000 by StWC to 200,000 by some observers. The protest was the first occasion on which a march had passed the US embassy in London since the protests over the Vietnam War . John Rees has written: "Socialists should unconditionally stand with the oppressed against the oppressor, even if
2640-571: The Communist Party of Britain . Representatives of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) and the Alliance for Workers' Liberty failed to get elected, although both became members of the Coalition and participated in its activities. At this time, it was alleged that the SWP dominated the organisation, although German, John Rees and Chris Nineham would leave
2750-569: The European Climate Exchange in Bishopsgate Prior to the actual camp a group of participants had played a game called "capture the flag" in the area on 27 March which was used by the protesters to familiarise themselves with the locale. Climate Camp organisers agreed to meet with police and exchange contact details shortly before the protest. The meeting was arranged by Liberal Democrat MP David Howarth , who
2860-559: The Houses of Parliament as a symbolic gesture of "power to the people". When arrested by police he explained that "This is the people's parliament, and I am one of the people". Around five thousand people joined the " G20 Meltdown " protest outside the Bank of England . G20 Meltdown was an anti-capitalist , socialist organisation conceived in Paris and formed in London in January 2009 prior to
2970-592: The International Brigades than Cameron's bombing campaign." A few days later, Andrew Murray commented that he thought the piece was "wholly absurd. It doesn't reflect Stop the War's view in the slightest. It was taken down as soon as I saw it was up there. I'd apologise to any Stop the War supporters who were upset by it." The editor of the website resigned. Caroline Lucas cited her concerns that Syrians had not been allowed to speak at an StWC parliamentary meeting by its chair, Diane Abbott , as one of
3080-666: The Lloyd's building and unfurled a banner saying "100 months to save the world" in reference to the urgency of tackling climate change. On 28 March 2009, 35,000 people marched through London. At a rally in Hyde Park , they were addressed by Global Call to Action Against Poverty co-chair Kumi Naidoo , TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber , environmentalist Tony Juniper , activist comedian Mark Thomas , and global justice author Susan George amongst others. They heard calls for international action to deliver tax justice, trade justice and
3190-770: The Russian invasion , claiming it risks starting a war between NATO and Russia – a position which drew criticism from Andrew Fisher . It has called for ceasefires in the Russo-Ukrainian War and in the Israel–Gaza war . The impetus to form the Stop the War Coalition came following the September 11 attacks in the United States. The Coalition was launched at a public meeting of 2,000 people at Friends House on Euston Road in London, on 21 September which
3300-519: The Stalin Society ) and George Galloway . Salma Yaqoob is a patron. Chris Nineham is a vice-chair. The largest demonstration organised by the Coalition was the mass protest on 15 February 2003 in London against the imminent invasion of Iraq. It is claimed to have been the largest ever such event in the UK with estimates of attendance ranging between 750,000 and 2,000,000 people. The march
3410-614: The death penalty for homosexuality and apostasy . Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings , StWC in association with CND and the Muslim Association of Britain held a vigil for the victims at the Peace Garden in Euston, London on 9 July 2005 and a further solidarity gathering at Russell Square, close to one of the Underground stations targeted, on 17 July 2005. At the latter StWC national convener Lindsey German condemned
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3520-421: The Assad family has "a long history of resisting imperialism", and should be supported "because their defeat will pave the way for a pro-Western and pro-US regime". In November 2013, it was announced that Mother Superior Agnes Mariam de la Croix had withdrawn from a forthcoming Anti-war conference organised by Stop the War for 30 November, after journalists Owen Jones and Jeremy Scahill had refused to share
3630-558: The Bank of England on 31 March. The police raided an occupied derelict pub in Shoreditch on the evening of the 31st which had been publicised as a "convergence space for protesters"; they stopped and searched people entering the building and arrested three people, one on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. On 1 April Payne House on Earl Street near Liverpool Street Station was promoted as venue for workshops, films and accommodation with space to house "many, many people". The venue
3740-626: The CND. The themes of this march were No Trident and Troops Out of Iraq. On 15 March 2008 another international demonstration was held to mark the 5-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq; although numbers did not match the original demonstrations, around 40,000 people were on the march in London. In Parliament Square, banners were placed in sight of the House of Commons. About the rally in Trafalgar Square, Tony Benn noted in his diary that he "spoke for four minutes and ten seconds. Two minutes
3850-658: The Coalition along with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), was the largest public demonstration in British history. Since then, the Coalition has campaigned against the 2011 military intervention in Libya and opposed UK involvement in the War against the Islamic State , arguing that airstrikes would only fuel extremism. It opposed sending military aid to Ukraine during
3960-519: The Coalition were the former Labour Party MP Tony Benn , and the Labour MPs George Galloway , Tam Dalyell and Jeremy Corbyn , in addition to Tariq Ali , Harold Pinter , Suresh Grover and Andrew Murray . German became Convenor of the Coalition and a meeting on 28 October settled the Coalition's official aims. This meeting also elected a steering committee which consisted of representatives of Labour Left Briefing and
4070-495: The G20 demonstrations in 2009, and also criticised the use of force by officers. Ian Tomlinson, a newspaper vendor in the City of London , died within a police cordon of the G20 Meltdown protest near the Bank of England. Initially the City of London Police denied that any incident with the police had occurred, and the death was attributed to natural causes. Days later, The Guardian published video showing Tomlinson had been pushed by
4180-476: The G20 policing plan as one of the largest, most challenging and complicated public order operations it has ever devised. They said that the level and style of activity on the internet suggested a re-emergence of groups with similar aims to the anti-globalisation protesters who turned to violence in 2000 and 2001. They said they were determined to avoid the violent scenes of the 2001 G8 in Genoa in which one protester
4290-418: The G20 summit. As well as the protest, they organised four nearby squats . Much of the protest, which was " kettled ", was peaceful although there were violent confrontations. The police used batons and dogs and at least one policeman was injured; some protesters broke into a branch of Royal Bank of Scotland and a bystander, Ian Tomlinson , died after being hit with a baton from behind by a police officer near
4400-583: The Met Commissioner said that it was unlawful to arrest and search protestors and to force them to be recorded on film. Two protesters were each awarded £3000 compensation after the Met admitted the operation was unlawful as there were no reasonable grounds for suspicion. The police choice of "Operation Glencoe" as a codename was linked with the Glencoe Massacre . In the buildup to the protests
4510-557: The Met". The National Union of Journalists has considered taking legal action after Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 was used against journalists covering the protests on 2 April. The City of London police asked them to leave the area at the Royal Exchange for half an hour, and threatened arrest if they refused. Section 14 is to prevent "serious public disorder, serious criminal damage or serious disruption to
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4620-902: The Muslim Community". The protest coincided with protests in Washington, D.C. , and occurred just before the Labour Party Conference began in Brighton. On 10 December 2005 the StWC held an International Peace Conference attended by around 1,500 people. Speakers from across the world included Cindy Sheehan , the American mother whose son died in Iraq; and Hassan Juma, president of the Iraqi Southern Oil Workers Union . At this conference
4730-655: The Muslim community". By the time of the February 2003 march in London, Greenpeace , the Liberal Democrats , Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party (SNP) were among the 450 organisations which had affiliated to the coalition, and the coalition's website listed 321 peace groups. At their initial meeting the Coalition also adopted the slogan "Against the racist backlash", stating that
4840-521: The Paris attacks and the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2249 , the UK parliament voted on air strikes against ISIL in Syria . Stop the War lobbied MPs against supporting the proposal, along with members of Momentum. Both groups were accused of intimidation. The constituency office of local Labour MP Stella Creasy was protested by Waltham Forest StW and other groups, and Creasy and other MPs reported receiving heavy lobbying, leading to
4950-583: The President of the Association of Chief Police Officers , has criticised the lack of objectivity which he perceives has been shown by the media. Jones went onto question the views put forward by Nick Hardwick , the Chair of the IPCC. Jones also stated that he "can't think of any other country that doesn't use water cannons, CS gas, rubber bullets". The Police Federation has also criticised the IPCC, making
5060-536: The SWP in 2009. The Conservative MP Julian Lewis ,in a letter to The Daily Telegraph in 2003, referring to Andrew Murray's involvement in the Communist Party of Britain, wrote that he "had thought" his "days of unearthing totalitarians at the heart of 'peace movements ' " had ended when the Soviet Union collapsed, but Murray was now in a "key position, being quoted by the anti-war media as if he were
5170-539: The Stop the War Coalition had claimed that the Benghazi rebellion, as part of the Arab Spring was a "popular rising" and Gaddafi the head of a "brutal dictatorship." The CPGB-ML claimed that the Stop the War Coalition was taking a pro-imperialist line, that the Benghazi rebels were CIA / MI6 backed and that this pro-imperialist line was influenced by the "various Trotskyite, revisionist and left-Labour luminaries in
5280-523: The War "has consistently shown far more mature judgment on these great issues of war and peace than Downing Street, the White House or the CIA. More surprising still ... [it] has often proved better informed than these centres of Western power, coolly warning against the diet of propaganda masquerading as bona fide intelligence." The vote was "a vindication of the mass anti-war movement in this country over
5390-601: The War Coalition The Stop the War Coalition ( StWC ), informally known simply as Stop the War , is a British group that campaigns against the United Kingdom's involvement in military conflicts. It was established on 21 September 2001 to campaign against the impending war in Afghanistan . It then campaigned against the impending invasion of Iraq ; the 15 February 2003 protest organised by
5500-429: The War courted controversy by appearing to back the Russian annexation". From 2011, Jeremy Corbyn was the chair of the Stop the War Coalition. When he stood as a candidate for the Labour Party leadership , the organisation's national convenor, Lindsey German, advocated that he should be supported. A week after his election as Labour leader in September 2015, it became known that he was stepping down as Chair of Stop
5610-426: The War opposed UK involvement in the Libyan Civil War . The Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist) was initially a member of the Stop the War Coalition. However, it and other individuals were expelled from the project on 23 September 2011 after it explicitly supported Muammar Gaddafi 's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in the Libyan Civil War against the NATO -backed rebels in Benghazi . The leadership of
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#17327799141445720-425: The War, but would continue to support the group. Following the November 2015 Paris attacks , STWC published an article on their website titled "Paris reaps whirlwind of western support for extremist violence in Middle East". According to commentator Mehdi Hasan , the article blamed the rise of ISIL and the Paris attacks on “deliberate policies and actions undertaken by the United States and its allies”. The piece
5830-424: The baton strike. A police officer was questioned under caution about Tomlinson's death. 2009 G20 London summit Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 201055598 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:45:14 GMT Stop
5940-437: The beginning of the war and the events of Day X, the Coalition organised another national demonstration on the next Saturday, 22 March. While the turnout for this march did not match the demonstration of 15 February – Stop the War claimed up to 500,000, whilst fellow organisers CND claimed between 200,000 and 300,000 – it was noted that this was the largest anti-war demonstration held during wartime and had been organised with but
6050-404: The bombings but added that "The only way to end the bombings is to withdraw from Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. When we have justice around the world we will have peace as well". The StWC also supported vigils across the country. The StWC organised the British demonstration on 24 September 2005 using the slogans "Stop the Bombings", "Bring the Troops Home", "Defend Civil Liberties" and "Defend
6160-476: The chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights , Andrew Dismore, MP , said that "The police have a duty under the Human Rights Act to facilitate protest and not frustrate it. If they act in a confrontational way and use confrontation language, they will start to provoke the kind of behaviour they are seeking to prevent. There may well be a fringe element that want to incite violence. But that doesn't mean police should criminalise every protester." David Howarth ,
6270-402: The civil liberties of British citizens including the right to protest and a free trial (which they allege would result from the recent Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 and Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 ), and for a reduction in racism in the UK. The date was chosen as the it was the international day of anti-war demonstrations, as called by the Assembly of the Social Movements at
6380-399: The cordon were not allowed to leave for up to seven hours. Tom Brake , a Member of Parliament and legal observer who was among those "kettled", has criticised this tactic. The windows of a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland were broken by a group of protesters at 13:45, some of whom entered the building and looted office equipment and papers and threw smoke grenades, chairs and eggs There
6490-402: The country. Cohen criticised the relationship of the StWC with organisations he considers reactionary such as the Muslim Association of Britain. He accused the coalition of ignoring the requests of secular trade unions and Kurds in Iraq . Cohen stated that there is a contradiction between the StWC's call for respect for human rights and its links with organisations that Cohen said call for
6600-399: The day at Methodist Central Hall, overseen by the Bishop of London. Delegations joined the march from around the world, including Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Korea, USA, Australia, South Africa, Zambia, Canada and the Philippines. This protest took place outside the Bank of England. The aim was to "create
6710-448: The day the invasion of Iraq began. As this date was then unknown, it was dubbed " Day X ", which eventually fall on 20 March 2003. Despite having very little time to put plans into action, events took place up and down the country: in London there was a large protest in Parliament Square ; in Nottingham traffic outside an army recruitment centre was blocked for a while; and large numbers of school students walked out of lessons. Following
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#17327799141446820-403: The demonstration, while the police put those attending at 100,000 people. On 19 March 2005, StWC organised a large demonstration in Westminster with supporters marching from Hyde Park to Parliament Square via the US embassy. The supporters were calling for the invading troops to move out of Iraq, for the US to not attack Iran and Syria , for the British government to halt reductions in
6930-424: The floor, which would be against police guidelines. The "Camp in the City" ( 51°30′55″N 0°04′57″W / 51.5152°N 0.0825°W / 51.5152; -0.0825 ) on 1 April 2009 aimed to draw attention to carbon trading , claiming that far from being a way of reducing release of climate change gasses in the atmosphere it is used as an excuse to continue doing just that. The camp took place outside
7040-450: The group became a source of friction with other leading members of the Labour Party. The former Labour shadow cabinet minister for Education, Tristram Hunt , described the group as a "really disreputable organisation" on 6 December when Corbyn's intention to attend the group's fundraising Christmas dinner on 11 December was becoming an issue. Former shadow ministers Emma Reynolds and Caroline Flint also urged him to distance himself from
7150-466: The group's work opposing the war on Iraq as "extraordinary and brilliant", but said that they had "completely lost the plot on Syria." On 10 December 2015 on the Coalition's website, John Rees wrote that Stop the War does not support the Assad regime. It "does believe that it is the people of Syria who are the only ones who should decide the fate of their country free of all great power and regional power interference". Corbyn's continued involvement in
7260-405: The group. Reynolds referred to the "abhorrent views" of Stop the War's leadership and described the group's positions as being "anti-West rather than anti-war", while Flint said they "are not Labour's friends". Attendance at the Stop the War event on 11 December cost £50 a head and included entertainment by musician Dmitri van Zwanenberg and comedian Francesca Martinez . Corbyn attended to keep
7370-417: The home affairs select committee for telling then in May 2009 that no plain-clothes officers were present at the demonstrations; He admitted that numerous City of London police officers had been present at the demonstration, along with more than one Met officer, including PC Mark Kennedy. On 14 April 2011 the high court has ruled that the Metropolitan police broke the law in the way they "kettled" protesters at
7480-410: The last decade", wrote Andrew Murray in The Guardian . "The possibility is now open for Britain playing a different role in the world, breaking with the policies and preoccupations of imperialism", but "that change is nothing like secured yet." The then chair of Stop the War, Jeremy Corbyn , thanked supporters for lobbying their MPs. "There still exists the danger of renewed conflict as the interests of
7590-439: The law. A teenage girl was convicted of criminal damage An estimated 5,000 people took part in the protests. The Daily Telegraph suggested that the policing of the event would turn out to have been the most expensive police operation in British history at an estimated cost of up to £8 million, or £1,600 per protester. One raid on a climate change group the day after the main protests was ruled to have been illegal in March 2010,
7700-465: The leadership." John Rees stated on the overthrow of Gaddafi "nobody is going to shed a tear for the fall of this brutal dictator." Stop the War has also campaigned against British involvement in the Syrian civil war , which began in March 2011, organising protests ahead of votes in the British Parliament in August 2013 and December 2015. Samir Dathi wrote for the Stop the War website in June 2013: "Whilst many of us want nothing more than to see
7810-432: The life of the community". The police earlier apologised to journalists reporting the 1 April protests at the Bank of England: "Section 14 was applied outside the Bank of England to disperse protesters. There may have been some photographers caught up in that. If so we apologise. We respect the right of photographers to cover current events." Sir Paul Stephenson , the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, expressed "concern that
7920-537: The main G20 Summit was held. At the last minute the university announced that the whole university would close for the duration of the summit on safety grounds, also that Prof Chris Knight , an expert in anthropology at the University for 20 years, had been suspended for "inciting criminal action, specifically violence against policemen and women and damage to banking institutions", and that the alternative summit
8030-442: The majority of the protests and protesters were peaceful, the threat of violence and criminal damage were used by police as a reason to detain, or " kettle ", protesters as part of Operation Glencoe . A bystander, Ian Tomlinson , died shortly after being pushed to the ground by a police officer. A second post-mortem revealed that Tomlinson may have died from an abdominal haemorrhage . The inquest into Tomlinson's death found that he
8140-512: The media that are currently engaged in a very unbalanced orgy of cop bashing". On 14 April, media outlets published video taken during a vigil for Ian Tomlinson on 2 April outside the Bank of England , near to where he died. A sergeant with the Territorial Support Group is seen slapping a woman who was arguing with him, Nicola Fisher, across the face, then striking her legs with his baton. The officer's identification number
8250-564: The military, arms dealers, and others remains ever present and very powerful", he wrote. Stop the War has been accused of having pro-Assad links. According to the journalist Andrew Gilligan in The Daily Telegraph , many individuals associated with Stop the War openly favour the Assad government. StWC vice-president Kamal Majid said in a speech at a conference organised by the New Communist Party in 2012 that
8360-503: The organisation's views on Paris, and I think it was ... well, the best one could say is, extremely insensitive." Jon Lansman , of the Corbynite Momentum pressure group, commented later about the material concerning the Paris attacks: "I think even Stop the War themselves have accepted they were stupid for publishing those articles. There were some very silly things published, and wrong things." These statements were among
8470-415: The pen. Commander Bob Broadhurst , the officer in charge of policing the G20 protests, said that the "overall mood" of the 1 April demonstrations was good although "unfortunately small groups of protesters intent on violence mixed with the crowds of lawful demonstrators." A bystander, Ian Tomlinson, died after being pushed to the ground by a police officer. Protesters set up four squats as bases close to
8580-462: The people who run the oppressed country are undemocratic and persecute minorities, like Saddam Hussein." Commentators such as Observer columnist Nick Cohen and Independent columinst John Rentoul accused Stop the War of being pro-Hussein. StWC was criticised by journalists such as Cohen for its refusal to condemn attacks on US and other foreign troops occupying Iraq, and refusal to condemn foreign insurgent fighters who have entered parts of
8690-461: The police began letting people leave at about 11:30 pm and cleared the area of the last protesters at about 2 am. Organizers of the Climate Camp have released a report of the protests and the police response, "Demonstrating Respect for Rights", which includes allegations of police using violence to clear the camp after journalists had left. The camp legal team also released a video of
8800-547: The policing of public events following allegations of two assaults by police during the G20 protests in London on 1 April. He will also assess whether the tactic of containment or kettling is appropriate and proportionate to ensuring people have the right to protest. He said the event was a "complex policing operation", and that footage of clashes with police will be reviewed to check if other incidents need to be examined. Sir Paul stressed that all uniformed officers must wear shoulder identification numbers to be easily identifiable by
8910-544: The popularity of the hashtag "I Stand with Stella". George Galloway dismissed the significance of the threats and Lindsey German defended the rights of protesters on the StW website: she wrote that she was "against bullying and intimidation. I condemn people who send abusive texts or messages" having received them herself. The Labour Party gave its MPs a free vote in the debate, a decision condemned as "deplorable" by StWC. The parliamentary debate took place on 2 December, and
9020-421: The protest. About two to three thousand people joined the " Climate Camp in the City " outside European Climate Exchange on Bishopsgate , which was peaceful except for when minor scuffles occurred after riot police "kettled" the event at 7:30 pm. The street was violently cleared by Territorial Support Group police after the media had left at about 2 am the following day. Several hundred people joined
9130-449: The protest. The police advanced on protesters who put their hands in the air and passively resisted while chanting "This is not a riot", a tactic that emerged over the course of a number of Camp for Climate Action gatherings. There were scuffles with the police in which several protesters were hit and kicked by the police and one policewoman needed medical attention. Within the cordon people carried on playing music and preparing food and until
9240-467: The protests, which includes footage of a demonstrator being struck on the head by a police riot shield, and of another man being punched in the face as the crowd retreats from police. An "alternative G20 Summit" with speakers including Tony Benn , Ken Loach , Ken Livingstone , John McDonnell and Caroline Lucas was scheduled to take place at the University of East London , which is close to where
9350-448: The public. Among the tactics being reviewed is the crowd-control tactic known as the “ kettle ”, used to pen in protesters. Bob Broadhurst, the commanding officer during the protests, blamed any misconduct of officers on the lack of training they receive in crowd control and on fear. He revealed during a Commons Home Affairs Committee that officers only receive 2 days of training a year. On Tuesday 25 January 2011, Broadhurst apologised to
9460-486: The reasons for her resignation. These concerns were shared by the human rights activist Peter Tatchell , who told The Independent that Stop the War's "opposition to US imperialism... sometimes mean[s] they will ignore the horrendous crimes of despotic anti-American regimes like Russia and Iran." In a letter to The Guardian , Tatchell and other "previous strong supporters" accused StWC of having "lost its moral compass and authority". On Channel 4 , Tatchell described
9570-565: The reasons given by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas for her resignation from StWC on 8 December. Her spokesperson said: Caroline was specifically troubled by some Stop the War Coalition statements after the Paris atrocities. Though the pieces were subsequently taken down she felt unable to associate herself with them. In early November 2015, Corbyn's shadow Foreign Office Minister, Catherine West , said Labour would consult StWC before deciding whether to back airstrikes in Syria, prompting Labour MP Tom Harris to threaten resignation. Following
9680-465: The recent attacks on Stop the War were motivated by the "nasty and unpleasant war being waged in England, targeting Jeremy Corbyn " and wondered if the distancing of leading Green activists from Stop the War was because Corbyn "is attracting the electoral support of large numbers of hitherto Green supporters". At the same time, Jewish News wrote that several controversial articles were deleted from
9790-400: The rest of the metropolis was kept to an absolute minimum and the police also maintained high levels of security. And I think we should be extremely proud of them. This does not excuse acts which are criminal and there are now investigations taking place for those particulars." The Mayor of London , Boris Johnson , has defended the police, and said that "I worry that there are large sections of
9900-407: The road reading "Nature doesn't do bailouts". There were solar-powered sound systems, musicians and a food stall and some 1,000-plus relaxed people. The atmosphere was still relaxed at about 5 pm when police with helmets, shields and batons began to surround areas of the camp using section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 . At about 7 pm the police stopped allowing people to enter or leave
10010-548: The ruthless dictator Assad go, we cannot support the further militarisation of the conflict, which will only perpetuate the horrific violence and refugee crisis in the region. If there is to be hope for the Syrian people, the first step is for all foreign interference to cease." On the morning of the House of Commons vote on 29 August 2013 against military intervention in Syria, the conservative commentator Peter Oborne wrote in an article for The Daily Telegraph newspaper that Stop
10120-430: The silver horse against financial crimes from London Bridge and the black horse against land enclosures and borders from Cannon Street . Protesters were at the Bank of England by 11:53. Protest chants included "build a bonfire, put the bankers on the top", and some protesters shouted "jump" and "shame on you" at bankers watching from windows. The police cordoned off thousands of protesters at 12:52 and many of those within
10230-409: The video footage of some police actions are clearly disturbing and should be thoroughly investigated", and a need to be reassured that the use of the containment, or kettling tactic "remains appropriate and proportionate". Denis O'Connor has said that some police behaviour "fell short of the police medal promise to "guard my people"." Others have defended the policing of the protests. Sir Ken Jones ,
10340-607: Was advertised as a drug-free and alcohol-free centre with no photography allowed without permission. Police later raided a large Victorian office building in Earl Street and another squatted building, the RampART Social Center , in Whitechapel on 2 April, detaining a total of at least 80 people and arresting four. A video of the raid allegedly shows an officer pointing a Taser at protesters who are lying on
10450-463: Was begun by police earlier than planned because of the number of people who had arrived at the two starting points. Speakers at the rally in Hyde Park included Tony Benn , Jesse Jackson , Charles Kennedy , Ken Livingstone , Mo Mowlam and Harold Pinter . StWC had forecast at the end of January that about 500,000 protesters would be on the march. As the military build-up continued, StWC urged its local groups and supporters to organise actions on
10560-645: Was cancelled. In the event, the summit did go ahead and was held on the lawns of the university and started an hour later than planned; 200–300 people attended. Scotland Yard officers drew up Operation Glencoe, the plan to protect the summit and prevent disorder. The overall commander (the Gold commander ) was Commander Bob Broadhurst. Before the event Commander Simon O'Brien said that the capital would see "almost unprecedented level of activity" of protest activity with seven officially notified demonstrations and possibly many more they don't know about. Scotland Yard described
10670-482: Was chaired by Lindsey German , then active in the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). "The Stop the War Coalition has been formed to encourage and mobilise the largest possible movement against the war", said the founding statement. "Its aim is simple-to draw together everyone who wants to stop this madness, and to present the anti-war arguments which are squeezed out of the media." Among the sponsors of
10780-685: Was concealed. The IPCC said it would investigate, and the officer was suspended. Sir Paul Stephenson said that uniformed officers should always display their shoulder identification numbers, as "The public has a right to be able to identify any uniformed officer whilst performing their duty." In September 2009, the officer was named as Sgt Delroy 'Tony' Smellie, and the CPS announced that it would charge him with assault. The court case against Delroy Smellie commenced in March 2010 and he has been found not guilty. Another demonstrator, Katie Surridge, has alleged that she
10890-466: Was criticised by Labour MPs, including Hilary Benn , then shadow foreign secretary, who said it was "wholly wrong". He said that the attacks were not the fault of the French, rather it was the "fault of the attackers." By this time, the article had already been removed from the Stop the War website. StWC issued an apology. Murray told John Harris in an interview for The Guardian : "It didn't represent
11000-596: Was held on the lawns of the university and started an hour later than planned and an attendance of 200–300 people. Around 200 people gathered for a vigil outside Bank following news of Ian Tomlinson's death, and were subjected to a police "kettle" despite the vigil being peaceful. 200 anti-war protesters from the Stop the War Coalition protested at the ExCeL Centre . "Spiderman", the French climber Alain Robert , climbed
11110-402: Was intense media attention to this event, with a ring of photographers surrounding the people breaking the windows and David Howarth MP later commented that one of the unresolved mysteries of the day was why the moment that a masked person threw the first piece of scaffolding through the window it was observed by hundreds of photographers and film crews already in position. Four people, including
11220-609: Was killed and hundreds more injured. In the days leading up to the summit, the Metropolitan police warned protest groups that the protests on 1 April would be "very violent" and that they were "up for it, and up to it" in the event of trouble. The police used the crowd-control tactic known as containment or the “ kettle ”, to hold 5,000 people inside a police cordon without food, drink or lavatory facilities. This combined with riot police pushing into crowds with shields and batons. Ian Tomlinson died after being shoved and struck by
11330-541: Was proposed by Labour MPs including Harry Barnes condemning their position and asking the group to "reassure the public that they have not lost their moral bearings." The Coalition held a series of protests during November 2003 climaxing in a march on the 20th protesting against what it claimed is the aggressive foreign policy of U.S. President George W. Bush , and against the continued U.S. detention of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay , which protesters have claimed
11440-477: Was pushed to the ground from behind on 1 April by the same officer who later struck Nicola Fisher. That incident has also been reported to the IPCC. IPCC have announced that there is no case to answer. On 15 April 2009, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson asked the Chief Inspector of Constabulary to review policing tactics in the policing of public events. Denis O'Connor will review
11550-424: Was scheduled to take place at the University of East London which was close to the main G20 Summit venue. At the last minute the university announced that the whole university would close for the duration of the summit on safety grounds, also that Prof Chris Knight , an anthropologist at the University for 20 years, had been suspended and the alternative summit was cancelled. In the event, the summit did go ahead and
11660-462: Was taken out of context. A march from the American embassy in Grosvenor Square to Trafalgar Square on 1 April 2009 brought together protesters from the Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, The British Muslim Initiative , and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament . On 2 April 200 people protested outside the ExCeL Centre in London where the G20 summit was being held. Stop
11770-708: Was the limit, but I got away with it: they liked the phrase 'Parliament belongs to the past; the streets belong to the future'. They really liked that." In March 2009, at a StWC meeting John Rees said he was a "supporter" of Hezbollah and Hamas , saying that such “resistance” groups are “a legitimate part of [our] movement”, likening them to French and Italian partisans fighting the Nazis in World War II . The Spectator and The Times have alleged that Jeremy Corbyn also described Hezbollah and Hamas as "friends" at an StWC event that year, although he later said this
11880-481: Was to mediate at the meeting which was to take place at the House of Commons . Scotland Yard confirmed that a meeting was to take place with police Commander Bob Broadhurst and Chief Superintendent Ian Thomas. The camp, which was intended to last for 24 hours, started at 12:30 pm when a camp was established in a section of Bishopsgate between Threadneedle Street and London Wall with tents set up and bunting across
11990-486: Was unlawfully killed. Their 12-point economic plan for democratic governance demanded democratised financial institutions to deliver secure jobs and public services, an end to global poverty and inequality, and a green economy. The movement was initiated by the Jubilee Debt Campaign , Trade Justice Movement , British Overseas NGOs for Development and TUC . A peace activist climbed over the railings into
12100-435: Was won by the government with the support of some Labour MPs. Hilary Benn gave the closing speech advocating air strikes, evoking the history of anti-fascism . In response, an article appeared on the StWC website. The article, soon taken down, read in part: "Benn does not even seem to realise that the jihadist movement that ultimately spawned Daesh [Isis] is far closer to the spirit of internationalism and solidarity that drove
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