Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

Royal Wedding Activist Crackdown

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Charlie Veitch's arrest

Charlie Veitch was arrested under suspicion that he may or may not decide to protest the royal wedding on Friday (as well as for being at the UKUncut demo where the police tricked activists in to a kettle).

Whether or not we agree with his approach or his message (and please, nobody start whining about middle class anarchists, it says more about chips on people's shoulders, rather than contributing to any real debate), is anybody else disgusted that tax payer money has been spent on arresting people based upon Youtube videos, that they may or may attempt to exercise their democratic right to protest? Bearing in mind, this guy has a history of peaceful protesting...

People in Soho (Queer Resistance) were also threatened with arrest, for attempting to give out anti-cuts flyers in Soho.

We were allowed to protest the Pope, so why not the royal wedding? Are these arrests happening to protesters who divide communities through racism and homophobia, such as EDL and Christian Voice?

Does anybody else think this is incredibly f*cked up?

I get involved in a bit of activism myself and if I were to get arrested, I could lose my job.

Note: I don't blame the police, they're just following orders like they're paid to. I don't think the guy who did the arrest seems like a dick and I know things could have been worse... It's who makes the order that are to blame.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The only surprise is that people will be surprised by this.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How exactly do you trick someone into a kettle?

    Also, whilst on the evidence presented I agree with you, do we genuinely know all of the facts? Is/was there an element of public safety at issue here?

    Well since the policemen were getting paid anyway, they run the risk of either being accused of being too soft on crime, or too hard. I honestly think at times that some people (not all) can be very bipolar about their views towards the police.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    How exactly do you trick someone into a kettle?
    Here
    Also, whilst on the evidence presented I agree with you, do we genuinely know all of the facts? Is/was there an element of public safety at issue here?
    Such as?

    I know some of the people who were threatened by the police and they are genuine, non-violent people. I guess that's not a link to a website though, though most newspapers are as biased and can be as unreliable as any.

    Charlie Veitch is a known peace activist and campaigner. He wasn't arrested for stock piling weapons, or for being a part of black bloc, he was arrested for a Youtube video which said he may, or may not be gathering with anarchists in London.
    Well since the policemen were getting paid anyway, they run the risk of either being accused of being too soft on crime, or too hard. I honestly think at times that some people (not all) can be very bipolar about their views towards the police.
    I agree, in that some people can have polarised views on the police... But this issue is with a man posting that he disagrees with the monarchy and a royal wedding and that he may be demonstrating and then getting arrested for it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    he was arrested for a Youtube video which said he may, or may not be gathering with anarchists in London

    So for once the police shouldnt be proactive towards a potential threat from anarchists.

    Police are far too often damned if they do, damned if they dont.

    As for being tricked into being arrested, it sounded like the police might have changed their mind.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    So for once the police shouldnt be proactive towards a potential threat from anarchists.

    One has to wonder... What do you think anarchists are all about?

    Black blocs do not have to be anarchists and very few anarchists condone the use of violence. Most anarchists I know are non-violent to the extent of veganism. There are anarchist events all the time... There are anarchist book fayres, anarcho bands, anarchist events on quite often in the capital.

    You can't persecute people, or prevent them from marching because they subscribe to anarchism... :rolleyes: Especially if the met are allowing right wing groups to protest different events. It is just a case of scapegoating done by people who understand anarchists are not all bomb throwing nutters, but who just want an easy target imo
    Police are far too often damned if they do, damned if they dont.
    Comes with the territory... You sign up to be a cop, you are going to get criticised... Though again, I haven't criticised individual officers, but the circumstances in which a peaceful activist has been persecuted. Life is not so black and white as 'evil police'/'good police'... Each case should be on its own merit.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    This post is purely devils advocate, but if you can say what you have about the police, could you therefore not argue that being arrested (by accident) is one of the risks of protesting?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    This post is purely devils advocate, but if you can say what you have about the police, could you therefore not argue that being arrested (by accident) is one of the risks of protesting?
    Could you not use the argument then... That leaving the house in any form could mean you run the risk of being arrested 'by accident'?

    Charles de Menezes for example... He was shot because he looked like somebody else. So let's not leave the house in case we look like somebody who has broken the law in some way.

    Note: 'Breach of people' tends to refer to a situation where people think physical harm to individuals, or to property may occur, hence somebody can be detained.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's a bit strange that the police managed to kettle over a million people the other day, and herd them very slowly into position without any complaint, injury or arrests.....almost as if you behave yourself at a large public gathering, nothing happens to you.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    It's a bit strange that the police managed to kettle over a million people the other day, and herd them very slowly into position without any complaint, injury or arrests.....almost as if you behave yourself at a large public gathering, nothing happens to you.

    Maybe it has something to do with people having a problem when the police tell them to do something they dont want to do :P
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    It's a bit strange that the police managed to kettle over a million people the other day, and herd them very slowly into position without any complaint, injury or arrests.....almost as if you behave yourself at a large public gathering, nothing happens to you.
    Who was kettled? :confused: You mean police directing the royal wedding supporters? Did they kettle them for eight hours in the same place in the freezing cold?

    Tbh, I have seen police officers attack people unprovoked and try to wind up protesters and know people who have been assaulted by officers. It just depends on the situation.

    Don't actually understand your point though...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was under the impression that a police kettle was simply the act of herding people in one place and then either keeping them there or moving them en-masse, something they did without incident on Friday.

    And Namaste, I don't disagree with you, I jus wanted to point out that when people aren't kicking off kettling is actually quite a good technique. Better than water cannon anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    I was under the impression that a police kettle was simply the act of herding people in one place and then either keeping them there or moving them en-masse, something they did without incident on Friday.

    And Namaste, I don't disagree with you, I jus wanted to point out that when people aren't kicking off kettling is actually quite a good technique. Better than water cannon anyway.
    In reference to UK Uncut? They were still tricked..
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    In reference to UK Uncut? They were still tricked..

    And?

    Assuming it wasn't miscommunication it seems smarts on the police part. They believed that UK uncut members were breaking the law. They had three choices - let them go, arrest them there or trick them

    It's the police's duty to arrest lawbreakers, so letting them go wasn't really an option. If they arrested them in a big group the potential for injuries and damage is greater as they band together to resist arrest. Better to trick them and bag them at low/no risk to the public, peelers and protesters.

    UK Uncut seem to spend ages telling the rest of us how clever they are, so they can hardly complain when others use a bit of guile
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I know you don't want this to turn into a discussion on Charlie, but can I just say that he wasn't just arrested for a pre-emptive "no reason". He was also arrested on suspicion on aggravated trespass, why do people miss that part of it.
    :banghead: This is main point, on that.

    He may not be a violent protester, but I've seen some of his videos in the past, he is anything but 'peaceful'. He provokes an angry/police response by physically "trolling" on that megaphone of his and he blatently just outright disrespects anyone who disagrees with him or does something he doesn't like, i.e. is in the police or army.

    Like this.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Threxy wrote: »
    I know you don't want this to turn into a discussion on Charlie, but can I just say that he wasn't just arrested for a pre-emptive "no reason". He was also arrested on suspicion on aggravated trespass, why do people miss that part of it.
    :banghead: This is main point, on that.

    He may not be a violent protester, but I've seen some of his videos in the past, he is anything but 'peaceful'. He provokes an angry/police response by physically "trolling" on that megaphone of his and he blatently just outright disrespects anyone who disagrees with him or does something he doesn't like, i.e. is in the police or army.

    Like this.

    Kudos to the blokes for dealing politely, but robustly with a man who comes over as a completely brainwashed fuckwit...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've watched a lot of Veitch's videos. It's a shame he can't put all that effort into something constructive.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Charlie Veitch should be gagged for being a superlative cunt. He's a platitude factory.
Sign In or Register to comment.