The Metropolitan Police said right-wing observers played an important role in the independent review of police work during the protests, as it suspended action against four people arrested during the “Kill the Bill” protests this spring. A BPLS spokesman described the arrests as part of a wider deterrent effect on the right to protest, marked by racism and made possible by Covid regulations and proposals contained in a new police law to combat protests. It is believed that this is the first time that a police force has admitted the role of right-wing observers in the protests. Observers are independent volunteers who participate in demonstrations to monitor police behaviour. The letter adds: “Now that we have been informed of the presence of independent BPLS legal observers at the protests, we accept that they must play an important role in the independent review of the protests and the monitoring of the protests.” With this in mind, one of BPLS` main goals is to participate in BLM protests to ensure that blacks and other protesters from minority communities are aware of their legal rights. To this end, BPLS trains and coordinates independent legal observers on the ground to gather evidence and monitor police behaviour. We also produce “bust cards” for protesters, which contain a summary of our legal advice, as well as information from the most important contacts. Weekends from 6am to 7pm. As of June 2020, we had over a hundred legal observers in various locations, including Hyde Park, Parliament Square, Whitehall, and the U.S. Embassy. Our presence proved invaluable in helping protesters throughout the weekend, especially those held in a cauldron (police containment tactics) for several hours on both nights.
Anti-racist protests in the UK, organised in solidarity with Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists in the US, have attracted tens of thousands of supporters since the beginning of June. Black Protest Legal Support UK (BPLS) was founded by lawyer Ife Thompson in response to the nationwide protests. We are a group of over two hundred lawyers and advisers who provide free legal advice and representation to black lives matter protesters and activists in the UK. Police began shelling protesters with their shields and waving batons at those on the ground. Police also beat, beat and kicked protesters. Our right-wing observers saw a young boy, about 10 years old or younger, being hit in the face with a baton, and several other protesters who suffered injuries to the face, head and others when beaten by police. Some were bleeding profusely and needed urgent medical attention, with one of them being taken to hospital by a member of the public due to a huge head injury. We stress that the police`s approach to free Palestine protesters is not only racist, but obviously Islamophobic. In particular, we highlight how black and brown men, especially Muslim men, have been positioned by the police as inherent threats and subjected to brutal violence. The officers were heard by our legal observers who made derogatory comments about Muslims.
We have also received reports that a person supporting detainees outside a police station has been arrested and searched in order to comply with terrorism laws. We have a network of over 200 lawyers providing pro bono legal support to protesters and providing dozens of right-wing observers to support protesters in the streets BPLS condemns the continued level of extreme police violence and aggression against Free Palestine protesters in London on May 15, including a number of protesters and our right-wing observers who were injured by riot police. When our right-wing observers arrested or approached injured protesters to lend their support, the police continued to resort to violence and aggression. Most of our right-wing observers were also attacked by batons and police shields, some of whom were injured. We continue to be dismayed, but not surprised, by the mainstream media headlines suggesting that it was the protesters who were violent. Not only does this completely contradict what our right-wing observers have seen on the ground, but it also incorporates the same racist narratives we see time and time again against black, brown, and radicalized protesters. The four observers, all volunteers from Black Protest Legal Support (BPLS), were arrested during protests in March and April and fined for violating coronavirus regulations. Their arrests led to a legal challenge – backed by Liberty, the civil rights group – arguing that the observers should have been exempted and that their arrests were unlawful. In the context of the Police, Crimes, Convictions and Courts Act, which aims to give more powers to the police and further threaten the right to protest, it is now more important than ever to defend the ability of blacks, browns and radicalized people to take to the streets without fear of violence and retaliation from the state.
After 7 p.m., about 50 riot police entered the area near the Israeli embassy. In full uniform, the Met police regularly resorted to violence against protesters, as radicalized communities know all too well. If you have been or will be arrested and need legal assistance, these companies offer Support Lines Black Protest Legal Support is a non-profit organization run by black and brown lawyers who act as legal observers and provide free legal assistance to protesters. It maintains a network of more than 250 lawyers and pro bono lawyers who provide pro bono advice and representation to protesters. They also have a network of more than 100 legal observers in London, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham. Four members of Black Protest Legal Support arrested during the “Kill the Bill” protests dropped their charges: “We will not allow them to stop us from monitoring their many illegal actions against protesters – especially those from black, brown and racialized groups. Even the Met acknowledged that our audit is important. Pervasive physical and verbal intimidation tactics were used, including riot police attacking protesters without provocation. While a group of protesters were sitting in the street, some of them were suddenly and aggressively caught by several police officers, often from the back of their necks, and pulled behind police lines. The arrests were also violent, with protesters being pushed to the ground by 5 to 6 officers at the same time.
Black Protest Legal Support (BPLS) has condemned police violence seen in London during protests in Free Palestine and Colombia last Saturday. In the following, Freedom reproduces BPLS` statement. CW: Police brutality, racialized violence. The BPLS condemns the continued scale of extreme police violence and aggression against free Palestine protesters on September 15. May in London, including an In ordinary times, blacks are disproportionately attacked by police measures such as Stop and Search. Last year, the defense group Liberty analyzed Interior Ministry data that found that blacks were forty times more likely to be arrested and searched under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994 in the year ending March 2018. In accordance with article 60, the police are empowered to search for weapons for any person or vehicle in an area where serious violence can reasonably be expected. The law limits stop and search to a specific time and place, but does not require officers to have a basis to justify an individual reasoned suspicion.
As the powers of Article 60 are increasingly used in mass gatherings, there is a legitimate concern that the problems associated with their use may be exacerbated in BLM protests. “This challenge was therefore not about legal observers treating better or differently,” the spokesman said. “It was about holding the police to account and making sure they couldn`t act with impunity on the ground. Just because the media has moved on doesn`t mean the protests have stopped.