How should authorities handle protest groups of up to 100,000 protesters?

In Italy at least a hundred thousand people have joined together from around the world to put across their feelings on what the world leaders are doing.

Around twenty thousand police and paramilitary forces were also there all equipped with things like, automatic rifles, helmets, riot shields and teargas, (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_1226000/1226593.stm 30 September 2001) which means there were about five protesters to every one officer.

I do not know how many protesters or police were injured during the G8 summit demonstration, I know that one unfortunate person was killed, and I have statements of protesters who were seriously injured by police, one of which I found on the BBC on line (http/news.bbc.co.uk). It was made by a British, full time anti globalization protester and freelance journalist Mark Covell. He talks about a police raid on a school, which was being used as a base by protesters; he states, "I thought I was going to die. I could hear my bones breaking inside. My lung collapsed. Most of my ribs on my left hand side are smashed. My spleen is ruptured."

Covell says he was co-coordinating a peaceful protest when he was attacked by police, he goes on to say, that was the first attack, then came his second he says he was hit again just for moving his arm, then left lying unconscious in a pool of blood. According to witnesses of that attack they said they saw police washing away blood in the street with bottles of water they found lying around. (http://www.globalexchange.org/wto/afp072201.html 15th October 2001)

In the link above I also read that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had raised a few questions on the violence and heavy-handed policing at the summit during the final press conference.

However after reading an eyewitness statement on (Stefano Agnoletto 23jul01.http://www.mindfully.org/WTO/G8-Summit-Eyewitness-Agnoletto.htm 16th October 2001) I found that not only the police was to blame for all the injured people in Italy, there was also a protest group named Black Block an international militant leftist group was also at the demonstration; unlike other protest groups this group was more violent organization armed with dangerous weapons and ready for a not so peaceful demonstration.

According to Stefano Agnoletto in the witness statement he says that the police seemed to be working with the Black Block organization, he states, "The Black Bloc? They appear and disappear, no one stops them. They attack a youth from Rifondazione, wreck his flag, and beat him. They throw stones at the spokesman of the Genoa Social Forum. They wreck stores, set fire to buildings. Many are armed to the teeth. How on earth they managed to come to Genoa, with soldiers controlling every car?"

So it would seem not only are protesters blaming police for the brutality in Italy this year but also other people on demonstration as well. Others would maybe blame the violence on local people, or people who were not demonstrating but who were just there for the violence, we see people like that all the time at football matches, people who go along for the ride.

When so many people join together in one place I find it really hard to believe that everybody there is there to just put across his or her point and have a peaceful time. In situations like that there is always somebody there ready to cause trouble for what they believe in.

I've looked at another protest group who say they plan "a peaceful day of protest" (17thmarch.newsbbc.co.uk.26thseptember) this group is known as the Wombles, the acronym stands for White Overalls Movement Building Liberation through Effective Struggle. The Wombles are said to wear the overalls padded with foam to resist police blows, these are bulky and restrict movement, they say they are defensive not offensive.

I have been in contact with a member of the Wombles while doing this essay and they helped me a lot via e-mail. They gave me lots of useful links to get good information on police brutality. (See e-mails attached)

The BBC (17tmarch.newsbbc.co.uk.26thseptember) says that in one demonstration on Oxford Street the protesters were given Monopoly money and encouraged to go spend it in department stores. The group believes "epitomizes the crushing wheels of capitalism"

Myself I don't see any violence in mucking around with Monopoly money but then I'm not sure what kind of offences they are making.

Which leads me to the kinds of offences being made at demonstrations.

The Violent Disorder charge is a very common charge for protesters (www.indymedia.org.uk.19thseptember) this charge can bring a maximum of five years imprisonment (Calvert's Powers of Arrest and Charges) and/or a very heavy fine. After that there is Riot which servers a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment. The difference is not much between the two, riot requires twelve or more people where as Violent Disorder needs three. Then there is Affray, which is the same but only needs one person; this charge carries just three years.

When looking at each charge (Calvert's Powers of Arrest and Charges) it doesn't take much to be arrested on suspicion for any of them, all a person as to do is use or threaten to use unlawful violence and fear somebody of their personal safety, which isn't much when out of so many people there is sure to be a small percent doing just that.

So how should authorities deal with protesters who are smashing up City's, lighting fires, and throwing petrol bombs and rubbish?

Should they be allowed to spray CS gas?

Should they be allowed to kill another person?

If you were put in a life or death situation then how would you handle it?

I know that if it was me I know what I would do. I also know that although this essay looks at all the bad things about police in difficult situations I know that without police we would live a life of war and riot everyday just for simple things like walking down a wrong road in a different place.

When we look at different policing in other countries like Italy for instance we know that they are allowed to carry weapons far more dangerous than our police authorities are allowed.

If we were to attend a demonstration here in the United Kingdom we know that police are not going to be armed and ready to shot to kill for smashing a few shop windows. Maybe armed with batons and shields but not taking it as far as shooting at you.

Whichever way we look at things we know that police play a large part in keeping us all safe from whatever violence that might occur.

Each and every person who takes themselves along to a protest weather for good or bad intentions, should know what kinds of risks they are taking and exactly what charges can be brought upon them, a lot of unlucky people can simply just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Protesters who are in these kinds of situations who have found themselves battered and bruised or in hospital should really think more about what they are doing and with which kinds of people they are doing it with. When people are getting killed and injured for what they believe in I think that authorities need to take a closer look at what things can be done to keep peace for all of us no matter who we are or where we are from.