Riot police – another day in the office.
2nd April, 2009
East London
The building next door to where I work has been occupied by squatters for the last few days. They’ve made it a base for G20 protesters and there has been a large police presence, although they mostly just seemed to loiter around.
Yesterday I asked a policeman what was going on, and he told me he didn’t know, and that I was free to knock on the door and ask the protesters myself if I wanted. So, I knocked on the door and it opened up about an inch. I was greeted by three anxious-looking people in their 20s who had covered their faces with bandanas. They studied me for a second before opening the door and asking me to come in as they as didn’t want anyone outside looking in.
They explained that this was their base and they were peacefully making it their home for the duration of the protests. They were polite and spoke quite eloquently, but asked me not to take any pictures. However they were more than happy for me to look around.
When I left, the policemen outside asked me what I’d seen. They really hadn’t expected them to let me in. I was even told by a senior policeman that I should join the police force! 
Anyway, this morning as I came into work I noticed a sign was hanging outside the building, which was obviously erected by the protesters.
Click here for a closer look at the sign. This “legal warning” is perfectly valid. The law here can make it difficult to evict squatters, which is strange really.
I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen ‘bankers’ rhymed with ‘wankers’. Original!
Some people outside were being questioned and searched – they’d come out of the building.
At around midday I saw a large group of riot police run past the window, so I went out and saw this
Perhaps I should have advised them that a knock on the door might have sufficed.
The police had blocked that part of the street off, and seemed intent on getting the protesters out.
Someone shouted something and the riot policemen all began running in my direction.
I have to say, I’ve never been in front of a group of charging riot policemen. I was promptly grabbed by one in a yellow jacket who told me they wouldn’t run around me – they’d just run over me if I didn’t move. Fun times.
It turns out the squatters had also occupied a building on the adjacent street, and the police had only just realised.
They pondered which building to go for.
Squatter alert!
At this point I was moved by a policeman who said that he’d take away my camera if I didn’t get away. As the law stands, they’d have to arrest me first before being able to do this.
It’s strange seeing derelict buildings on one side of the street, and the shiny windows of UBS on the other. It’s also strange seeing the road I walk down every day being full of riot police. On another note, I want that van. I have never actually seen these kind of riot police vans before. They’re marked with “DHN Police” but I have no idea what DHN stands for, and a quick Google couldn’t answer my question either. Any ideas?
I couldn’t really see much so I went around the back where one of the squatters was being interviewed.
The police told me they stormed the building because they believed those inside were involved in violence at yesterday’s main demonstrations outside the Bank of England and RBS. As it stands, over 100 people have been arrested over the last two days.
There’s nothing like a light bit of entertainment at lunchtime.
Goodbye squatters.
15 Responses to Riot police – another day in the office.
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“At this point I was moved by a policeman who said that he’d take away my camera if I didn’t get away.”
The police need a court order to do that. Remember that next time and tell them promptly and in no uncertain terms!
“I was promptly grabbed one in a yellow jacket”, you might want to add a word there.
I love how you see riot police then go outside to take pictures. Don’t you have any work to do? That, or you must work in a pretty lax environment.
Anyway, thanks again for the insight into the ridiculous bullshit happening a miles away from me that I can’t see.
Also, I’m commenting again. You’re in my Google Reader. Sheesh.
OK, I have to reply here so that I can defend the point about working in a lax environment. Quite the opposite Gaurav! I stayed at work until 7. Even the Sky News cameras had gone by then. My boss knows I’m a bit of a camera freak, although to be honest I didn’t give him much of an opportunity to respond to me when I grabbed the camera and ran outside. :o
Sorry Phil if you read this! I shall be making up for lost time, honest. :P
the world’s going crazy.
Hi Tanya
Thanks for posting the link here from Demotix, good on the spot photojournalism. To add to the comment about having the camera requested by the officer. The interpretations of Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 are often mis-construed by officers on the street. It’s all being re-written but if any Police officer asks to see or take pictures/camera, first politely ask to get their name and number and ID, this will have their station details, you are in full rights to contact that station and speak to the station Officer to confirme who they are. You can then ask that officer about having a camera taken. The other point is, the camera should never be taken, only a flash card/film, and it is the current recommendations that no officer take film or view images as it corrupts any evidence, it is recommended that all evidence go to forensics for examination. All of this will usually end up with the officer backing down and asking you to move on.
All of that waffle aside, great piece, excellent reporting and keep up the good work, won’t be long before this will be your main work and you won’t have to stay until 7pm to make up for chasing police around :)
Check your law people – Section 19 of PACE enables the Police to seize your camera if they have reasonable grounds to suspect (approximately 20% burden of proof) it contains evidence of an offence; and, from the piss I saw one of the great unwashed/unemployed throw from the roof in the morning its not a great leap of imagination to imagine you’ve captured such an activity on your camera.
Haha – the bit about you knocking on the door & going for a look round made me laugh!
I once got in the way of charging riot police (May Day demonstrations a few years ago) but managed to get out of their way. I can, however, confirm that they didn’t go round people who didn’t get out of the way :)
I am one of the people in the third photograph. In addition to being searched, the police also zipped open my hoody because they wanted to see any “embalms” I was wearing (which amounted to a quicksilver t-shirt).
I read on another report that out of the eighty people in the squat, only four arrests were made. I think that shows that most of the people inside the building were peaceful protesters.
And the only reason many people were at the squat anyway, was because the Climate Camp was locked down until all of the trains had stopped running, so people were unable to get home.
This is a great set of photos. Good work being so brave in the face of the charging rioters (aka Met cops).
Mat
You should become a cop. :)
The movies lie to me again. All those films where a skilled police negotiator has used cunning to defuse a situation like this weren’t true. On the plus side however, reality has a lot more Mad Max in it: http://www.tanya-n.com/G20/April2/IMG_9164b.jpg
“the world’s going crazy.”
No, the world isn’t going crazy. The banks have gone crazy & so have governments and the police, not the people. Your comment is thoughtless, which is a common symptom amongst people that find it easier to bury their heads in the sand & allow banks and governments to do whatever they want & then, when things go wrong, just say it’s ‘crazy’. Wake up! Use your brain. Appose. Respond. React!
Perhaps the public need the police force they want. The police should stand by and let the protesters smash the place up, then you will see what these people are like. Remember these butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths are the same people that are happy to spit, assault and throw things at the police. Hopefully next time they will protest outside your house and don’t call the police for help when they start smashing it up. Get a life you
Wow, you guys have some issues to deal with and it’s only going to get worse. There has got to come a point where you simply have to earn your own keep. Just moving into someone else’s property and sponging off society only works as long as there are resources to spare. That simply isn’t the case anymore so no more free school, food or lodging I guess.
‘The law here can make it difficult to evict squatters, which is strange really.’
The law of Adverse Possession – Squatters Rights is a bona fide law to ensure that land and property doesn’t become derelict ad infinitum. Councils use this law more than anyone to legally ‘steal’ property and land from the people of this country. When Councils do it nobody questions them because it all appears as though they actually do own the property. Twelve years go by and they claim Possessory Title. When the homeless squat it’s tabloid news and they are called scum. The Council squatted church land behind my house and I won it back in court on behalf of the church. Since then I’ve learnt that they have illegally gained a possessory title. I can’t afford to fight them but they have our Council Tax money for their lawyers.