"Illegal" protest - a PS

Further to my previous recent blog entry on the Camp for Climate Change, State repression of, two letters appeared in The Independent on Saturday 25/8/07 which are worth quoting in full, in case they 'go off' on the Indy site:

Heathrow police act like the bad guys

Sir: Last Sunday, I witnessed, on the climate change march at Heathrow, what can happen when innocent members of society decide to express their concerns to the government. I was not at the camp; I was not one of "the activists". I am a middle-class mother and teacher. I have participated in many demonstrations before, most recently the anti-Iraq war protest.

As I approached the family march, I was surprised to be told by police that if I came any further I would not be allowed to leave. I joined the march. We were predominantly women and children, yet we were surrounded by many police, with their vans in front and behind. We were forced to crawl along at a snail's pace and took four hours to complete a distance of probably less than two miles. No one, not even the children or pregnant women were allowed to take a toilet break. It felt as though we were being marched to a prison camp.

But the most shocking aspect was the attitude of the police. I believe the police are the good guys, there to help and protect us. I brought my children up to respect and trust the police. I think all my efforts may have been undone by what my children witnessed. With only a couple of exceptions, the police were aggressive, rude and inhumane.

My friendly advances were dismissed in a rude belligerent fashion. It felt like they were just waiting for the opportunity to lay into the crowd with their truncheons.

I did wonder if they were trying to provoke us. I am proud to say the behaviour of the marchers was exemplary. And I will not be put off. I will continue to stand up for what I believe in, at all costs. But I will live in fear for my daughter who was camped out with the activists.

Andrea Farndon

Godden Green, Kent

Sir: As grandmother of an environmentalist in the Climate Camp, I followed the media reporting with interest. What soon became apparent was the discrepancy between what some newspapers reported and the experience of those taking part.

The event was a huge success, bringing a vital issue to the attention of the country in an entirely peaceful way. Heathrow passengers were not delayed and direct action was taken without violence by the environmentalists. But they were harassed by 1,800 police, who did everything they could to turn a peaceful protest into a criminal action. They failed, in spite of free use of truncheons resulting in several injured campers.

This unnecessary use of force cost some £7m. If a real terrorist incident had been committed in London while the police were busy strong-arming protesters at Heathrow, how would the emergency services have coped?

Surely the police authorities must see how their response to the obvious harmlessness of the Climate Camp makes them look foolishly obsessed, and alienates ordinary citizens?

Jane Power

London N16