Police State UK?

Although a civil matter between the protesters and property developer Roger Wratten, events over the last few months on Broadway Market, E8 have involved the Metropolitan police on a number of different occasions.

They include:
 
1. Telephone numbers and names of supporters were written down by a police officer at the first eviction on December 21.

2. Constant 24-hour CCTV monitoring on 34 Broadway Market.

3. Police presence on the picket of the Town Hall on February 1. This included filming of protesters. Subsequent gatherings at the Town Hall have met with a similar police response.

4. In the region of close to 100 police officers were used to evict the occupiers in the early hours of Thursday February 23, many of whom were dressed in riot clothing. There were exactly four people present inside at the time, including one person who was elderly and disabled. The whole operation was personally directed by the Borough Commander and Scotland Yard.

It has to be remembered that the protesters involved did not espouse violence, engage in violence and even made great claims to highlight the peaceful, but determined nature of the event.

During the whole 3 months of occupation NOT ONCE were the police called to 34 Broadway Market for reasons such as noise disruption or unruly behaviour. The whole campaign was extremely well-organised.

The role of the police in this whole episode can only be down to the criminalisation of political activity, or, more sinisterly, political activity itself warrenting such attention by the police.

Our point to the Metropolitan police is this: stop whinging about lack of police officers when you are wasting resources and manpower on a campaign like has happened on Broadway Market.