Police bully boys up to their old tricks once again

For a number of years now SPEAK has unfortunately had to document the extreme behaviour of many police officers working for the Thames Valley Police force. Despite the efforts of SPEAK to try and curtail the force’s unacceptable behaviour, it has not been possible to prevent Oxford University dictating what actions police officers should and shouldn’t be taking.  Now, more than ever, it would appear that Thames Valley Police are working at the behest of Oxford University.

A threat to society? Using a civil disobedience tactic encouraged by champions of non-violent protest such as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., protesters sit down in the closed road just before the police attack.

Click image to enlarge Nothing quite illustrates this relationship more than the events that occurred at the Encaenia ceremony held on Wednesday 21st June as about 30 animal rights protestors met to demonstrate outside the ceremony: a demonstration that has taken place for the previous 2 years, where there had been no trouble and where previously. The police have been only too happy to allow protestors to congregate in past years.

This year, a more sinister course of events transpired. The problems first arose when a member of the University was heard telling the police, “Haven’t you shut them up yet” - “them” being the protestors. The officer was heard to reply, “Not yet, but we will.” What transpired was a brutal police attack directed at the small crowd; a crowd containing women, children and the elderly as the police did the university’s bidding.

SPEAK have in the past maintained  that what the university object to most is the fact that the picture postcard image people have of Oxford - an image the university are keen to propagate that is slowly being eroded by SPEAK. The real side of Oxford University is being exposed - a more sinister side; a side that not only involves the torture, mutilation and death of thousands of non human animals but also involves the deaths of thousands of human animals, such as in the Vioxx trials conducted by university professors. On this occasion what the university objected to most was the fact that the truth being spoken by SPEAK supporters could be heard by the celebrants within the Sheldonian Theatre.

At about 11am the police, who well outnumbered the protesters, became very agitated as the university increasingly put pressure on the senior officer present to remove the protestors. The police’s response was to impose a section 14 notice and move the protest on. However, as the demonstration was entirely peaceful a number of protestors objected to this heavy handed approach and some decided to sit down. It should be noted however that as the road was already closed, no disruption was caused to the traffic.  

It was at this point that the police moved in attacking people. Five protesters were arrested - all have since been released, but with injuries and extensive bruising from the violence of the police attack. One man was attacked by about five police officers and he could be heard screaming in pain. All those arrested were seen being pushed with force against stonewalls; one of the arrested was an elderly woman over 70 years old. Despite her age, the police showed no mercy and she to was badly bruised and thrown around.

Other protesters were not arrested but just as brutally treated. One woman with a damaged back for which she is registered disabled was repeatedly punched in the back by a female police office despite telling them about her injury. She witnessed her friend being grabbed from behind and thrown across the road by two officers, with the result she was left limping due to an injury to her knee. One protestor complained of having a policeman put his hands around her throat.

Journalists looked on in shock and one was even in tears as she witnessed the attack by the police. The officers, who had clearly lost control of themselves, carted the four prisoners off and surrounded the remaining protestors who continued their demonstration. One officer was so keen to do the university’s bidding he was seen walking up and down the police line shouting at fellow officers to line up in front of the protestors in order to hide them from the public and presumably shield the officers attacking peaceful protestors.

The police then made the decision to march the protestors out of sight altogether, having surrounded the demonstrators, they proceeded to force the demonstrators in the direction of Broad Street and towards St Giles all the while pushing and hitting people in order to make them move. At this stage another protestor was arrested because she dared object to the police brutality.

When the demonstrators had been pushed back to St Giles, they were informed that they would be confined to an area out of sight of the public. However, the massed ranks of yellow jacketed officers surrounding them allowed no one to see them. By this stage it was about 12.30pm, and they were then informed they could protest until 2pm flanked by officers and out of sight of anyone. Then they would be banned from protesting anywhere within the City of Oxford for the rest of the day.

Given the fact the police had conspired with Oxford University in order to deny people the basic human right to protest, those assembled by force decided it was not worth participating in this travesty for any longer and they disbanded. People left disgusted at the behaviour of Thames Valley Police, but vowing to remain unbowed in the face of police brutality. Oxford University had conspired with Thames Valley Police to suppress a lawful demonstration in the hope that animal rights protestors would be cowed into submission – how they have under estimated our determination to stop the torture currently taking place inside the university. The animal rights movement is at its strongest when their backs are against the wall and make no mistake we will be fighting back!

If you were there and/or have video footage of the protest we ask you to get in touch with us. If you were there and witnessed the attacks please send witness statements into SPEAK.

Anyone wishing to complain, please write letters to the address below. It is important that all the assaults are documented so that we are able to use them at a later stage. It is now vital that the police are forced to act in an appropriate way. To this end we are now putting in place plans that will highlight and document the illegal behaviour of Thames Valley Police officers so that we can use them in future legal proceedings.

Professional Standards Dept, Thames Valley Police, Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 2NX