Police to use terror laws on Heathrow climate protesters

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Guardian

Government has encouraged use of stop and search and detention without charge

Armed police will use anti-terrorism powers to "deal robustly" with climate change protesters at Heathrow next week, as confrontations threaten to bring major delays to the already overstretched airport.

Up to 1,800 extra officers will be drafted in to prevent an estimated 1,500 people disrupting the airport over the period of the camp for climate change, which is due to begin on Tuesday. The police have been told to use stop and search powers against the protesters, who have pledged to take direct action on August 18 and 19 but not to endanger life.
...
"Should individuals or small groups seek to take action outside of lawful protest they will be dealt with robustly using terrorism powers. This is because the presence of large numbers of protesters at or near the airport will reduce our ability to proactively counter the terrorist act ," the document says.

The police report makes it clear that the government has encouraged police forces to make greater use of terrorism powers "especially the use of stop and search powers under s44 Terrorism Act 2000".

Read more: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2146692,00.html

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Any bloody excuse.

[rodeodance]

1. We knew this would happen. And it will happen here when the Gov does not

want protests.

[bvar22]

26. For instance, after a Republican "victory" in 2008.

:(

[sakabatou]

29. Worst case scenario?

If they took all 3 branches... but that's unlikely.

[bvar22]

30. Not unlikely if the Dems nominate Hillary.

The down ticket will suffer.
Maybe even bring the election close enough to Diebold.
AND, the Democrats put off Election Security Reforms until 2012.

[midnight]

2. I'm voting this up because this has been going on for some time.

But to see it written so nicely for all to read is something that has to be shared, and read by many.

[fed-up]

3. message-we are now definitely living in a POLICE STATE-get used to it.....:( nt

[go west young man]

4. Looks like Bin Laden is winning.

And he doesn't have to lift a finger. We are doing it to ourselves. If England (the 52nd state) is doing it out in the open you can rest assured that we'll be doing it out in the open soon.

[rhett o rick]

17. You mean Bin Laden/Bush Corp. nm

[Lone_Star_Dem]

28. Those who are motivated by fear...

...have fear as their leader.

[dickbearton]

5. Yes...

Typical Police State behavior.

[ThomCat]

6. Never believe the that a law will only be used in limited circumstances.

If it can be used against people, it will be. Maybe not immediately, but it will always be available for abuse.

[graywarrior]

7. They'll inch it up slowly so it's not noticed by the average guy.

[WileEcoyote]

8. Well why not "raise the cost" of the constables doing business?

Do this by recommending that every protester carry a harmless squirt gun or other look alike weapon. Stuff it down his pants or backpack while wrapped in aluminum foil. Something to set off metal detectors and make the cops shit their pants for miles around, Do it on a massive scale.

Something to scare the bejesus out of the loonies and raise the cost of law enforcement to the point that the government simply can no longer foot the bill for their continued civil liberties violations.

[dipsydoodle]

19. In the UK

anything looking like a gun is treated as being so. The most notorious case was where a guy was shot dead carrying a chair leg.

It would actually be more effective if the protestors simply drive round the access roads slowly. That would be nigh on impossible for the police
to manage and the airport would grind to a halt.

[WileEcoyote]

27. Good idea. probably reduces the potential for whacko cops over reacting.

[NJCher]

9. I hate it

when they use a word with positive semantic connotations ("robustly") to describe their evil intentions.



Cher

[Lionel Mandrake]

11. "Deal robustly with" sounds ominous.

I guess it means something like "inflict pain on" or "beat the crap out of".

[Truth2Tell]

32. That's the intent...

to let folks know in advance that if they choose to protest they will be robusted up. Trying to reduce turnout - and likely to be effective.

[KoKo]

14. Notice how that word "Robust" has come on to the scene as a Meme from Bush heard round the world.

I think they are all getting their "talking points" from the same place. World Globalist/Corporatists.

We've seen the enemy now. It's all our world leaders being puppets to Global Banking and Corporate interests. The people will now have to rise up and it's not going to be good times to live in. The PUSH BACK is now way beyond what Bush is doing. These people are fighting for their way of live...but the PEOPLE are going to have to stop them to have any life left that's worth living.

[rudy23]

20. I hate it every time they say "robust"

It's like their favorite word.

[Raksha]

23. More like their second favorite. Their favorite word is "bold." n/t

[coalition_unwilling]

21. Sort of like "light at the end of the tunnel" (Vietnam) or "Arbeit macht frei" (Nazi Germany) -n/t

[0007]

10. U.K. must've gotten the word from Bob Murray ( Utah mine guy) to shoot any kind of protester, 'eh?

Armed police will use anti-terrorism powers to "deal robustly" with climate change protesters at Heathrow next week, as confrontations threaten to bring major delays to the already overstretched airport.

[ooglymoogly]

13. Orwellian for "viciously" nt ...k&n

[ooglymoogly]

12. Warning to British Authorities.....

The british are not as docile and easily manipulated as the Murkin people.

[0007]

15. How long do we wait before we see the same thing here?

We know that all the styles and Broadway hits play in the UK first.

I can see junior pissing all over himself in glee this morning.

[Seabiscuit]

16. Welcome to "1984". It's finally here.

[sarcasmo]

18. IMHO that is Martial Law.

[BornagainDUer]

22. Yep, and worse because it is snuck in on the sly. Infuriating!!

[intaglio]

24. This will go to Appeal then, if necessary,

the Lords and European Court of Justice. Britain has signed the European Convention on Human rights plus having various other elements of rights included in law. In the short term it will work, in the long term it will cost a lot of money

[Gonnuts]

25. We're going to need more than one of these ...

BE HEARD! A GENERAL STRIKE SEPT. 11th STAY HOME – BUY NOTHING

GS are effective. If you check out recent success stories of how GS have brought oppressive governments to their knees and they had to listen to the people you too would wonder why we haven't been using this tactic earlier.

Our phone calls, letters, emails, marches, protests and our votes are NOT being listened to! If enough non-essential people stay home from work to bring this country to a standstill and do not purchase anything for that one day we'd be heard. What have we got to loss? Nothing else is working.

We can't wait till the 09' for the change.

We can't wait for prolonged investigations that are being stonewalled to get justice.

We can't wait for impeachment to be put "back on the table".

We can’t wait for our so-called representatives to grow a spine.

We can't wait period! Too much time has been wasted already!

Take the day off for PEACE! Everyone, cab-drivers, bakers, bankers, sales-persons, waiters, cooks, shoemakers, city workers, state workers, lawyers, everyone, stay home, buy nothing.

Ask yourself is it worth one day out of your life to save one person life?

Out of Iraq/Impeach NOW! SEPT. 11th GENERAL STRIKE! SPREAD THE WORD!

http://liberalpro.blogspot.com/2007/08/general-strike-91107.html

[Judi Lynn]

31. To think people support the politicians who ennact these plans against them!

The article's closing is memorable, too:

The Guardian has established that at least two climate change campaigners have been arrested recently at Heathrow by officers using terrorism powers. Cristina Fraser, a student, was stopped when cycling near the airport with a friend and then charged under section 58 of the Terrorism Act. This makes it an offence to make a record of something that could be used in an act of terrorism.

"I was arrested and held in a police cell for 30 hours. I was terrified. No one knew where I was. They knew I was not a terrorist," she said.

Ms Fraser, a first-year London university anthropology student, has been on aviation demonstrations with the Plane Stupid campaign group, but claims she was carrying nothing at all. The police later recharged her with conspiring to cause a public nuisance.
(snip/)

We're all truly screwn. It would be so wrong for them to get the last word, wouldn't it?