Netpol October Rebellion Policing Report in Parliament – request for statements.
October 30, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion
XR Legal Support works together with Netpol, an organisation that monitors street policing and challenges excessive or discriminatory policing. Netpol plan to launch a report in parliament into the policing of the October Rebellion. If you were a subject of the police:
- using unjustified stop & search powers on people travelling to Westminster;
- stopping vehicles travelling into London;
- kettling protesters as a prelude to mass arrests;
- snatching from crowds any prominent individuals they have targeted for arrest;
- excessive force used making arrests;
- using aggressive behaviour such as pushing protesters around;
- mistreatment or targeting of disabled, BAME or LGBTQ+ protesters;
- other significant abuse of powers by police officers.
Please write a statement and email it to: XR-legal@riseup.net by Sunday November 3rd at the latest with ‘Statement for Netpol report in parliament’ as the subject heading.
Be clear (1) that you consent for your statement to be shared with Netpol & published if they see fit & (2) if you want your name removed from your statement.
How to write your statement
The statement does not have to sound like a legal/court statement but should be an account of what happened to you, e.g. Who was involved in the incident? Where and when did it happen? How long did it take? What exactly did the police do, and how did that make you feel? Did it have any consequences for you already? Are there any pictures or is there footage of what happened?
**NB.** XR Legal Support does not give legal advice or representation. The purposes of these statements are to contribute to the Netpol report. If you would like to make a complaint against the Metropolitan Police, we recommend you do so here. Please be aware there’s a small chance that making a complaint could draw unwanted legal attention from the police and so if it is important for you to avoid that it is safest to wait. (Depending on your circumstances that delay could be until legal proceedings have concluded, until you have received no further action or after 6 months from the date of the incident which is the time limit in which the police can take charges against you.)