Welcome to Demotix!

News Hub

police stations

630 Stories - 4326 Images - 418 Contributors

Politics

Egyptian police station taken by civilians

A police station torched by Egyptians after more protests in the capital Cairo, Egypt. 29/01/2011

by 3arabawy . in Egypt on 29/01/2011

Families and friends of those who have died in suspicious circumstances in custody held a demonstration opposite Downing St in London calling for justice and for properly independent investigations into deaths of people in the care of police and prison offers. London, UK, 10/31/2009.
----------------------
Over the past years, the march by the 'United Friends and Families' of those who have died in suspicious circumstances in police custody, prison and 'secure' mental health facilities has become an annual event, making its way at a funereal pace in silence inch by inch down Whitehall to halt outside Downing Street for an angry protest before continuing noisily to a final rally in Parliament Square. 

At last year's event a large banner was carried with 2500 names of those known to have died over the years, including 182 in the previous year, and among those taking part were the mother and other family members of Jean Charles de Menezes. It seemed then an added insult that the police insisted on searching all the bouquets before allowing them to be laid at the gates of Downing St in what I described as 'a surreal manifestation of anti-terrorist paranoia.'

Although some of the cases would appear to have involved deliberate acts of violence and others a woeful lack of the care required, those responsible for these deaths have seldom been brought to justice or even reprimanded for their actions. Where investigations have been held, they have often been seen largely as ineffectual or designed to cover up offences committed by police and prison officers.

A decision was made not to hold a march this year, but it was suggested that some of the families might meet to hold a demonstration, and on Saturday afternoon a number of them came to Whitehall for a protest opposite Downing St.

Among those present were the family of Sean Rigg, who died after being taken ill in police custody in Brixton Police Station on Thursday 21 August 2008, and Ricky Bishop died in the same police station after being arrested during 'Operation Clean Sweep' on November 22, 2001, an action described by some as a 'modern day lynching.' 

I first photographed Pauline Campbell when she was speaking a few months after the death of her daughter Sarah in Styal prison in 2003, and was deeply moved. She went on to devote the rest of her life to a campaign not just for justice for her daughter but on behalf of all prisoners, particularly women in prison. I got to know her better after photographing her being assaulted by a police officer at a demonstration outside Holloway Prison after the death there of 24 year old of Jaime Pearce, the eighth woman to die in jail in 2007, after which we exchanged many e-mails. Her own suicide, at her daughter's graveside in May 2008, moved me strongly, and I felt something of this again at seeing the banner with her daughter's image. 

On a lamppost on the opposite side of the road, right in front of the Downing Street gates the families had taped a single rose and A4 sheets about three of those who have died. One was simply a photograph of a healthy, athletic looking young man with the caption 1960 LEON 1992.  

Below it on a sheet above a photograph of another young man, Jason Thompson, who died in Swansea prison at the age of 26 five years ago on 1 Nov 2004, was a story written by an eleven-year-old girl that brought tears to my eyes, 'The person who changed my life.' Here is a part of it:

'In 2004 my brother died in prison, but he wasn't suppose to be in prison, the police had got the wrong person it was suppose to be my brother's friend. I was only 6 when Jason (my brother) died. I went to Jason's funeral because he was my big brother and while I was at the funeral I cried and cried and cried. After the funeral I was still crying basically every day, even now I still get up set... He changed my life when he died it made me feel like there was a hole in a part of my life. That's what happens when someone you love dies, it is the worst feeling ever.' 

On the opposite side of the post was a picture of the mother of Paul Calvert and his son at a demonstration, holding a picture with a photograph of his father and the words  'Justice for my Dad. Why? Paul Calvert died Pentonville Prison 24 October 2004.'

Paul Calvert was 40, and although the original charges made against him had been dropped he was arrested for being in breach of his bail conditions. Two days after being put into Pentonville he hanged himself. He had actually pressed the emergency button for help, but the alarm bell had been taped over to mute it and the warning light outside the cell was ignored for 40 minutes, allegedly because the officer in charge was playing Backgammon. 

Across the road, his mother was holding a banner calling for 'JUSTICE FOR MY SON' and on the back of her t-shirt was the message 'My son went to prison to lose his liberty not his life!'

Politics

Families and Friends at Downing St

Families and friends of those who have died in suspicious circumstances in custody held a demonstration opposite Downing St in London calling for...

by Peter Marshall in United Kingdom on 31/10/2009

Latest News

'Occupy Oil' protest closes Pimlico Shell Garage
A Shell petrol station closure in Pimlico kicked off the 'OccupyOil' day of actions, targeting primarily the oil giant Shell, as part of a wider move to 'Occupy' pet...
Occupy Oil shuts down Shell petrol station - London
Shell petrol station is closed by Occupy Oil, climbing on the roof and barricading the entrance with banners, protesting about rising fuel and alleged environmental disregard on Shell&#...
Violent disturbance in Santiago de Chile
A group of masked protesters took place in violent riots outside the University of Santiago de Chile in the Central Station district following a student demonstration and were dispersed...
Indignant movement holds Metro Fare Protest - Madrid
Spain's indignants protested once again in an action termed 'Yo No Pago' (I do not pay) against increases in the price of metro tickets. The protests were characterized b...
'I Don't Pay' protest in Valencia Subway
Around twenty members of the 'I Don't Pay' movement ' met in Xativa to sneak into the city's subway and buses without paying the fare in protest over rising pri...
Fire at Old Unigate Dairy, White City - London
A fire at the former Unigate Dairy premises in White City lead to the closure of part of the Westway and other roads in the surrounding area. White City station was also closed. London,...
Israel Police marks 2012 as the ‘Turning Point Year’ - Jerusalem
Minister of Internal Security, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, and Police Comissioner, Yohanan Danino, award ranks to senior officers stressing their policy to strengthen the ‘front line’ of serv...
'Stuttgart 21' protests continue in Germany
After rumours about an upcoming chopping of several trees and the deconstruction of the main station, 200 protesters blocked the site. Many of them left the blockade after several order...
Disabled protest Welfare Reform Bill at Oxford Circus
Disabled people protested at Oxford Circus, chaining wheelchairs together and calling for the dropping of Welfare Reform Bill, urging savings cutting tax evasion by the rich rather than...
Oil tanker drivers picket Kingsbury oil terminal
Striking oil tanker drivers and members of Unite Union picket the gates at the Terminal for Warwickshire Oil Storage Ltd (Conoco Philips and Total) at Kingsbury Oil Terminal over cha...
UKUncut join disabled people to protest benefit cuts - Oxford Circus
A group of disabled people along with Ukuncut gather to protest against the government cuts to their benefits and services by chaining themselves together blocking the road outside Oxfo...
Activists arrested over Article 370 at Jammu and Kashmir House
10 activists were held protesting against the article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gives the State of Jammu and Kashmir special status in politics. India. 25th January 2012
Police arrest and release opposition leader Kizza Besigye
Ugandan police fired teargas and held opposition leader Kizza Besigye and several allies in a police cell to stop them leading an anti-government protest, the police said would start ch...
Thousands ride to make boy’s wish come true - Carlsbad
An estimated 4,000 motorcycle riders from around Southern California gathered to help make a bedridden thirteen year old boy's wish to see and hear motorcycles roar past his home c...
Nepalis Protest Rising Fuel Prices
As in the international market, the fuel prices in Nepal rose enormously. Long queues in front of gas stations have become a daily occurrence. Demonstrators gathered to protest the 15 p...
Residents of Athens city center protest against drugs.
Residents of Athens city center protest outside the Omonia police station against drugs the deterioration of their neighborhood as well for the inaction of police in this matter. Athens...
Parliament Square protests continue after police raid - London
Brian Haw's Parliament Square Peace Campaign continues on to Day 3881, despite the police seizure of tents and the arrest of Barbara Tucker last night. An injunction protects the P...
Tensions rise between occupiers and police at Stuttgart 21 site
The planned expansion of the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof continuously gives rise to serious tension between the demonstrators, who settled in the park near the station, and the police. Stutt...
Neo-Nazi march prevented in Dresden
Several thousand people prevented a march of neo-nazis in Dresden. Many People blocked the Route peaceful, some protested violent. Dresden, Germany. 13th February 2010
Police make arrests after Metro Demonstration
Police made a number of arrests after people of all ages staged a protest in the capital against the constant rise in fares for the metro. Madrid, Spain. 15th January 2012