Ian Tomlinson Verdict: The CPS & The DPP are a joke
Today’s decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions not to bring any criminal charges over the death of Ian Tomlinson follows a line of previous decisions when police conduct has resulted in death or serious injury and no charges were brought.
One Year On: Ian Tomlinson Still No Justice
Sgt Delroy Smellie leaving court after being acquitted. Image: Daily Mirror
Today is the year anniversary of the death of Ian Tomlinson, his bereaved family like many others have been misled and discouraged from speaking by the police. Though there has been intense media coverage on this event, and it involves another territorial support group (TSG) officer, to date, the family are still awaiting justice.
On April 1st, 2009, I with 6 others and later thousands made our way to the City of London to demonstrate for people and the planet in response to the G20 meeting in London. Our slogan was “Nature Doesn’t Do Bail-Outs”, we going as prisoners of hope, believing with deep conviction, the unbelievable; that a rag-tag group of activists and students could make a difference on the international stage. Little did we know the cost it would take and what changes were before us.
Us and Them
A year ago today Ian Tomlinson died. He was the latest in a long line of people who have died at the hands of the police. Also on that day hundreds of people were assaulted by police using batons and shields, and thousands were denied the right to move around their city and forced into ‘kettles’, again this is part of very long history of police activity that shows that the attitude of police is not that they are their to uphold the law, but that they ARE the law, and the people are, albeit to varying degrees, outside it.
At a vigil for Ian Tomlinson the next day a video camera caught an incident in which Sgt Delroy Smellie slapped and then hit a young woman with a baton, so far he has been the only police officer to face charges, yesterday he was acquitted of assault, Judge Wickham said: “I am satisfied he honestly believed it was necessary to use force to defend himself.”. In a way the acquittal of Sgt Smellie was correct – the police as a group are taught to fear everyone in these kind of situations and to expect the worst, they are given the tools to deal with this (physical, psychological and legal) and, unsurprisingly, they use them.
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