Defend the Right to Protest Public Forum Recording - Policing on Trial: How Do We Get Justice?

We held a successful public forum on Thursday evening, at SOAS to link together different, recent struggles against police violence, corruption and racism and all those fighting for justice and the continuous uphill battle to hold police officer’s accountable for their actions. Watch the full recording of the meeting below.

Our forum was introduced by Marcia Rigg (sister to Sean Rigg, whose inquest has just resulted in a damning narrative verdict) and she was joined by: Sophie Priestley (Solicitor who worked on the case to prosecute PC Simon Harwood over the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson), Alfie Meadows (Student protester nearly killed on a student demonstration on 9th December 2010 and subsequently charged with violent disorder), Ed Greens (Arrested on the Critical Mass cycle ride and subject to police abuse, denied his own food and water to break his fast), Brian Richardson (Campaigning Lawyer and lawyer to some of those accused of participating in the August riots).

All speakers spoke brilliantly, but many particularly drew inspiration from the courageous strength that the Rigg family have shown throughout their fight for the truth about the death of their brother and son: Sean Rigg. Marcia reiterating at the meeting how the previous day’s narrative verdict had taken four years. She told us that, “you get justice by never giving up”.

Sophie Priestley also echoed Marcia’s sentiment of refusing to give up and spoke of how this was the case for the family of Ian Tomlinson, as they now look to the civil courts to reconcile the two conflicting verdicts they have heard on the death of Ian. The inquest which found that Ian had been unlawfully killed by a jury with the same burden of proof as the same criminal court which acquitted Simon Harwood of that unlawful killing. Sophie also pointed out how police routinely put out misleading and untraceable briefings following police-caused deaths: she made a call for these sources to be named. This was something which particularly affected the Tomlinson case as police leaked misinformation such as Ian having a heart condition. Sophie also called for regular, transparent prosecution of police officers for all misconduct in office and raised the fact that PC Harwood still gets a police pension and that this should not be the case if he is dismissed by the MET police, but this had previously been avoided by him, as it is with many police officer’s because they can choose to ‘retire’ on certain grounds before facing disciplinary procedures.

When Alfie Meadows spoke he said we need to have unite all of our campaigns for justice, particularly in the wake of mass police violence and ongoing police racism.

Ed Greens also gave a brilliant account and analyse of his experience of the police on friday’s Critical Mass cycle ride, linking it to the militarisation of East London triggered by the Olympics. We have edited out his contribution for legal reasons.

A repeated theme of our meetings and public forums has been the inspiring contributions from the floor, those who talk about their experiences of police violence or corruption and many people’s determination to keep going, and the support that is shown for those fighting for justice such as the Rigg family, as well as the strength others draw from those fights. When Sam Rigg (sister to Sean Rigg) spoke from the floor and introduced their mother to the meeting she was given a standing ovation.

Many thanks to all those who attended the meeting.

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Our first national conference will be held in October of this year with big plenaries and workshops. For a full list of speakers and workshops please see here, where you can also book your place. Limited spaces available so we advise booking soon to avoid disappointment.

You can also watch a new film by Ken Fero, which depicts the Rigg family’s struggle for justice, here.