Kettling peaceful protesters is illegal and so says the high court
Using violence to detain a peaceful crowd is illegal. The high court has ruled that the Metropolitan police broke the law by kettling and attacking the Climate Camp in Bishopsgate in 2009.
It’s nice to have confirmation I suppose but I’m doubtful that there will be much change for people protesting on the streets of Britain any time soon. The point of kettling is, in my opinion, punishment without due process and incitement to violence that can then be retaliated against. The police will simply find new methods to reach these aims.
The lesson is to be peaceful in your protest as the judgement hinges on the negligible level of threat of violence and disorder the Climate Camp posed. In rejecting the Met’s assertion that there were groups within the camp intent on disorder or criminal damage the court has probably only raised the bar of the levels of dissembling that will have to go on the next time the Met want to attack a peaceful protest.
It will be interesting to see if there are any successful prosecutions from any subsequent kettlings.
