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[Fedster + 1,307]

Mobile phone footage appeared to capture 17-year-old Saffron Hughes being struck on the head by an officer as she was led to a police van

Police were filmed swearing and hitting protesters when an anti-cuts rally in Manchester turned violent.

Mobile phone footage appeared to capture 17-year-old Saffron Hughes being struck on the head by an officer as she was led to a police van in handcuffs in Piccadilly Gardens.

She had been arrested on suspicion of public disorder after tearing police tape, but was later released without charge, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Her arrest comes two years after she was charged with obstructing a police officer at Barton Moss.

That case was dropped in a case her solicitor described as ‘abhorrent’.

 

Claim: The video appeared to show 17-year-old Saffron Hughes being struck on the head by an officer as she was led to a police van

 

Speaking of the moment she was arrested in Piccadilly, she said: “I think someone knocked the police man’s hat off and then he went for me.

“When I got to the police station they said it was a civil matter.”

Other protesters have complained that the policing of the demo on Tuesday night was disproportionate.

But police bosses say their officers came under hostile attack - with missiles thrown at them - and believe their response was proportionate.

Some protesters hurled missiles from the roof of Rice restaurant which hit officers and police vehicles, according to GMP.

Three protesters on the roof had to be escorted down as they were ‘drunk’, it was alleged.

In one video, a police officer with his baton drawn shouts ‘stand back, stand back, don’t f****** move’ at protesters gathered near the Queen Victoria statue.

 

Violent: Demonstrators claimed police were heavy handed at the rally

 

Katrina Lawrence, 37, from Wigan, who had been taking part in the protest, said: “There were police officers forming a chain while people were playing Bob Marley and dancing.

“The police had their batons out and they started screaming.

“It was a really scary experience and completely disproportionate.

“We are lawfully allowed to protest against spending cuts.

“The police are obviously under that themselves and as a service are going to be faced with some really disgraceful cuts which will affect all of them.”

Police were called to Piccadilly Gardens around 8.30pm last night after eight protesters climbed on top of the Rice restaurant to unfurl a banner reading ‘We won’t pay for their crisis’.

Officers said some protesters then started throwing stones at officers from their position on top of the building.

They swiftly closed off the area - but then clashes broke out with around 100 other protesters who had been playing Bob Marley and dancing on the other side of the gardens.

Officers surrounded people in a cordon as they danced and drew their batons urging people to stay back.

Three men who had climbed onto the Rice restaurant were arrested on suspicion of affray and aggravated trespass.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/video-shows-police-swearing-hitting-6075171#ICID=sharebar_twitter

 

Edited July 16, 2015 by Fedster

[met1 15]

Unless I've missed something she doesn't seem to be resisting, he's going to have a very hard job explaining why he struck her face. Silly boy.

[mike88 + 257]

I think he was going to push her head down but then someone knocked his hat off so he stopped and looked around. Seems line a non event to me. 

[met1 15]

I think he was going to push her head down but then someone knocked his hat off so he stopped and looked around. Seems line a non event to me. 

Having just viewed it again it does seem that she is compliant and walking at the same speed as the officers what do you see that requires him to push your head down??? It looks like he was getting frustrated at the others and took it out on her, i'm sure we get to the bottom of it as a there's plenty of camera footage and she'll probably make a complaint.

Edited July 15, 2015 by met1

[Hades + 1,693]

Am I missing something?  I don't see anything especially concerning in that video at all, I certainly dont think that officer has anything particular to worry about.

I think you're reading what you want in to the video, rather than actually looking at what's there - took his frustrations out on her?  Seriously? What evidence do you see of that?

Edited July 16, 2015 by Hades

[mike88 + 257]

Having just viewed it again it does seem that she is compliant and walking at the same speed as the officers what do you see that requires him to push your head down??? It looks like he was getting frustrated at the others and took it out on her, i'm sure we get to the bottom of it as a there's plenty of camera footage and she'll probably make a complaint.

The videos heavily edited and we don't know why she was arrested. I don't know what the SGT was thinking but he starts to gently push her head down liked you'd do with someone playing up, he barely uses any force at all. It's not like he struck her. There's a big crowd surrounding the officers and it looks like she's beginning to shout out to them, maybe he didn't want her inflaming the situation by communicating with them or thought she might spit/headbutt?? Just speculating. 

Edited July 16, 2015 by mike88

[Growley + 2,436]

I didn't see anybody being struck. I don't know why one officer felt a need at that point to push the prisoner's head down, but me not knowing doesn't make it unlawful. 

Having just viewed it again it does seem that she is compliant and walking at the same speed as the officers what do you see that requires him to push your head down??? It looks like he was getting frustrated at the others and took it out on her, i'm sure we get to the bottom of it as a there's plenty of camera footage and she'll probably make a complaint.

You should get a job in the IPCC.

[met1 15]

Am I missing something?  I don't see anything especially concerning in that video at all, I certainly dont think that officer has anything particular to worry about.

I think you're reading what you want in to the video, rather than actually looking at what's there - took his frustrations out on her?  Seriously? What evidence do you see of that?

Well I see her being struck just like the news report indicates.

[Growley + 2,436]

Well I see her being struck just like the news report indicates.

Watch it again. He clearly grabs her head and pulls it down. The direction of the force applied is entirely wrong for it to have been a strike.

Like I said, I don't know why he did it, but that doesn't mean it's unlawful. Making assumptions that he's taking his anger out on her without any other information is just nonsense.

[met1 15]

 

Edited July 16, 2015 by met1
Mistake

[Growley + 2,436]

I'd appreciate if you would edit your quote. Those are your words, not mine.

As for your assumption, and as I have already said, it's worthless without more information. 

Out of interest, are you a serving officer?

[met1 15]

Watch it again. He clearly grabs her head and pulls it down. The direction of the force applied is entirely wrong for it to have been a strike.

Like I said, I don't know why he did it, but that doesn't mean it's unlawful. Making assumptions that he's taking his anger out on her without any other information is just nonsense.

 

I have just watched it again and see no reason whatsoever for him to put his hands on her as she is compliant, I think my assumption is spot-on as he's being antagonised  by others in the crowd while she is compliant, the only thing she seems to do is answer the crowds questions, which is entirely lawful.whilst she has the right to remain silent, she is not obligated to do so

[Growley + 2,436]

I have just watched it again and see no reason whatsoever for him to put his hands on her as she is compliant, I think my assumption is spot-on as he's being antagonised  by others in the crowd while she is compliant, the only thing she seems to do is answer the crowds questions, which is entirely lawful.whilst she has the right to remain silent, she is not obligated to do so

Again, you're making wild assumptions. 

Let's look at what we actually have in this video:

• Female is arrested and taken to van. She is relatively compliant from what we see
• Hostile crowd are present and shouting at officers; the crowd appears hostile enough to warrant a show of strength
• A sergeant who is accompanying the prisoner grasps her head and pushes it downward. The prisoner appears shocked by this.

That's all we have. Without making unjustified assumptions, we don't have anything else. As I have said for possibly the third time now in this discussion, not knowing why he did it does not mean it's unlawful.

[prolixia 704]

This whole episode is outrageous.

First of all, I can see from the interspersed clips of the street party that there was clearly a carnival atmosphere so it was unnecessary and confrontational for the police to suddenly draw their batons just a second later.

What is more, the police didn't stop part way through struggling to handcuff a young woman in order to explain why they were arresting her to someone random with a camera phone.  From that I conclude that they had no lawful reason to arrest her in the first place. 

The fact that one of a small group of officers surrounded by a baying crowd swears at them when telling them to keep back is completely unprofessional.  When completely outnumbered in a public order situation, officers should lower their batons and hug the opposing line.  After all, they are supposed to be keeping the peace, are they not?

It's also outrageous that the sergeant touches the head of a detained person.  Once she was under arrest there was no reason for anyone to touch her - they could have just asked her to make her own way to the station.  It's hard to see exactly what he was doing when he started moving his hand, because just a moment before he touches her head he must have felt someone do something to his own head when his hat was grabbed.  However, I'm pretty sure that he was about to give her a heavy dose of police brutality he would probably have pushed her head right down to the pavement and kicked it!

But I'm surprised that no one has already commented on the most heinous police action of all.  At least two of those officers weren't wearing their hats.

[met1 15]

Totally agree

I totally agree

Edited July 16, 2015 by met1
Mistake