Shocking footage emerged last week of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) dealing aggressively with striking First Group bus drivers outside the company’s Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, Manchester, over the outraged protests of the workers and in spite of being told it was being filmed:
The video, shot by Patrick Nielsen, is disturbing and seems a significant over-reaction to a lawful action. We contacted GMP to ask:
See below a link to video footage of GMP breaking up strike action by First Group bus drivers, evidently with some aggression.
If police are acting on behalf of a company against a lawful industrial action, this is of serious concern.
Please provide comment/explanation by return.
After requesting additional information, GMP finally responded:
At around 4.15am police were called to reports of around 50 people blocking the entrance to the bus station on Wilmslow Road.
They were covering the entrance and exit of the bus station. Looks like police have spoken to the organisers and sorted it out.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident number 198 of 10/01/18.
The response fails to address the issue of aggression or to confirm whether they were acting on behalf of the employers.
The video evidence suggests that ‘spoken to the organisers’ is somewhat inadequate as a description of what took place – at least one man was arrested for unclear reasons – and the appeal for witnesses suggests that GMP itself regards the ‘incident’ as rather more than a ‘sorted out’ conversation.
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GMP – comical f***ing gangsters
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/police-watchdog-reinvestigate-barton-moss-7918298
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-41920954
Hey Skwarbox,
If GMP think they are setting some kind of precedent to the rest of the UK by policing with unjustifiable ‘robust force’ a peaceful protest in an attempt to thwart other demonstrations/protests then they are sadly mistaken.
I think your question to GMP was pertinent Skwarkbox and the Police response downright evasive, ambiguous and certainly not serving the public interest. In the absence of any semblance of truth from the Police (or indeed from anyone these days loyal to the Tory machine), I’m sure there are 100’s of thousands of people in the UK who are now convinced GMP can be bought and sold like mercenaries for the right money. Is this a new Community Service the UK Police Force are now providing to derive an income stream as a consequence of May’s disturbingly violent austerity measures that are killing people? (The Police should be policing Whitehall looking for those putting names to policies that have brought deaths in the UK rather than wasting tax-payer’s money striking innocent people without justification) No doubt the Police will be privatised in due course anyway and this is the first seed planted in the public’s perception hinting towards that idea. Under May and the Tories, the Police will be renamed The Schutzstaffel – the SS; literally meaning “Protection Squadron” – and will become a paramilitary organization working for a Fascist State. We are not that far away from such a possibility. Pray God Labour come to power!
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if 2018 starts with a winter of discontent escalating across all walks of life into major demonstrations protests and marches in Cities across the UK: people have had enough shit from Tory supported employers and Tory government policies – it’s time to peacefully protest in excessively large numbers across the whole UK. I’m sure London will be a focal point and very, very busy…perhaps even being brought to a standstill with Westminster caught in the middle of passionate heaving throng 🙂
Which reminds me…Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth will address a major NHS rally in London on the evening of Thursday 25 January 2018. Be there en mass to make a very loud noise and to make social history!
Namaste 🙂
DN