20 Sept 2009

Unconscious - 17 Sep 2009

Photos, print (c) 2009 Rudolf Cech. All Rights Reserved.

I walked past The Connection at St. Martin-In-The-Field last Thursday and saw an unconscious handcuffed man lying on the floor surrounded by police officers, one of them in plain clothes.

As soon as I started photographing him I was challenged by them. Questions were asked like why am I doing it and was threatened that my camera will be seized. After a brief conversation and explaining I am a member of a press they let me loose.


But what am I meant to think seeing an unconscious handcuffed man bleeding from his wrists? One police officer tells me he banged his head therefore the blood. Oh really? The only blood I saw was the one pouring from his wrists and saliva coming out of his mouth.

Police even called for back up and within minutes 2 police vans arrived. Well, they obviously knew more and weren't keen to share any other info with me at all. God knows what happened. Police being a bit too hard on a tramp? Or was he causing trouble? Or maybe he just passed out. When I returned to the scene 10 mins later the man was still unconscious but had no handcuffs on. Sadly I wasn't able to get another snap.

14 Sept 2009

Al-Quds Day march - 13th Sep 2009


Photos
, print (c) 2009 Rudolf Cech. All Rights Reserved.

Al-Quds Day. Every year people around the world march during the last week of Ramadan, in support of the rights of the Palestinian people. Supporters of Palestine set off from London's Marble Arch.

And after an unsuccessful protest at Harrow on Friday, EDL , about 30 of them, held a counter-protest at London's Piccadilly Circus.

March went down Park Lane and then turned left at Hyde Park Corner to walk up the Piccadilly Circus.
At the Piccadilly Circus both groups exchanged abuse.

March ended with a rally on Pall Mall. No clashes between EDL and Palestinian supporters were reported nor seen.

12 Sept 2009

Harrow mosque - 11th Sep 2009

Photos, print (c) 2009 Rudolf Cech. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, the holy day for Muslims.
11th Sep 2009, 8th anniversary of bombings in New York on the World Trade Centre.
Also from 21st August till 19th Sep 2009, it's Ramadan, a holy month of fasting for Muslims.

English Defense League (EDL) and Stop Islamisation Of Europe (SIOE) couldn't chose a better day for protesting against new mosque being build in Harrow, North West London. As the protest was announced and everyone was aware, more than a thousand people, mainly Muslims and few some anti-fascist, gathered at the mosque from 1pm.

One brave EDL member was spotted right in the middle of the Muslim's crowd taking photos of them and then sending them to his mates who were sat in the pub down the road. What a tactics!

The EDL protest never happened but few EDL members tried to cause some small meaningless trouble. Within seconds hundreds of Muslims run after them only to be stopped by the police.

EDL was taken to safety, questioned and then led away to back streets where their cars were paked. Few of them were arrested.

One other arrest was made near the mosque and as soon as young Muslims noticed, they made a run for it chasing policemen arresting another guy on the bridge.


The biggest trouble were on the bridge. I overheard one guy shouting: "If there is no BNP let's f*** up the police instead." Bottles, bricks and fireworks were thrown at the police and at the press.

Youths clashed with the police on a couple of other occasions, near the mosque and at a nearby car park, again throwing bottles.

By 8pm most of the people had dispersed and everything was back to normal.

DSEi Dinner Party demo@London Hilton - 10th Sep 2009

Photos, print (c) 2009 Rudolf Cech. All Rights Reserved.




About 30 activists gathered in front of London Hilton on Park Lane where DSEi delegates' dinner party was held.

After about half an hour chanting 'murdering scum' and 'stop the arms trade', around 40 police officers stormed in surrounding the protesters.

After 20 mins of a sit down, Police issued section 14 order, people were moved away from the Hilton and 10 arrest were made on breach of section 14.

Full text of section 14 of Public Order Act 1986:

14.—( 1) If the senior police officer, having regard to the time or place at which and the circumstances in which any public assembly is being held or is intended to be held, reasonably believes that—

(a) it may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community, or

(b) the purpose of the persons organising it is the intimidation of others with a view to compelling them not to do an act they have a right to do, or to do an act they have a right not to do, he may give directions imposing on the persons organising or taking part in the assembly such conditions as to the place at which the assembly may be (or continue to be) held, its maximum duration, or the maximum number of persons who may constitute it, as appear to him necessary to prevent such disorder, damage, disruption or intimidation.

(2) In subsection (1) “the senior police officer” means—

(a) in relation to an assembly being held, the most senior in rank of the police officers present at the scene, and

(b) in relation to an assembly intended to be held, the chief officer of police.

(3) A direction given by a chief officer of police by virtue of subsection (2)(b) shall be given in writing.

(4) A person who organises a public assembly and knowingly fails to comply with a condition imposed under this section is guilty of an offence, but it is a defence for him to prove that the failure arose from circumstances beyond his control.

(5) A person who takes part in a public assembly and knowingly fails to comply with a condition imposed under this section is guilty of an offence, but it is a defence for him to prove that the failure arose from circumstances beyond his control.

(6) A person who incites another to commit an offence under subsection (5) is guilty of an offence.

(7) A constable in uniform may arrest without warrant anyone he reasonably suspects is committing an offence under subsection (4), (5) or (6).

(8) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (4) is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or both.

(9) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (5) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(10) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (6) is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or both, notwithstanding section 45(3) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.