Star date: 5th March 2014

`COME AND SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE BEING HURT EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR NO REASON' SAYS SALFORD GRANDMA

"I feel violated, abused…and I don't break the law"

A grandmother from Salford has urged local people to go to Barton Moss, not to protest, but to see the antics of the Greater Manchester Police Tactical Aid Unit, following another unnerving day on the anti-fracking protest.

"My message is `Come down for one day, you can stand away from it all, and you will see what is actually going on here, and you will see how people are being hurt every single day for no reason'" says Gaynor from Irlam.

Full details here…

"I was pulled back by my hood and blocked by the officer's arms, which were across my breasts. The way I was handled was completely inappropriate."

At around one o' clock yesterday afternoon, about a dozen anti-fracking campaigners trying to delay the one lorry heading up Barton Moss Road to deliver to the iGas exploratory drilling site, lined up in front of the wagon on the public footpath.

There were around five burly police officers to each person because, as the Greater Manchester Police Superintendent said recently, those present are "not there to protest against fracking, but are there to disrupt and intimidate the local community and to antagonise police."

Lined up ready to "intimidate the local community" and "antagonise the police" were a bloke from Irlam and his bicycle, a little girl being pushed in a wheelbarrow, lots of grandmas, grandpas, mothers and fathers from around Greater Manchester - some carrying mugs of tea - plus some young people from the area. In front of them was a bank of people filming the images on their phones to beam live around the world. 

The blue bibbed Police Liaison Officers had already told some of the elderly residents that the police were going to make them `walk at a brisk pace'. The boss `wasn't happy' because, since 9am, two protectors, Kieran and Nick, had delayed the lorry for four hours by lying down in the middle of Barton Moss Road attached to a giant lock-on device - nicknamed Matilda – with two layers of heavy cast iron tubing covering their arms.

The most effective lock-on to date at Barton Moss, it took tube surgeons from the GMP Protester Removal Team, working with angle grinders and a B&Q stash of equipment, ages to free and arrest them.

The lock-on is a form of non-violent direct action, where the only people who can possibly get hurt are the campaigners themselves. Even so, it didn't apparently stop officers from Greater Manchester Police Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) from doing just that when the lock-on first started.

"When they first locked on in the middle of the road, there were no cameras there and once they saw this the TAU went into an aggressive sprint towards us" said one of the protectors who was at the scene "Without even knowing what these guys were locked onto, without asking questions they came along, grabbed hold of Kieran's right arm and tried to pull him out of the road

"We were saying `Woooaaahhh you cannot move them, you could break their arms', and I was pushed to the ground" he added "I got back up, they digged their fists into my back and told me move. The sergeant said he saw nothing, and told us that they would arrest us for obstructing an officer - `obstructing' being obstructing Kieran from getting a broken arm.

"We then shouted for legal observers and cameras, and the whole situation changed" he recalled "Basically the TAU panicked and got very aggressive. They didn't think about the situation whatsoever, they just went in all guns blazing and nearly broke one of the protector's arms."

The lock-on lasted three and a half hours, during which time singer songwriter Darren Nesbit played his guitar and sang the Camp anthem `The people got the power…getting stronger by the hour…' with campaigners dancing in front of grim faced TAU officers.

When the lorry finally got moving, police retribution was swift…

"They said to us that they wanted us to walk at a decent pace but they didn't really give the chance to anyone to get up a decent pace" Gaynor, a grandmother from Irlam, recalled "Within a minute I heard a shout out and the police changed over and they [TAU] came in.

"As far as I was concerned, I was walking as fast as I could walk but the next minute one of the TAU officers got me, and pushed me in the side" she added "He didn't even check if I was alright just pushed me to one side and hurt me. It has really shook me up. I feel violated, abused. I just feel like anyone can just come up to me and do whatever they want to me because nobody's protecting people here, they are just violating all your human rights.

"I don't break the law, I've never broken the law in my life" she explained "they are making out that I am doing something wrong, and I'm not doing anything wrong."

Jan, from Failsworth, echoed the experience…

"We were walking the lorry out after being stationary for four hours and the police wanted us to walk faster, as usual" she said "When we weren't going as fast as they wanted us to go they suddenly started pushing us over to the side. I was on the right and they were trying to push us over to the left.

"It wasn't someone just pushing, it was a whole body pushing against me, this big bloke and I'm only little" she added "It was really aggressive and distressing. Absolutely inappropriate. We were walking, the lorry was moving, there was nothing illegal in what we were doing, they were just frustrated because they'd lost four hours. And they were trying to prove to themselves that they were really in charge or something. It was totally unnecessary, unwarranted, aggressive bullying."

Almost everyone on the march was manhandled out of the way of the lorry, be they old, young, cameramen, or indeed, the Salford Star journalist and photographer. One person filming the mayhem was arrested, others were pushed into fences. By the end of the march up the road to the iGas site entrance there was one guy left walking in front of the lorry, carrying a cup of tea flanked by dozens of police officers.

Once the single lorry had got into the site many campaigners were complaining to police inspectors about the TAU tactics, or apparent lack of them…

"I was telling the inspector that some of his officers are not being briefed properly, that they don't know how to handle this on a day to day basis - there were certain officers who wanted to keep pushing us down the road, telling us to keep moving forward, and other officers who were manhandling us off the road" Melody explained "The option to move forward was no longer there.

"I wasn't happy with the way I was handled at all" she added "I was pulled back by my hood and blocked by the officer's arms, which were across my breasts. The way I was handled was completely inappropriate, it wasn't necessary. I was moving forward like I had been told by one officer.

"I wasn't breaking any laws, I wasn't in anyone's way but other officers came in heavy handed and pulled me, and shoved me into the side of the road" she said "They're clearly not being briefed on how to handle this or, if they are, maybe they are being told to handle it this way. I don't know. I think they were trying to show us who's boss because someone had taken that action earlier in the day."

Indeed, minutes after the lorry had entered the iGas site, police stormed one of the protector's caravans with no warrant looking, under Article 32, they said, for evidence. While the police surrounded the caravan, officers were inside ransacking the sleeping area, while the number plate on the outside was removed. Eventually evidence was removed – a tube of superglue, some bolt cutters and a pair of shackles.

It was all just another mad day at Barton Moss.

"All I want to say is `People come down for one day – you don't have to go near anyone, you can just stand away from it all and you will see what is actually going on here, and you will see how people are being hurt every single day for no reason'" said Gaynor, the Irlam grandmother of four who has never broken the law in her life.

"We're all peaceful, we all want the same thing, to save the future for our children" she added "I've got four grand children and I don't want this happening here. This is our land. This is what we need to protect. And we need to do it now."

UPDATE 5th March: Manchester Trades Union Council Condemns Policing At Barton Moss

Manchester Trades Union Council, which represents over fifty affiliated trade union branches in the area has issued a statement this afternoon criticising the policing of the Barton Moss protest. The full statement reads…

“We…condemn the utterly disproportionate and heavy handed police tactics that have been deployed against peaceful protestors. We call for the immediate release of the two protestors currently detained in Strangeways and think it is a very worrying precedent when people exercising their democratic right to peaceful protest are treated as dangerous criminals by the police and judiciary.

“We will be writing to Tony Lloyd, the Police and Crime Commissioner, asking for a full explanation of the policing tactics that have been used against the Barton Moss camp. We stand in full solidarity with all those exercising their democratic right to protest and appeal to all Manchester trade unionists to do the same. We also urge all affiliated branches to attend the next solidarity demonstration at midday on March 9th in Piccadilly Gardens."

Manchester Trades Union Council also criticised Peel Holdings, which tomorrow will attempt to evict the Barton Moss Community Protection Camp through a hearing at the Civil Justice Centre.

“Manchester Trades Council unreservedly condemns the issuing of an eviction notice to the Barton Moss protest camp” the statement reads “This is a blatant attempt by a powerful landowner to clamp down on dissent which has been getting in the way of their prioritisation of profits over legitimate environmental concerns.”

See also previous Salford Star article (with links) - Police Commissioner sets up Protest Panel - click here