UK: Britain is Not Innocent: A Netpol report on the policing of Black Lives Matter protests in Britain’s towns and cities in 2020

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Country/Region
UK

A new report by the Network for Police Monitoring looks at the policing of the Black Lives Matter protests in the UK that arose following the killing of George Floyd in the USA. "Netpol concludes that the policing of these protests was institutionally racist."

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See: Britain is Not Innocent (Netpol, link):

"Netpol’s research identifies significant areas of concern including:

Excessive use of force and the disproportionate targeting of black protesters, with baton charges, horse charges, pepper spray and violent arrests.

Kettling, enclosing large numbers of protestors – including children and potentially vulnerable people – in confined spaces for up to eight hours, making socially distancing impossible and with no access to toilets, food or water.

Neglect of Black Lives Matter protesters experiencing violence from far-right organised counter-demonstrators, with examples of a seriously injured protester being searched rather than supported and others being ignored.

Experiences and policing at the hundreds of protests across Britain varied significantly, with some examples of light-touch policing at safe and successful gatherings. However black-led protests disproportionately faced excessive interventions by police.

Without underestimating the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the report questions the motivations for the restrictive responses to many Black Lives Matter protests. Considering the evidence alongside the wider context of racism in policing, the report finds that racism affected the manner in which police enforced lockdown regulations and responded to Black Lives Matter protests. Netpol concludes that the policing of these protests was institutionally racist."

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