Police 'mistreated' children during student protests in Brighton
Neil Puffett
Friday, April 8, 2011
Police used disproportionate and unjustified violence against children during protests against tuition fee rises, a report has found.
Produced by three academics from the universities of Sussex and Brighton , Political Protest and the Police: Young People in Brighton, focused on the student demonstrations of 24 and 30 November last year in Brighton.
It found that during the protest, which formed part of a nationwide campaign against tuition fee increase, police threw, hit and punched young protesters.
"Sussex Police used coercive policing strategies and tactics against child protestors, including physical force enhanced with weaponry, technologies of surveillance and criminal legislation," the report states.
"The policing of the demonstrations suppressed the political expression of school, college and university student communities and served to criminalise local forms of political protest, in particular, the vibrant street culture integral to Brighton’s civic life.
"Children were mistreated by the police."
Sussex police have responded by questioning the methodology of the research carried out.
Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett, Brighton and Hove City police commander, said: "We take very seriously our legal and moral duties to carefully balance people's right to peacefully protest with our duty to protect the public.
"We are extremely disappointed that the same balance has not been applied to the undertaking of this research. Despite our early offer to participate, the research team has not even acknowledged it, let alone taken it up."
