Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of the death, or rather murder, of Ian Tomlinson, a middle-aged white working class newspaper vendor who was bitten by police dogs, struck from behind with police batons on more than one occasion, and thrown violently to the ground by police while passing through the demonstration against the G20 meeting and the bank bailout that was taking place in central London at the time. He was not a part of the demonstration, he was simply on his way home from work. At no point was he aggressive or confrontational with the police officer who was video taped striking him from behind without provocation, WHILST CONCEALING HIS BADGE NUMBER AND COVERING HIS FACE. Ian collapsed and died of internal injuries soon afterwards. See video here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2009/apr/07/g20-police-assault-videoI was a few blocks away when that happened. It could have happened to me or to anyone - young, old, black, white, male, female or whatever - who was in the area at that time, when orders from the very top of the chain (I am sure) were in effect to show the naked power of state terrorism to try to intimidate poor people from taking a stand against the robber barons of the city of London. Or from even daring to be anywhere in the vicinity of people taking such a stand.
It's "democracy and freedom" when it suits them... or to quote Ice T, it's "freedom of speech... just watch what you say.
A year later, no cop has been charged, and I doubt they ever will. But you can be sure the police will be there tomorrow when Ian's family and supporters lay flowers at the spot where he died, but not to lay flowers - to photograph and videotape the subversive threatening flower-layers. Cos that's what my tax money pays for - that and bailing out the banks and subsidising the pedophile pope's upcoming visit to these shores.
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