Friday 28 November 2014, 09.30am
Venue:
Stratford Magistrate’s Court
389-397 High St
London
E15 4SB
nearest station: Stratford or Stratford high st
FB event: G on trial for standing up to the Police
On 30th January 2014, G, a young asian male wearing a puffa jacket and other ordinary street clothing, observed the aftermath of a stop and search in Newham. As a concerned bystander, G monitored the stop and search, and protested when he saw the police officers’ conduct. This encounter resulted in G being charged with the following: one count of words/behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress; two counts of assault/resist of a police officer; and two counts of obstruction of a police officer.
G strongly feels that these charges are malicious and represent an attempt to prevent the peaceful monitoring of police activities including stop and search, by concerned members of the community. It is not a criminal offence to monitor the police’s activities, nor is it a criminal offence to question the police’s conduct. LCAPSV is standing in solidarity with G and demanding these charges be dropped.
G would greatly appreciate your support at his trial, at Stratford Magistrate’s Court at 9.30am. We will meet outside the court with banners, and will be present in the public gallery during the hearing. We must let the police and Crown Prosecution Service know that we are watching them in G’s case, and in every other instance of police harassment in London.
G has requested that people dress smartly where possible, this is to support him in demonstrating that he is a man of ‘standing in the community’.
