This video is currently unavailable
Can’t see video? Update Adobe Flash Player
Video may take a moment to load. Return to Video Index
Two protesters were arrested and three led away following clashes with police during Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s visit to Telford.
Anti-war campaigners gathered outside Telford’s Holiday Inn hotel, St Quentin Gate, while the Prime Minister was inside at a private meeting yesterday.
The protest followed his appearance at a national conference on sports colleges at Telford International Centre.
A separate group of 30 campaigners from Buildwas Primary School, with banners were also present close to the hotel, but were ordered away by police and security officers.
The parents and children were forced to stand on a refuge island by the side of a roundabout instead, after being told they were on private property. Buildwas was one of 22 primary schools offered a reprieve on Wednesday after being threatened with closure by Shropshire County Council.
Carla Lowndes, campaigning for Buildwas, said they had hoped Mr Brown would slow down as he went past. She said: “He had obviously heard what we were chanting.”
Anti-war campaigners Laurens Otter and his wife Celia, from Wellington, both in their 70s, were arrested after refusing to move away from the area.
They were later released without charge. Rachel Whittaker was carried away by two police officers.
See Also:
8 Comments
So here in Soviet Britain, the right of the citizen to protest has been abolished?
The police should be ashamed of themselves – as should be a prime minister who is so afraid of criticism
Report abuse
What’s all the fuss over? Police don’t pick up a dead cat from the road and they’re criticised,yet they help a lady to her feet who seems to have fallen over and they face further criticism!
Report abuse
Oswestrian – we still have the right to protest – but we’ve never had the right to protest on private property.
Whilst the schools protest people moved when asked to, and were still able to make their protest in sight of the Prime Minister’s car, the ‘anti-war’ protesters refused to move and were eventually quite properly arrested under public order legislation.
Perhaps if they’d been a little more grown-up and a little less self-defeating, they’d have been able to make their point, instead of wasting their own time and the police’s resources in getting themselves intentionally nicked.
Report abuse
Good to see tha ever-hypocritical politicians in eco-friendly transport…helicopters, Jags and Range Rovers…on his pay, he can afford the fuel bill, unlike the rest of the population. The schools will eventually be closed – and they will blame it on the local authority’s decision – maybe if we stopped the wars no one supports and all the money we give to other countries, then perhaps our schools/NHS etc would be decently funded. As for freedom of speech-forget it, Nu Labour is Orwell’s 1984 in action!
Report abuse
Well, maybe if they hadn’t chucked her in the hedge in the first place …
Report abuse
BK, the police werent helping a lady to her feet, they were arresting her, you see, if you watched that video of that stupid man who says he is in charge of the country then you will see the woman being carted off by 3 officers!! Gordon Brown = Cartoon Character from very boring cartoon.
Report abuse
Gordon Brown has little to no respect for the children who had come to the international center to have their voice heard. Brown appeared to lack the moral courage to address these children and even attempt to politey lie to them. I Feel Browns public relations team must lack the basic intelligence when dealing with the public. The police behaviour towards myself and other peaceful protesters was shameful and they made sure our great leader would not be the inconvenienced by seeing us. I still have cuts and scratches to my face due to the police heavy handed approach. Cutting butter with a chainsaw was the police tactic for the day. Not a great day for democracy. Brown is still a war criminal at large.
Report abuse
another case of the police being too heavy handed for the situation, maybe if Gordon Brown had bothered to talk , especially to our young he would have see how peaceful it should have been.
Report abuse