HACKED OFF

Police efforts to silence dissent outside the Oxford animal testing lab have seen a freelance journo and NUJ member, David Palmer, arrested last Thursday at the regular demo outside the lab, with all of his recording and camera equipment seized.

Despite the fact that the campaign to prevent the building of the lab on South Parks Road, Oxford was unsuccessful and the Thames Valley Police’s promise to ‘wage a dirty war’ against protesters was exposed (see SchNEWS 590) – an injunction (drafted by SchNEWS favourite Timothy Lawson Cruttenden) controlling the protests is still in force.
David inadvertently wandered into an area prohibited under the terms of the injunction. He was warned to leave by university staff and did so immediately. But this wasn’t enough for the cops however, who jumped on him mob-handed and arrested him for harassment.

“I spent around six hours in a cell at Oxford police station before being interviewed. During the course of the interview, I was informed that my video camera and mobile phone were going to be retained and that I’d be questioned about material found on them at a later date. I pointed out to the interviewing officer (on tape) that such treatment of a journalist was completely illegal; at this point the police tried to say my press cards were fraudulent!

I insisted the police ring the 24hr NUJ verification number on the back of my press card, but they refused to do so and said they’d ring the number the following morning (Friday) and that I’d hear from them after that.”

David was not released from custody until shortly after midnight, nine hours after his arrest.
* See www.speakcampaigns.org