Spotlight on The Police

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Spotlight on The Police

February 29th, 2016

Awake Goy

You reach a point where you have to get up and join others at the street barricades. As you close the door it’s best to leave your illusions behind you. This is the time when you realise Santa Claus is fiction and Snow White, rather than being virginal, was feeling grumpy every morning and afterwards felt happy.

Forget the concept of policing by consent. Those saccharine ‘serving the community’ maxims on the sides of police vehicles are pap for those who attend bridge clubs.

We working class kids were streetwise whilst we still had the potty marks on our backsides. I recall the story about the police visiting a local school. A public exercise venture, the police wanted to know what kids thought of the local police. The notes came back upon which several messages appeared in which sentiment was expressed, ‘all coppers is bastards.’

Shocked, the police officers later returned with a bag of sweets for each of the children. The following week the kids were again asked their opinion of the police. The notes came back upon which was scrawled, ‘all coppers is crafty bastards’.

Many a true word said in jest, and now to the serious stuff. Michael Walsh’s Europe Arise is a Pandora’s Box of potent advice for novice street activist for street protest. The first thing you notice is that old-timer campaigners despise the police. They know the police are not there as impartial mediators whose purpose is to keep the peace. Seasoned activists know the police will go to any lengths; violence, threat, perjury and illegal activity, to defend state interests.

Policemen are never off duty. For every uniformed policeman another two cops in civilian dress are present. A policeman may pretend to be an onlooker; he is likely an informer, an observer and a compliant state witness. Police will provoke incidents to prompt police attacks and arrest protestors.
No comment: A senior policeman once confided in me that proving a crime to the 100% satisfaction of a court is nigh on impossible. Most people were convicted on a confession or loose talk.
Keep your mouth shut. Assume police cells to be bugged. When interviewed, cameras and recording devices will be in use. They are not there to ensure fair play; they are there to collate evidence that could secure a conviction.
Watch your body language; it is more eloquent than is your tongue.
Be aware: A policeman has no scruples about making arrests on false charges such as obstruction, illegal activity, refusing to comply or resisting arrest.
Police collaborate between themselves. The cop who witnessed an imaginary assault was likely not a witness at all. Get used to it; this is normal.
A policeman will not treat you favourably because you are aged, young, a woman, or dressed well. It is a numbers game; the police will randomly beat and arrest protestors to make the numbers up.
Expect your Facebook account and mobile phone data to be hacked and even deleted if you are arrested.
Your discomfit or indignant expression of denial of justice may be music to the ears and further encourage arresting officers. They actually like doing what they are doing; many get off on behaviour that out of uniform would get them arrested.
Policewomen are known for being as vicious as their male counterparts. Many police women are ‘married to the state’. The female is the deadliest of the species.
When you are arrested the police may give you a hard time to discourage you from protesting. The police will resort to blackmail, such as false charges will be dropped unless you are again arrested.
Never stand by your principles; never assume that you will be found judicially innocent if you are innocent. Those who preside at courts are the other side of the state’s coin. They are not on your side; live with it.