Ian Tomlinson, killed by kettling

Salfordonline has an eyewitness account of the death of Ian Tomlinson, who was on his way home from work when he was caught up in a police kettle during the G-20 protests.

Ian Tomlinson, 47, was apparently on his way home from work as a newsagent, and allegedly collapsed and suffered a heart attack during the protest.

The allegations were made after the widow of the man today lead a march for her partner who she said “died for the crimes of capitalism.”

One female witness who wished to remain anonymous talked of “police brutality and heartlessness” and directly implicated members of the police force in the “murder” of the protester who, in tributes left outside the Royal Exchange in the city, was described as a “hero.”

She spoke of the “unwarranted” attack made by “masked policemen in riot gear.” After being struck in the head by a police baton she said the man was then bloodied and left unconscious on the street.

An article on kettling at Comemnt is Free largely focuses on the legal aspects of this “controversial” tactic to keep order, without going into why this tactic is used. Supposedly this bunching up of protesters in small groups that are then kept standing in a controlled location for hours on end helps avoid violence and the police losing control. What it actually does is disrupt demonstrations by preventing large number of protestors from actually marching, keeping them irritated and on edge, punishing people for having the audacity to protest.

It’s a tactic which according to veterans, was first used on the “Stop the City”protest of the eighties but was only fully adapted after the May Day protests of 2001. The Metropolitian Police is somewhat ..selective… in its use of this tactic, largely keeping it confined to demos of a certain political character. Kettling doesn’t just disrupt demonstrations, it also changes the focus of media attention, form the demo itself to lawandorder. It helps delegitamise protest. And now it has killed.