by Adam Majeed
96 pages, ISBN 978-1-903718-37-7, £7, spiral bound, publication date 28 January 2010.
Policing, Protest and Conflict: A Report into the Policing of the London Gaza Demonstrations in 2008 – 2009, by Adam Majeed, is a response to the myriad of complaints received by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) from demonstrators during the 22 Day War on Gaza. IHRC is no stranger to the problems of partisan policing and harassment of activists, and this report follows in the line of previous work, spanning a decade.
In some cases, the recommendations of IHRC have been adopted or at the very least, hotly debated. However, this report shows that there is still a long way to go.
To order a review copy please email dawud@ihrc.org or call (+44) 20 8904 4222 and ask for Mwilwa Kapansa.
To purchase a hard copy, please visit the IHRC on-line shop. To download a free copy please click.
The Metropolitan Police is generally at its best when listening to its sternest critics.
That was the view of Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Grieve who led the Met’s
radical and effective response to Lord Macpherson’s stinging criticism at the
conclusion of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. As Denis O’Connor, Chief Inspector of
the Constabulary, makes clear in ‘Adapting to Protest’ the Met needs to reflect on
its public order policing operations so as to revive a style of policing ‘… based on
minimal force and anchored in public consent’. This robust and challenging IHRC
report, ‘Policing, Protest and Conflict: A Report into the Policing of the London Gaza
Demonstrations in 2008 – 2009′ is therefore precisely the kind of perspective the Met
should engage with as it seeks to restore confidence in its unique tradition of public
order policing in the capital.
Dr. ROBERT LAMBERT MBE,
co-director, European Muslim Research Centre, and founder and former head,
Muslim Contact Unit, Metropolitan Police Service.
{youtubejw width=”600″ height=”400″}udCwoHIXVqg{/youtubejw}
