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Girl punched to the ground at Hyde Park water fight
Benedict Moore-Bridger, Evening Standard31.07.08
This is the moment a girl was punched off her feet during a water fight in Hyde Park in which nine people were arrested.
The girl was knocked to the floor by a fellow reveller after he was squirted with a bottle of drink during the play fight, which had been advertised on Facebook.
The attack happened at around lunchtime yesterday near the Serpentine.
Nine people were later arrested after gangs of youths ran amok, threatening the public, flashing knives and causing riding school children as young as five to be thrown from their horses.
The terrifying scenes came two weeks after teenager Frederick Moody-Boateng was murdered having attended a similar water pistol fight in Holland Park.
About 300 teenagers had responded to the Facebook posting.
Witnesses described how the goodhumoured event soon descended into violence after one of the girls tipped a coloured drink over one of her companions.
One man, who captured the events on camera, said the group had earlier been spoken to by police for disturbing people in the park.
He told the Standard: "About 10 minutes after the police left, the girl poured drink over this bloke. He was not happy and chased after her. She thought it was a game but he looked really angry.
"When he caught up to her he just whacked her so hard - she was lifted completely off her feet. Hundreds of people saw it. It was shocking. He then just stood over her, threatening her until other people in the group pulled him away."
The girl later staggered to her feet and was helped away by friends.
Other witnesses claimed hundreds of police, some with dogs, later descended on the park to disperse the youths. Paramedics were called to Serpentine Road to treat some of the injured horseriders for suspected broken bones and concussion.
At 7.30pm a search cordon was put in place in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said several people became "hostile to police actions", resulting in nine being arrested: four for assault on police, three for public order offences, one for affray and one for handling stolen goods. All were men in their twenties and were taken to central London police stations.
Reader views (57)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Should have seen last night's 1000 youths in the park, absolute nightmare, fighting, disorder. Animals, all with attitude problems. Can't see why anyone would want to live in London or similar big cities.
- D James, London, UK
So, apparently, it isn't only in the USA where we have brain dead morons like this guy. Wow. Beat a girl because she sprayed a soft drink on you during a water fight. I guess that was his best tee shirt. What would have happend if she had gotton some on his shoes? Maybe a stabbing.
- Dan, New York, USA
Whatever else happens I bet this girl never again throws pop over a stranger while laughing and expecting no retaliation.
- Adam, London
Everyone's blaming facebook as if it posted that children should be violent and punch girls. I agree that, that boy did not have to go to extremes to gets his point across which was he was angry that he just had a fizzy drink poured over him. But think about it from his point of view, he probably lives far and going home looking like that and feeling sticky would've gotten on my nerves too. The main problem of that day was children were forced out of the park, the punch is just an incident that covers the main story.
- Hermane Assampele, North West London
Someone must recognise this thug, they should out him so that his parents, friends and colleagues can be proud of him!
- Nj, London
What a pathetic excuse for a man, simple as.
- Alex, Norfolk
I cannot believe that some of you think it is OK to hit a woman regardless of what she has done, given half the chance I'd like to give this idiot a right hander myself and see how he deals with a man. Guarantee his reaction would be different.
- Mt, London
I reckon this is fake. The camera captures absolutely everything from start to finish in high quality and no complaint was made nor charges laid.
We've been had.
- Moz, London
You can not solely blame Facebook for this. People get punched and beaten up on numerous occasions, it is only because this photo was published that people know this incident happened.
- Legra, london
The police had to act for two reasons
1. clearly it has got out of hand in one instance, eg the girl being assaulted.
2. Last time one of these events got out of hand a young man was stabbed to death.
- Stuart, UK Luton
Not so funny now is it?
- Jh, Surrey
My 15 year old daughter was in Hyde park on Monday, while one of these water fights were taking place. She'd had an enjoyable day with her friends and was on her way home but had to go back to the park to find her oyster card.
She was attacked by a group of girls who said that she was being rude, she didn’t know these girls and twice tried to walk away from the argument (which wasn’t the result of any water fight) she made it clear that she wasn’t being rude and that the argument was ridiculous. After pushing her to the ground they continued to punch, kick, scratch and pull her hair even though she was unable to fight back, this went on for at least 10 minutes, until luckily a member of the public finally came along and managed to pull her out, I dread to think how much longer they would have continued to lay in to her for, and what sort of state she would have been in if he hadn’t come along. As a mother it is heartbreaking and sickening to see my daughter battered and bruised and imagine her going through this completely unprovoked ordeal.
These girls behaved like a pack of animals, without conscience or morals, completely heartless.
Unfortunately a water fight isn’t harmless fun anymore; if you get a bunch of teenagers together nowadays you can almost guarantee there will be trouble
- Kim, London
Peter Dempsey - it is not "your society" it is "our society" and the sooner we all realise that that in order for society to work and improve we all have to make a positive contribution the better.
The rise and rise of internet communication has freed up things in so many ways, but it has also allowed people to hide behind a façade and not face the consequences of their actions - Peter Dempsey - if you don't like "our society" then think about what you are personally doing to make it better - hopefully a little bit more than writing on blogs.
Hermane Assampele - don't worry you'll understand eventually - you have a responsibility to behave in a way that doesn't offend other people. That's life - its not all about you. This attitude of being "picked on" - generally what all teenagers think and it doesn't matter whether that is the 2008 teenager or the 1997, 1985 etc etc. When your hormones settle down - hopefully you will understand the world doesn't revolve about your individual needs and requirements.
- Jc, se1
What a loser... Needs to get a life hitting a women like that, What comes around goes around
- Miss P, Acton
Of course the police should be heavy handed with them. They should've carpet bombed hyde park to reduce future knife crime. Its true what that cop said, you/they don't belong in Hyde Park.
- Amit, North London
Let the kids have fun, thing is how to stop it getting out of hand? When the few bad apples go OTT.
I too have noticed the police attitude to teenagers is confrontational but what do they do if it does escalate and someone was stabbed? Without demonizing all young adults.
Not facebook's fault, off subject but Facebook users are with Big Brother viewers in bringing up the rear of the human race - brian dead, quite sad but harmless.
- Terry, london
Are you serious? What a degenerate, to punch a woman, and for what? Something so stupid and trivial?
Really, disturbing images.
- Basil, London
If the powers that be put as much effort into stopping this kind of behaviour as they do to people who put a cabbage leaf in the wrong dustbin then the problem of youth crime might be solved a lot quicker
- Carol Ann Burridge, Bedford,England
Whilst his actions are inexcusable and exactly what society could do without, she is an idiot for thinking that ruining a strangers clothing is an acceptable thing to do. What did she think he might do? Oh yes, she clearly did not think at all. Small wonder that there are so many assaults and murders in the UK with stupid people like her about provoking strangers!
- Craig, London
The first pic plainly shows the male victim waving his still-attached umbilical cord at the lady.
She was probably quite threatened, and breathed or something.
- Apc, Alresford
What a pathetic little man!
- Meg, London
Another day, and yes, yet another example of the descent of your society to the bottom. What a sick, violent society you have in the UK. Where is the strong political will to change this?
- Peter Dempsey, London, UK
Young chav men are precious about their white sportswear. They become very aggressive to anyone who so much as smudges their 3-for-a-tenner catalogue tee-shirt. Do they not realise that no amount of bleach or exotically named deodorants can help them?
- Martin, London
He is a right little knacker, showing of in front of his mates. I bet he would run if it was one of his mates in the photo who put it up to him. I think in years to come say 40 years from now he should be shown these photos of himself.
- Michael Campbell, Londonderry N. Ireland
Hitting women? Man up.
- Curt, Harrow, England
Nonce hits women but wouldn't hit a guy his own size. Yes mate we are all looking at your photo hitting that girl and slating you, you mug.
- Gordon, London
As usual with this sort of affair, there were good and bad, kids and cops. Some went overboard while others were well behaved. The cops are faced with quite a dilemma though as, if they don't crack down and someone is stabbed then they are held responsible whilst if they do so and no one is injured as a result then they are seen as fascistic bullies. Also, some of these kids were having great fun, I'd seen them in the park once or twice this week, but there were others who used the gathering for their silly macho (read small bits) gang agendas. Some of these youths may have been 14, or whatever, but they are physically powerful, grown men. The cops can't leave them to their own devices - look how many have been murdered already! I was in the park yesterday evening and, even though there were lots of police at one end of the Serpentine there was a gang of eastern European youths (I know because I spoke to them) who were spoiling for trouble only a hundred yards away. No doubt, they would have had a solicitor abuse the human rights charter to get them off, had the police done anything, hence their lack of concern. I had to walk away as I was being provoked by them. No one in their right mind can blame the lack of play space for this behaviour - it was in one of the largest, most beautiful parks in the capital, hardly bleak!
- Chris, london
Think she needs to have a look at her flirting techniques.
- Serox, London
Who is he?
someone must know his name, stick that on facebook as well.
- Kedge, marlboro wilts
Has to be a chav! I woulda knocked him out if I was there. Pity I missed it!
- Matt, London
I was one of the teenagers who were there having a water fight, and this story is only outlining the event from the police point of view. we (teenagers) were having our fun before the police restricted us from the water supplies and started aggressively, in a way, bullying us out of the park. How do they expect people to have a water fight with no water? One policeman told me to go home and "people like you do not belong here" also "Cow". I was extremely saddened by his comments. This makes me feel that whether we carry water pistols or real guns, does not matter because we as teenagers will always be targeted by the police, for any that we do.
- Hermane Assampele, North west London
I was in the park all day yesterday. The police were being calm about it as they were not enough of them. These guys with the water guns have been terrorising the park for last weeks with stealing and fighting in the park. Police should be given more power to act as they can only watch. This youth were scaring normal people in the park splashing water on anyone they could get including police. They vandalised so many things in the park to what I know. So don't say they were having fun.
- Raj, london, Uk
I bet they had a right laugh about it on their way back home.
Probably shouting and screaming on the train or underground making everyone else's lives on the carriage a misery.
If the police do catch him he will probably get off as the CPS will say there's lack of evidence, even though the photos are conclusive - i.e. they can't be bothered to prosecute over a punch - especially if the girls ok.
No punishment for these and other offences like it are making the youths know they can get away with it.
- Mark, Barnet
Fighting in public who'd have thought? It really has gone downhill since 'facebooks' come about ey Judith?? If only we could go back to more peaceful times like the 70's, when mods and rockers sat down and had political discussion over cups of chai tea at motorway service stations up and down the country. Wo is us to live in such a violent age!!
- Luke, Cambridge
OK people, I accept that I was wrong. I was just upset because someone on facebook took my boyfriend away from me.
- Judith Chisholm, London
I couldn't agree more with Felicity. I was also in the park yesterday evening, and the policing was unbelievable. The way to tackle a potentially volatile situation is to deal with the incident calmly and effectively, and not to turn up with three wagons full of police with dogs and try to get 300 people, most of whom were just having fun, out of the park. Time and time again the police are guilty of causing these situations to escalate when they could have been prevented. Judith - your points are naive and ignorant. I suggest you get out into the real world and stop believing everything you read.
- Xander, London
What a hard man. I wonder if he'd have taken the same action had the perpetrator been one of those you can see in the background.
- Scott, London
Judith, are you mentally stunted or are you trying to get a reaction? Either way, I pity you. Facebook is a global networking site, mainly popular amongst office workers and people in their 20's, citing it as a haven for ''low-life scum'' is, at best, moronic.
I found the latter half of your post most amusing - at first the problem is the aforementioned ''low life scum'', then it turns out only people with ''big money'' can do what they like! Amazing. Pray, do tell me, as a facebook user and occasional fan of meeting in mobs and causing trouble, where do I get this ''big money'' from?
You, madam, are an idiot. I severely hope you are never allowed to breed.
ps: never a good idea to post your full name on the Internet, where the sort of scum who use Facebook might find it. Much love, xx
- Emlyn, Torrington, Devon
Judith you are so far detached from reality it amazes me! Should we also ban mobile phones and e-mails just in case some teenagers use them to meet up?
The irony is you’re using an online blog to tell people your thoughts on why people shouldn’t talk to each other online!
- Dan, London
School holidays should be banned.
These quasi-illiterate hoardes don't know how to behave themselves so should not be allowed to enjoy the freedom of the city.
- Boris, London
Oh for Goodness sake, Judith!
Does anyone really believe that the despicable mentality where it is deemed ok to punch ANYONE in the face for pouring a drink on them is the fault of Facebook? Don't be so narrow minded.
It is not "the countrys" fault, it is not "the Governments" fault. Gordon Brown did not invent Facebook, nor does he encourage yob-like behaviour. That's just down to some teenagers being thick enough to think that this behaviour is acceptable. Monkey see monkey do. Did they see their parents walloping each other and their siblings or Gordon Brown walloping Tony Blair? I know where I'd be seeking out blame...
Get off your high horse and look at the bigger picture. Violence and class segregation existed long before Gordon Brown OR Facebook and will continue to do so for many years I'm afraid.
- C, SouthWest
I rode through Kensington Gardens near the Round Pond a bit before 18.00 yesterday. There were quite a few teenagers carrying on a bit but not in too bad a way. I did notice quite a strong smell of marijuana in certain areas and some kids attempted to squirt me. It all seemed harmless enough but could have easily got out of hand. At that point I wasn't aware of what had happened earlier.
- Tom, London
It is not the fault of either the parents or of facebook, it is simply a group of brain-dead thugs looking for trouble, possibly out of jealousy because they have neither the mentality nor inclination to wish a better life for themselves.
If they are employed, and I seriously doubt that, as they probably are all on benefits like the realms of benefit scroungers littering our streets, their employers should dismiss them without any recourse to financial reward, as I certainly would if employed any such yob.
- Anthony John Calladine, Weston Supermare
What a hard man. Hopefully some of his "homies" will see what a coward he really is.
- Beano, Salford, Salford
"Wretched, disgusting..'Facebook'"
What? This pathetic rant shows nothing but ignorance from someone who, if nothing else clearly doesn't know what facebook is, and who seems to have no understanding of the issues involved.
- Lewis, London
Appalling! This muscular jerk should be charged with assault and actual bodily harm. No matter what the provocation he should not have hit her - and most certainly not in the face. What a disgusting young man.
- Chuck Unsworth, London
There is too much scum in London now for this sort of innocent fun.
- Mike C, London
Why has this boy not been caught and punished. He obviously thinks he's a tough man but is in fact just a cowardly boy.
- Sam Woddell, Swindon
Dear me felicity.
What you didn't see was the groups threatening each other with knives, police officers who were trying to be polite at best ignored and at worse assaulted, and the hundreds running through the park stealing whatever took their desire. I do not blame the police for fearing the worst - they were not nice people. I was at speakers corner too, and all the kids had to do was walk away. Instead their lack of discipline and respect for authority shone through and they chose to defy the officers, leaving them with little choice. Should they be tough on these gangs or not?
- Gregg, London
I work opposite the park and l watching the teenagers having funny in the park from last Friday. I had my youngest with me and she wanted to join them. Like Felicity said the police came in heavy handed. There was 5 police cars inside the park and 2 large van outside. They were told not to use the water guns anymore. Most of the teenagers left the park. I can see why the teenagers don't trust the police and it show that since l was growing up nothing has changed
- Anon, London
To Mauk: It really pisses me off when your try to blame the "society" for all the problems of aggressive and yobish behaviour.
The fact that these people do not know how to behave in public does not have anything to do with the "society."
We all make choices, and these people choose to behave in an anti-social, aggressive and barbaric way. That was their choice and no one could make that choice for them.
We live in a city where there is a vast amount of resources for young people (schools, top universities, the major financial centre in the world, world class museums and other cultural institutions that other people in this world can only dream about) and despite this there are kids running around acting like spoilt brats that expects and takes everything and gives nothing.
What are these people’s problems? They do not starve. They do not lack education. They do not lack employment.
What?
- Erik, London
Mark, absolute cobblers, I was brought up on a council estate with no playing fields and no youth clubs, we used our minds and found other ways to keep ourselves amused but more importantly we respected each other, our parents and everybody else. Some of the youngsters today have no care for anybody but themselves and that includes their elders and it's about time they started growing up.
- Darren, london
Judith, Facebook is not guilty. The people ruling the country are not the Facebook generation but the pubic school one. Look where it got us, while rich kids continue to make money the rest of the country can't even play with water in the park. Again, sad.
- Pabs, London
Judith thanks for tarring everyone with the same brush.. does that mean we are all scum for having Facebook accounts?
Get over Facebook and every other excuse.. there are only two words and that is "parental responsibility". No other excuse is viable in my book.
- Paul, Berlin, Germany
OK - the incident with the girl being punched is horrible-but I was in the park yesterday from 1800 for 2 hours yesterday picnicking with a friend and all I saw were the police being ridiculously heavy handed towards young teenagers who seemed to be behaving impeccably and were just having fun. the police waded in and turned a gathering which could have been easily controlled into an absolute fracas. Their body language and way of interacting with the water fighters was aggressive and seemed to assume the worst. It's no wonder the teenagers I spoke to don't trust the police- it was assumed they were up to no good.
- Felicity, London
Judith, 'those with big money' have bought the playing fields, shut down the youth centres and claimed big profits for themselves by building shops and houses on those places where the youth at one time entertained themselves. These kids are bored - blame the rich not facebook (!) and the kids.
- Mauk, London
Close down all these wretched disgusting sites on the internet like 'Facebook' where these low-life scum youth can contact each other simply in order to meet in mobs and cause trouble. This is what the country has now come to. We are ruled by these brain-dead anarchic utterly selfish 'youngsters' who would be better named 'mobsters'. What about the rest of us? What about quality of life? Oh, no, of course, I forgot. In Brown's Britain it's only those with big money who can expect quality of life. It's down in the gutter with the rubbish for the rest of us.
- Judith Chisholm, London
