Professor Chris Knight renews threats against G20 police
Jack Lefley27.03.09
THE university professor who has been suspended for "inciting violence" before G20 protests remained defiant today and renewed his threats against the police.
University of East London anthropologist Chris Knight said: "The message to police is 'if you press your nuclear button, I'll press mine'. It sounds like a threat? Well, yeah - don't do it. If you want violence, you'll get it."
The university suspended Professor Knight on full pay pending an inquiry into his behaviour after he told the Evening Standard this week: "If they [the police] want violence, they'll get it."
The 66-year-old, who lives in Lewisham, has organised next Wednesday's G20 Meltdown Financial Fools Day protests under the banner of The Government of the Dead.
He will also lead attempts to target businesses in the City and Canary Wharf which fail to switch off their lights tomorrow night.
The University of East London did not take immediate action against Professor Knight, but it was confirmed today that he had been suspended.
He was told his comments were "inciting criminal action, specifically violence against policemen and women and damage to banking institutions".
A university spokesman said: "Professor Chris Knight has been suspended from his duties at the University of East London pending investigation. In order not to prejudice this process we cannot make any further comment."
Professor Knight was unavailable for comment.
Reader views (40)
Has anyone seen the billboard in front of Kensington Olympia? It's a £20 note that says G20 on it. Anyone know who is responsible or what it means?
http://i652.photobucket.com/albums/uu243/sweetponds/P1000460.jpg
- Tracey Lourenco, London
Although I was not there, the Autonomous bloc, made up of Anarchists, Anarcho-Syndicalists and Anarcho-Communists, was 600-700 strong.
The coverage of the revolutionary left by the mainstream media, and the self-evaluation of Capitalism recently in the very same media sources, along with the cries about the "Summer of Rage" is representative of the fear running through the spines of big business owners, stockbrokers, politicians and the state in general. Rarely have the revolutionary left been covered in such a way in the past, the police will up their violence to match the growing radicalism of the working class.
- Frier, Sheffield
that's what happens when they let polytechnics pretend to be real universities. Lets all the riff-raff onto the street
- Ces, Israel
Good on him!
Strike fear in the bankers, politicians, police and defenders of the status quo! Make it a day to remember!!
- Down With The City - Up With The People, April 1st Bank of England
I am reminded that in the two weeks before the G20 march, the papers were full of lurid stories about anarchists and the plans of the police to quell them.
But there were no anarchists and the the source of these stories was, Plod. The public were wound-up and made to feel frightened so that state could inflict it`s usual violence upon ordinary folk. Just like they did with the Countryside Alliance and the Climate Change Camp..
This time the police plan did not work, and the media is turning on the misquoted remarks of a minor professor.
-it`s called a distraction technique.
Look beyond it. You might be surprised at what you see.
- James Adams, Ispwich, UK
If any of you had bothered to actual think about what he was saying, you would realize he was not calling for violence but saying if the Police, as per their frequent tactics, deinied people their peaceful right to dissent--they would be, rightly, met with violence in turn. It was merel a rephrashing of Kennedy's dictum that those make peaceful change impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.
- Jm, Vancouver, Canada
Josef Stalin called people like him as useful idiots. FACT !
- Joe, Swanley Kent
Professor Knight despite his title proves that intellect , academia and commonsense should never be confused as being related . Fred Goodwin has a degree !
- Ad, London
This man is an irrresponsible lout and should be sacked. Anarchy and violence is not the way for a civilised society to protest and he is setting an extremely bad example for any young people he is, as a University teacher, in contact with. This is the 21st century not the 18th century; how can you deplore the use of violence while at the same time seeing it as the solution to our society's ills? Irrational thinking.
- Lorena, London UK
No wonder the society is deteriorating at such a fast pace. People in 'high responsible office' are behaving just as the asbo youths on the sink estates. Perhaps they think alike. No example whatsoever is shown by these people who believe they can spout any rubbish just because they have a mouth and they can speak.
Not everything one thinks ,one should speak but should consider the consequence that might come about from that speech. That is wisdom.
- Venelle, london
Well said, Phil of St Helens. You are spot on.
- Pat, East Kent UK
There seems to be a lot of people who want Chris Knight to be sacked. The people who need to be sacked are the bankers.
- Mick, London, England
Sorry, Kev, London, but absolute idiots do become professors. They live a cushioned and blinkered life and most of them have never done a hard day's work in their privileged lives...oh, perhaps they're not such idiots after all. And the majority of them would be completely unemployable outside of the so-called academia of places like UEL. As for "provoking discussion", can just as easily be done down the pub or in one's own home.
- Pat, East Kent UK
First we had the 'Climate Rush' storming of Parliament (well-advertised on the internet). Now this, with its massive threat to order,public safety and even life.
What is our beloved Home Secretary 'Wacky Jacqui' doing about it? Tough on crime.... yawn!
- Jools, London
"Chris is a great lecturer, he provokes discussion with his opinions and ideas" Steve, Hackney
That's fine, but he's not provoking much discussion lately, just inciting violence! Sack him.
- Damian, London
Let's get this in perspective. The world is full of murderers, rapists, and violent criminals, not to mention the likes of Bush and Blair who have incited enough violence during the Iraq War to make up for 1,000 Chris Knights. If anyone bothered to actually listen to this man's message what they would hear him saying is that we need to undergo a major change in the way we live to prevent the planet being irreversably damaged. That is a fact. Who can argue with that? So he has used some bizarre methods to get attention, but sadly that's the way the media works..
- Liz, Kent
To Steve - "Chris" is a lecturer of young kids, many of whom don't know any better than to be transfixed by a pratt with some gift for the gab. That does not mean he is doing a good job. In any case, what man of that age goes around calling himself "Chris"?
- J, London
The geezer is obviously mental, inciting mischief makers to more violence. I for one will be laughing my head off when the Police zap them with their Tasers and fire water cannons at them.
- J, London
Anthropology = the science that deals with cultural development?
Seems we have a Professor who would like to see us all regress back to a caveman society!
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Well done London protestors. The city stockbrokers and bankers have brought the world to it's knees with their greed and stupidity. The world recession will reek havok upon millions of lives but the bankers fiddle (the books) whilst teh world burns and run away with billions of stolen money (in bonuses). What a bank job! Nobody is "ripping up the streets of London". Wake up craven commentators. Well done Mr Knight and friends.
Of course you won't print this (living in China I know all about press censorship. Funny you act the same way in London).
- Richard Peacock, Kunming, China
Chris is a great lecturer, he provokes discussion with his opinions and ideas.
- Steve, Hackney, London
I am a female employee in an administrative role at a famous City investment bank. I work very hard but am not paid the huge salary associated with City workers, and I struggle to pay my rent and other bills, with very little hope of ever being able to buy my own home. I am far less well off than Mr Knight in his comfortable role as a public service employee and will never achieve the sort of pension he will get under the public service final salary scheme. I am extremely worried that I might be targeted or even injured by this foolish man's cohorts, or even mistakenly by the police. I have witnessed the poll tax riots and know how random the demonstrators and the police can be in targeting people. Can I sue Mr Knight for his threat to Storm the Banks (see the poster he is carrying)and the anxiety and fear this causes me?
- Sue, London UK
They do not want capitalism , don"t want communism, what the hell do they want.
It appears violence might be acceptable. STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF.
- alan green, Woodford Green
These people are pathetic. And I'm disgusted that he's not already been arrested for incitement to violence. Everyone has the right to protest peacefully, but ripping up the streets of London is simply not acceptable.
- Ian, London
The policemen and women stand in our places, keeping the peace and protecting men women and children, an attack on them is an attack on all of us. We are fortunate to have (so far) avoided a paramilitary gendarmerie, but direct attacks on our peace officers will make such a force inevitable.
Support the forces of law and non violent demonstration!
- James, Northampton
Suspended on full pay? That's great, courtesy of the University of East London this hypocritical idiot can now carry on with his lunatic plans without the worry of having to turn up for work. Why are people taken in by fools such as this? He's just as much a capitalist as the disgraced bankers, he just chose a different route and, worse still, pretends to be leftwing, with his salary and final salary pension (he is 66) being funded by the taxpayer - not to mention his income from property investment.
- Pat, East Kent UK
Haha, Absolute idiots do not become professors.
- KEV, London-UK
He looks like he should be in the Monster Raving Loony party.
- Robert Brenner, London
Thomas - he isn't bravely speaking out he is being an idiot and he should be sacked. Someone with such extreme views which he makes so public, should not be employed in our higher education. The violence that he supports, will affect a lot of hardworking people who will be caught up in this farce of a demonstration. Maybe these people demonstrating should get jobs and should stop sponging off of the rest of the country!
- nicky, london
We need people like Chris Knight to speak for those of us who are 'ordinary people' not the City rich kids, PR consultants or Advertising executives of this world but the people who survive on 15K incomes and watch in disbelief as these shylocks steal all our money then rent it back to us ! Well done
Chris - Form a party for us to get behind and vote for
- Vic K, Leyburn, UK
Suspended on full pay? So that's like a paid holiday then. I have a sad feeling that these angry dolts will make things worse not better.
- Chris, London
I for one will be keeping my lights on during Earth Hour, in fact every light in the house will be burning brightly, the washing machine will be on, as will the tv, the radio, the heater, the dryer, the sprinkler system and so on and so forth.....
- Nick, Wellington, New Zealand
Academic ability (if any) is no guide to rational thought and action.
- Phil, St Helens, Merseyside
I saw this guy on Channel 4 news and he was an aboslute idiot. How did he ever become a university professor? Sack him!
- Will, Islington, London
Very sad that an anthropologist could learn so little from history of humanity. And worse that my tax money pays for idiots like him to exist in higher education.
- Dave, London
Well done Mr Knight for bravely speaking out.Rest assured you have many admirers and friends all around the world.
- Thomas, London
Suspended, is that all, he should be dismissed.
Nobody like what the Banks have done to us, but inciting violence will not not solve the problem.
I fear next week will see chaos on London's street, as mobs will be out there to cause as much damage as possible, and just for the sake of it.
Malc
- Malc, London,England
And the taxpayer funds this man.. Starting place for slashing public spending? Anthropology Departments at all the former polys
- Max, london
Why has this idiot not been arrested? This is way beyond freedom of speech.
- Philip, London, England
Only in the UK would an idiot like this be employed in the education field. Well done Mr Balls another great Labour moment !!!
- Nick Holland, glasgow
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