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Met chief acts over riot police attacks
Kiran Randhawa and Terry Kirby15.04.09
MET chief Sir Paul Stephenson this afternoon bowed to huge pressure and ordered a full-scale review of riot policing at the G20 protests.
It followed new images showing a sergeant striking a woman across the face with the back of his hand before hitting her legs with a baton.
The review of how large crowds are policed will be conducted by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Dennis O'Connor.
At the same time, Sir Paul has ordered his officers to trawl through all the video and TV footage of the G20 protests they can find. Home Office and City Hall sources, wary of accusations that police independence could be compromised, insisted that the decisions to order the review and study all footage were Sir Paul's.
However, it follows growing concern among MPs and ministers over the attack on the woman on 2 April and the case of newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson who collapsed and died of a heart attack after being violently shoved to the ground by an officer near the Bank of England on 1 April.
In a statement Sir Paul offered no apology for the incidents, which are being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, but stressed the difficulties of keeping order and safety at such a large event.
He said: “G20 was a complex policing operation managing the movement and protection of many heads of state across the capital while balancing the right to lawful protest and maintaining public order for many thousands of people.”
Scotland Yard has suspended the two officers from the Territorial Support Group involved in the cases, both of which only came to light through
amateur video footage.
Sir Paul and Mr O'Connor are due to be questioned in public in the next fortnight by home affairs committee at the Commons. However, both are expected to say they cannot comment on individual cases while inquiries are going on.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, called for a swift response. “As these two officers came from the same unit, it raises very serious questions about their chain of command. Why were both officers so apparently ready to use violence? Why were their identity numbers obscured? Did they go out to prevent trouble or to start it? Policing the capital is too important to leave these questions hanging. We urge the new commissioner to volunteer answers without delay.”
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: “There have been substantial questions in London for some time about the Territorial Support Group, precisely because they are not linked to one particular locality. We need to have a review of their discipline.
“I think it would be helpful in the context of public concerns if Sir Paul made it clear that it is not acceptable to use disproportionate force.”
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith welcomed the review, saying “this is consistent with the police's commitment to continually review and examine their operations”.
A spokeswoman for Boris Johnson said the Mayor fully supported the decision to conduct a review, adding: “Throughout G20, the Mayor was in regular contact with the Commissioner and was satisfied overall that disruption was minimal and that thousands were able to exercise their right to
peaceful protest.”
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