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Protesters arrested for 'putting glue on statue'
Peter Dominiczak28.04.09
The Met police faced criticism today after arresting four climate protesters for criminal damage over action at the Houses of Parliament.
The Climate Rush campaigners were told they face criminal damage charges after gluing themselves to each other around a statue near the visitors' entrance to Westminster. Traces of glue were found on the statue. The news comes as the Met faces unprecedented criticism over its policing of the G20 protests. One of yesterday's protesters, Deborah Grayson, today described the police response to the stunt as "heavy handed".
Ms Grayson, Alice Heath, Cadi St John and Chris Kitchen fixed themselves around the statue of Viscount Falkland - which suffragettes chained themselves to in their campaign for the vote.
She said: "First they arrested us for public order offences. Then a policeman told me we were under arrest for criminal damage because some glue had been found on the statue. It seems very disproportionate considering what we actually did."
The Met confirmed the arrests but no charges have yet been laid.
Reader views (9)
These people should be glued to a prison cell.
I have no sympathy for them.
- Rollo, London
We should have left them there & filmed their embarrassment for broadcasting on YouTube.
- Johnofenfield, Enfield, UK
A quartet of spoiled, middle-class brats who've been wrapped up in cotton wool by their various self-satisfied mummies and daddies all their lives. Why else would they be surprised at getting arrested for doing wrong? And in what way can merely being arrested be construed as heavy handed behaviour on the part of the Police? Personally, I wish they could be heavy handed with this sort of smug, moronic hooligan. A bit of good old fashioned slapping around would do them no end of good.
- D Woodstock, London
Yet again, a bit more political policing from the far-from-impartial Met police. Come on everyone, a small amount of glue is not 'criminal damage,' this is yet another example of the Met trying to find any excuse to harrass peaceful and legitimate protestors. But it's not just the Met. In Bristol a man was recently arrested for criminal damage having written a message on the ground using chalk.Any reasonable person must agree this is riddiculous.
Whatever your opinion on the climate change issue, we should all be very concerned about the police's obsessive crack down on anyone who's not happy just lapping up the status quo.
- Ollie Z, London UK
"once you have committed a criminal act no one is interested in your opinion"?
Think again, Sarah! The immense interest shown in criminals of all sorts leads me to suspect that to get your opinion across, performing 'a criminal act' is perhaps the best way to ensure being heard.
Do you think this would be in the news if they'd simply held hands round the statue?
- Dan, London
They have a right to protest, they DO NOT have the right to commit criminal damage in the process.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
To the vandal known as Deborah Grayson, Why don't you grow up and accept that once you commit a criminal act then no one is interested in your opinion? Like Frank from the Home Counties, I wouldn't mind having your address either - only I'd come round and glue your door shut with you still in the house! Grow up why don't you!
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
We now have a permanent demonstration in Parliament Square, my understanding was that you needed permission to demonstrate within a mile of Parliament, was a Women not arrested by the Cenotaph for reading the names of those soldiers killed in Iraq. yet we now have hundreds of people parked on Parliament Green, why is the law not being enforced on this occasion.
- Steve M, LONDON
Jesus! I tell you what, why not forego all Law and order. Let everyone do anything they like. What are these peoples home addresses? I want to go around to their place and help myself to their electrical goods.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
