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G20 police chief: I saw my officers do nothing wrong
Justin Davenport19 May 2009
The police chief in charge of policing the G20 protests said today he had not seen any actions by his officers that had caused him concern.
Commander Bob Broadhurst said his officers had followed their training in “challenging conditions”. Scotland Yard is facing a series of independent inquiries into allegations of heavy-handed tactics during the G20 demonstrations last month.
One officer has been suspended after pushing newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson to the ground moments before he collapsed and died. Another is being investigated after he was filmed hitting a woman protester across the face.
Mr Broadhurst, giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “From what I have seen my officers did what I asked them to do in very challenging conditions.”
He said he had seen officers push people with shields and use batons to hit people on the legs but added: “I have not seen anything that particularly concerned me. They were responding in the way I trained them to.”
Mr Broadhurst said he was concerned about the level of training received by Met officers for public order events. He said the number of days training for borough-based officers had been cut to two a year.
He also told MPs the police communication with the crowds was not good enough and officers needed to be better at identifying innocent people caught in the crowds of protesters.
Mr Broadhurst defended the tactic of “kettling” saying the only alternative was to disperse crowds which allowed them to go on the rampage but he added that police needed to be better at allowing people out of cordons.
Earlier Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson told the committee he was extremely concerned about images he had seen on video. He said he would examine an MP's claims there were undercover officers acting as agents provocateurs in the crowd, although the idea was extraordinary.
Sir Paul said policing events such as G20 was damaging the Met's performance by taking officers off the streets. He said the bill for the Tamil demonstrations was nearly £8 million.
Reader views (22)
It is a pity that the London Bobby has become the modern-day equivalent of Hitler's Stormtroopers. The actions of some police are an absolute disgrace and all because of this contemptible treacherous government with no real ligitimacy.
- Sylvia Coupe, Brisbane, Australia, 20/05/2009 01:14
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Commander Bob Broadhurst saw "nothing wrong".
-was he looking ?
- Clive Allen, Brighton, UK, 19/05/2009 23:59
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It seems that all the anti police comments are just bing anti or the sake of it - I suspect you jump on most bandwagons as they pass - Well done Commander Broadhusrt for being brave enough to speak truth rather than bow to those who just want heads on sticks. Hopefully when all the public order trained police constable / sgts / inspectors decline this trining (which i believe they can) and the police are then forced to retreat (health and safty you see) and leave the g20 type incidnts where the (violent minority) of protests can reek anarchy and destroy our city centre. Its about time this counrty woke up and realised that whilst our police are far from perfect the public are lucky to have them. Bring on the water cannons and cs gay canisters fired from a distance. The whinging whining protestors will love it !
- Andrew, LONDON, 19/05/2009 17:20
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Jack Reid, and what about the police officers who assaulted people, what will happen to them? Oh, that's right, nothing.
Nothing to see here folks, just another whitewash in progress. Move along now. Nothing to see here.
- Vikki, London, UK, 19/05/2009 17:16
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Perhaps the sad fact is Bob Broadhurst believes this behaviour is OK or justified, the police are alienating the public and treating us with utter disdain. We are not blind or stupid. What the police did was 100% out of order and should never happened again
The challenging conditions were created by the police forcing crowds into a small boiling pot and few idiots gave the police what they wanted justification to lash out.
- Gary, Brentwood, 19/05/2009 16:57
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Well said Bob Broadhurst. The G20 demonstrators want all their own rights preserved and adhered to, but want to abuse everyone els's right to go about their lawful business and walk freely around London. The High Court has previously decided that the police tactic of 'kettling' demonstrators who may or who are likley to cause injury to ordinary members of the public going about their everyday business, or damage their property is perfectly justifiable. As for the fancifully named Independant Police Complaints Commission they are anything but 'independant'. They are nothing more than a rabid collection of ex anti police, anti authority, Labour supporting numpties who are acting like the political wing of the Socialist Workers Party from where too many of them originate from.
- Pat, South London, 19/05/2009 16:38
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Police man Broadhurst condems himself with his lies.
I hope that he reads these comments and feels some shame.
- Jaberwokie3, switzerland, 19/05/2009 16:37
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david, liverpool, you forget that the polce might be cleared of doing nothing wrong and that some of the protestors claiming to be attacked may face common assault charges
- Jack P Reid, london, 19/05/2009 16:34
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Cmdr Broadhurst is standing up for his troops, and quite rightly. A lot of public order tactics look bad and look aggressive, but looking at these things from the limited perspective of the TV camera, at limited footage, in the warm safe living room, is not the way to get a true perspective on what's happening. The officers faced groups which refused to co-operate with the police - the TUC demo wasn't kettled, the anarchist one was because they refused to give the police any idea of what their intentions were (which were violence). A lot of the so-called assaults were perfectly text-book uses of force against hostile crowds - would people rather the police let these people rampage through the City unhindered? As for pushing with shields - this is totally normal crowd control. The onslaught against the police has to end.
- H Morgan, London, 19/05/2009 16:34
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Daniel, with the greatest respect you are confusing your opinion with fact.
I too saw Officers working under huge pressure and acting as required.
The problem is the requirements as set out by the Senior officers strategy.
- Not Exactly A Looney Lefty!, The real world, 19/05/2009 16:20
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I would put money on the fact that everyone who has commented on here are on the Tamil protest article writing ... 'police should force them off the street and out of the country' etc.
Hypocracy at its best!!!
- J, London, 19/05/2009 15:47
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This is exactly the attitude that the police condemn in young gang members. This attitude of standing by your own.
Not 'Grassing' on yer mates!
Obviously the police behaved digracefully.
We all saw them doing it.
If this police chief states 'he saw nothing wrong' then axe him.
Get rid of these people.
Get rid of that mentality.
The sooner the better.
- Daniel, London, 19/05/2009 15:09
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Well said Mr Broadhurst...make him Deuty Commissioner ... a man who sticks up for his troops..a rarity now days.
- Rosie, watford, 19/05/2009 15:06
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Bob Broardhurst for commissioner!!!! at least he is sticking up for his officers, unlike the spineless Stephenson!
- Jh, London, 19/05/2009 15:02
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Well if he didn't see his officers do anything wrong he is A)lying or B)not in control, and therefore incompetent. Either way a resignation is in order. Not that the usual time serving, self serving plod will ever do the honourable thing
- Kerry, Purley, 19/05/2009 14:59
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See nothing, hear nothing and know nothing. Bob Broadhurst by his own admission "my officers did what I asked them to do" must be part of criminal misconduct and should as a consequence by prosecuted.
- David, Liverpool, 19/05/2009 14:41
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So he's blind then? and he admitts that he trained them to conceal their ID flashes too?
- Barry, woking, GB, 19/05/2009 14:37
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Commander Broadhurst didn't see his officers do anything wrong. Neither did the supervisors on the spot.
I was hoping Boris would purge this "see no evil" culture in the Met, it's why I voted for him.
- Sam_M, london, 19/05/2009 14:24
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I cant say they looked happy at their work, they looked a bit more like the Nazi's, that officer cuffed that lady in the face, with a look of utter hatred, this is not what policing is about, people have a right to demonstrate, and the police should restrain them if they are out of control, but on this occasion they went to far, and Mr Broadhurst must be blind not to see what the rest of the nation saw on national TV.
- David Crocket, Bradford, UK, 19/05/2009 14:22
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"I have not seen anything that particularly concerned me". Then take a look at the various photos and videos showing your officers - some wearing face masks and refusing to display their numbers - attacking innocent people.
- Austen, London, 19/05/2009 13:57
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Just more of jackboots whitewash it really is pathetic, look at the picture above but no cause for concern !! where on earth do they find these idiots
- Alan Davey, London UK, 19/05/2009 13:54
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If none of Mr Broadhurst's officers did anything more than follow his training, he must be sacked. Hitting unarmed civilians in the face with shields, slapping faces while wearing heavy gauntlets and skateboard-type wrist protectors and batoning civilians on the legs should not happen unless the police are physically attacked, not just being 'disobedient'.
- Kiwi Expat, London, UK, 19/05/2009 13:38
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