Oppressive policing of Campsfield demo

Draconian restrictions imposed on demonstrators by Thames Valley Police failed utterly to dampen the enthusiasm of anti-detention protestors who travelled to the Removal/Detention Centre.

As people arrived at the demo they were physically searched by 'hostile' police before approaching the centre. Many of those searched were asylum applicants who said they were very frightened by what the police were doing.

Copies of the *Riot Act were posted every 5 yards on the approach to the Removal/detention centre and the centre it self had a 'ring of steel'. Which prevented people assembling outside the gates of Campsfield as they had for the previous nine years. When demonstrators tried to walk round to the back of the centre to wave to the detainees, they were physically prevented from doing so by the police.

Evan Harris MP speaking to those assembled, observed that there was one police person for every two demonstrators.

Stalilngrad O'Neill a photo/journalist who attended the demo said: "I was here in 1993 and every year since, I have stood outside every detention centre in the UK where people have organised protests against detention. I have never seen policing so oppressive or aggressive as I saw today".

Bill Morris speaking on  the latest immigration policies announced by the Home Office said: "It's a policy devoid of humanisation, a policy that lacks any moral integrity whatsoever and is a policy of desperation" and commentating on old policies said "It's very clear that the policy just isn't working and the suggestion that it should be changed so that the children of some asylum seekers could be taken into care is blackmail,".

Earlier in the day in an interview with Radio 4 Mr. Morris said; "The Government has published yet again another bill, the fifth in 10 years, it seems to me if you haven't got it right by now, it means your policy has failed dreadfully or indeed you are seeking to be more draconian and perhaps even nastier to asylum seekers.

Bill Mackeith, chairman of the 'Campaign to Close Campsfield' speaking at the end of the demonstration said: "We will continue demonstrating until Campsfield is closed and campaign against detention as a government policy until that too stops.

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*Imposition of conditions on public assemblies under section 14 1(a) Public Order Act 1986.

I, Peter Neyroud, Chief Officer of Thames Valley Police, reasonably believe that having regard to the time and place at which, and the circumstances in which a public assembly is to be held at Campsfield House Kidlington Oxfordshire on Saturday 29th November 2003, may result in:

Serious public disorder;

Serious damage;

Serious disruption;

Or is intended to intimidate others to do or not to do something they have right to do or not to do;

I impose the following conditions on the organisers and participants;

1. to demonstrate only within the barriered area prescribed in the car park by the main gate.

2. To demonstrate only between the hours of 11.50 am and 2.00 pm on Saturday 29th November 2003.

3. The number of persons forming the public assembly will not exceed 300.

These conditions are applied pursuant to Section 14 1(a) Public Order Act 1986.

Failure to comply with the said imposed conditions may result in arrest.

Signed Peter Neyroud  Date 21st  November 2003
Chief Constable Thames Valley Police