The Appeal Against Insanity or Heavy Handed Police

From the internet.

In October last year there was a protest against a Weapons Conference being held at Te Papa, our national museum, and referred to colloquially as “Our Place”. Only it is not the place of the New Zealand people for a few days a year, when Arms Dealers from all over the world congregate on this small area to work on sales of weapons.

On the first day of the protest I witnessed numerous assaults by members of New Zealand’s police force against peaceful protestors, all of which would have been recorded on CCTV, yet none of those assaults were investigated. I witnessed Andrzej Kowalczyk (head of the NZPD Strategic Response Group) pull a male by his dreads, I was hit in the face by another Police Officer, I was shoved around alot, I witnessed someone else’s glasses get broken, and a general breakdown of the New Zealand Police Force’s ordinarily strong ethics

On the next day, I was with a good friend of mine, manning a banner. We were standing within half a metre of the police lines, and had they wished to do so they would have had ample ability to engage with us in friendly conversation. They did not do this, and we continued to protest, occasionally chanting “Arms Trade, Death Trade,” amongst other slogans.
We were then told the protest was over and were moving to depart when my friend was grabbed by a Three Man Extraction Squad with no prior warning of what was occuring.
Based on the assaults and affray I had experienced and seen the Police engage in on the previous day I believed that my friend was being assaulted unlawfully by members of the police force, as neither I nor my friend had been given any prior warning or indication as to what was happening.
I then reacted instinctively to protect my friend against what I percieved to be unlawful excessive and violent action on the behalf of the NZPD Strategic Response Group, linked arms with him, and was dragged away and charged with one count of Obstructing Justice.

The following footage has captured Police in the act.

Watch the video for yourself, you be the judge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2QAaClsMZg

Comment on the above also from the Internet
Ra Says: May 23rd, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I wonder if we as New Zealanders are willing to stand aside and allow this gang in blue to continue this sort of treatment.
I myself fell victim to rogue cop treatment when I saw a teenager in the middle of town getting mistreated.
I didnt know the kid but I did see how the ruckus had started and basically he was getting arrested for not moving on when being asked, sorry, when being told. The kid just chose the wrong time and the wrong cop to show defiance.Now the cops probably have the right to enforce this, (I’m no expert in the law but I imagine they’d label it loitering in a public space or unlawful congregation yadda yadda) but the level of force they used was excessive to say the least.
Being the only adult in the vacinity I walked over to a female cop standing aside. I asked her if she thought that the police officer with his full weight on one knee in the back of the teenager on the ground was a bit rough and she told me to mind my own business and move on.I took exception and pushed the issue then ended up asking for her badge number. Now I’m no expert in dealing with police but as far as I knew they have a serial type badge number on their shoulders. When I was trying to look for it she called another collegue over and told him they were gonna have trouble with me now. At the same time she squared up making it harder for me to see her serial number.I was under the impression they had to give it out when asked.
Cop number two then takes over and tells me if I dont move on I’ll get arrested, when I question what for he replies obstruction of justice and disturbing the peace. I’m 5 meters away from the guy being assaulted on the ground and I’m not interferring with the arresting officers in any way but I am presenting myself as a possible threat and hinderence so the two of them turn on me.
Now I’m no chicken but I’m not an idiot either, I didnt know the guy being arrested but I feel for the poor fucker but I back down anyway.There was no way I was getting arrested for this kid mistreatment of not.
I know now that I if the same situation came around I’d stand tall and back that kid up because that shit stuck with me for the past 2 years. I feel guilty even today for backing away from that female cop.
I know that when recruits go to join the police force the vast majority if them have good intentions and think they can make a difference. But I also know that after hearing stories from (someone that use to be) a very close friend of mine about some of the goings on at Porirua (the police training school) that it changes them to having a gang mentality.So there’s not much hope for changing the way police act unless you could change the way they are trained me thinks.
sux
- Ra