Shocking police violence at football match

As far as I am aware, this shocking incident has not received any exposure on the news but yet again demonstrates the disgusting levels of violence from the police against unarmed football supporters trying to leave the recent football match between Burnley and the Blackburn Rovers on 28th March 2010. The supporters in the film are from Burnley. In my opinion the officers hitting out with their truncheons should be disciplined and sacked.

Related Links

Share/Save/Bookmark

 

 

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (92.8.xx.xx) on Sun 18 Apr 2010 at 15:09
Have you reported it, or made a complaint to the force in question?
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (91.111.xx.xx) on Thu 22 Apr 2010 at 20:11
The police are the worst thugs out there. I am a Cardiff fan and most away games I attend are seen as a high category game for the police. I have been battoned and bit by police and their dogs for no reason, I have seen female teenagers having their head split open from police batons. A blow from a baton in a certain place over the head coudl easily kill. I wish more people would bring to light the way these thugs behave towards normal supporters up and down the country.

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (188.221.xx.xx) on Sun 18 Apr 2010 at 15:26
Police = the biggest hooligans in football.
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (81.154.xx.xx) on Mon 19 Apr 2010 at 16:49
How on earth are the police allowed to get away with that??! People were moving back yet they continued yelling at them and then striking them without remorse!! WHAT A JOKE!!
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (128.40.xx.xx) on Mon 19 Apr 2010 at 18:31
Is there any more to this video? Preferably of the preceding seconds? One cop seems to be laying into someone very heavily but it's unclear what that person was doing before....
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (12.236.xx.xx) on Wed 21 Apr 2010 at 04:13
why does it matter what he was doing before???? You think that if he was doing something bad he deserved that?? come on!

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Helen (212.183.xx.xx) on Mon 19 Apr 2010 at 19:06 [ Send Message | View Helen's Scratchpad | View Weblogs ]

I hope the Football Supporters Federation won't mind me copying and pasting their informative comment on the Guardian article, which might answer some questions:

"There is no escaping from the fact that this fixture was always going to be a high risk one. The two sets of fans hate each other and some people will use that hatred as an excuse for criminal activity. . Measures were taken to minimise trouble, with the police insisting all Blackburn fans travelled to the game by coach, with Burnley having to do the same for the reverse fixture earlier in the season. Despite measures taken, there was trouble and arrests made. The FSF have no issue whatsoever with those committing criminal acts being arrested and treated accordingly by the police and courts. Why would we?

At the end of the game some supporters on both sides were slow to leave the ground and were taunting each other with a line of police in the middle of them. I'm certainly not condoning such behaviour but it is no real suprise and should not have been unexpected and I dare say those indulging in such behaviour were confident to do so with a line of police between them. Having said that, I'm also aware that several fans in that group were staying behind to avoid the post match rush outside the ground rather than to indulge in the taunting.

Having spoken to several supporters who were actually there and read many eye witness statements what appears to have happened was that a few fans surged and a police officer was pushed with a supporter falling on top of him. Thereafter the police officer - as seen in the clip - lashed out indisrciminately with his baton, allegedly causing severe brusing to the supporter who contacted us (The FSF) for advice afterwards.

We heard from at least a dozen other fans who expression concern at the policing operation that day, with many more comments on the Burnley forums and while I didn't hear it myself, apparently the commentator covering the match for local radio witnessed the event and expressed horror at how the police were behaving.

Of course that in no way mitigates the behaviour of some at the game and I struggle to find any defence whatsover for anybody who thinks it's big or clever to rip up seats and smash toilets. However, those people are in the tiny minority and the majority of football supporters should not be judged by that behaviour.

As for the supporter accepting the caution, having been held in the cells for some hours, he wanted to get home and, at the time, just wanted it over and done with. Many supporters who contact us for legal assistance and advice tell us the same, they think accepting a caution in some way gets them off and is the easier option that facing court, finding funds to pay for legal representation etc."

[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (86.185.xx.xx) on Mon 19 Apr 2010 at 22:41
There can only be one reaction to the scene just witnessed `disgraceful' and yes, once again it provides evidence of the shocking police state successive governments have created over the last thirty years.

Thatcher at the time was wrong in stating `there ain't no society' in an effort, however, to prove her point she went on -aided by her NuLab acolytes Blair and Brown- to create the present ghastly, despotic police state.

They've a lot to answer for and we should ensure they do.
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (90.208.xx.xx) on Wed 5 May 2010 at 17:39
I have to say after watching the short video there is one police constable that stands out . He is seen for the duration of the video continually whacking at every person being forced down the tunnel. That is not policing is abuse of authority and by the looks of the video those people were at that time fully compliant.

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (92.8.xx.xx) on Tue 20 Apr 2010 at 13:16
In an uncharacteristically fast move, the IPCC have cleared police of all wrong-doing here.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/8108620.Police____in_th e_clear____after_trouble_at_East_Lancs_derby/
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Helen (212.183.xx.xx) on Tue 20 Apr 2010 at 13:33 [ Send Message | View Helen's Scratchpad | View Weblogs ]
Funny how they're so much quicker to exonerate themselves than to rule that an investigation IS necessary...

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (86.146.xx.xx) on Thu 22 Apr 2010 at 10:27
Cleary, the cops should have stood back and allowed the Burnley mob to steam into the Blackburn fans in this instance. Or had things got really bad, people being seriously injured,the most they should have done was ask them firmly but politely to stop stamoing on that chaps skull. Idiots.
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (78.105.xx.xx) on Thu 22 Apr 2010 at 15:43
If they had gone home like they were supposed to, then this would not have happened. I was at the game and the Police tried to remove the Burnley fans; they just wouldn't go. Their own fault.
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (82.11.xx.xx) on Thu 22 Apr 2010 at 21:46
you say disciplined and sacked yet if it was a member of the public they could be sent to jail - why shouldnt the police officer face the sentence that any other person would?
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]

Re: Shocking police violence at football match
Posted by Anonymous (82.39.xx.xx) on Tue 18 May 2010 at 18:51
Not sure if this is the same match but the stand looks similar enough to be the same one.

Much more shocking in my opinion..

http://www.nothingtoxic.com/media/1274142889/Cop_Jabs_Soccer_Fan_ In_The_Face