Letter in the Daily Telegraph: Water Cannon
With accompanying article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10715100/Water-cannon-is-not-very-British-say-campaigners.html
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SIR – We write to express our deep concern at the attempt by the Metropolitan Police to introduce water cannon on the streets of London, and urge Theresa May, the Home Secretary, not to authorise their use.
The proposal lacks support even from the police, with five out of the six largest police authorities, several police and crime commissioners and Lord Blair, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, refusing to support the introduction of water cannon. The London Assembly voted down the proposal and 39,000 people have now signed a petition against it.
The Association of Chief Police Officers’s own briefing acknowledges that “water cannon are capable of causing serious injury or even death”. Water cannon would be more likely used against organised protests than in situations like the 2011 riots, with profoundly disturbing implications for democracy.
Mrs May has previously rejected calls for the weapon to be introduced, saying in 2010 “I don’t think anybody wants to see water cannon used on the streets of Britain because we have … a different attitude to the culture of policing here in the UK. We police by consent and it depends on that trust between the police and the public.” The following year she reiterated: “The way we police in Britain is not through use of water cannon. The way we police in Britain is through consent of communities.”
Trust between the police and the public is fundamental to a peaceful, civilised society. The introduction of water cannon would take us down a dark path.
Yours faithfully,
Joanne Darrant, founder of petition against water cannon with over 39,000 signatures
Joanne McCartney, Chair of London Assembly Police and Crime Committee and London Assembly Member for Enfield and Haringey
Fiona Twycross, London Assembly Member
Caroline Pidgeon, London Assembly Member
Rt. Hon. Paul Burstow, Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam
Rt. Hon. David Lammy, Member of Parliament for Tottenham
Councillor Liz Green, Leader of Kingston Council
Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council
Rt. Hon. the Lord Adonis
Shami Chakrabarti, Director, Liberty
Helena Kennedy, barrister and human rights law specialist
Gareth Peirce, human rights lawyer
Andy Slaughter, Shadow Justice Minister and Member of Parliament for Hammersmith
Dame Tessa Jowell, Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood
Diane Abbott, Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Susan Bryant, Director, Rights Watch (UK)
Kate Hoey, Member of Parliament for Vauxhall
Katy Clark, Member of Parliament for North Ayrshire and Arran
Andrew Love, Member of Parliament for Edmonton
Caroline Lucas, Member of Parliament for Brighton, Pavilion
Jean Lambert, London MEP
Mary Honeyball, London MEP
Stephen Knight, London Assembly Member
Darren Johnson, London Assembly Member
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, former Deputy Mayor of London, former Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and London Assembly Member
Jeannette Arnold OBE, London Assembly Member
Len Duvall, London Assembly Member
Tom Copley, London Assembly Member
Murad Qureshi, London Assembly Member
Andrew Dismore, London Assembly Member
Paul Flynn, Home Affairs Select Committee Member and Member of Parliament for Newport West
John McDonnell, Justice Select Committee Member and Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington
Jeremy Corbyn, Justice Select Committee Member and Member of Parliament for Islington North
Dr Hywel Francis, Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights and Member of
Parliament for Aberavon
Martin Caton, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Weapons and Protection of Civilians and Member of Parliament for Gower
Sarah Teather, Member of Parliament for Brent Central
Dr Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge
John Leech, Member of Parliament for Manchester, Withington
Martin Horwood, Member of Parliament for Cheltenham
Susan Bryant, Director, Rights Watch (UK)
Matt Foot, Criminal Defence Solicitor, Binberg Peirce Partners
Hannah Dee, Defend the Right to Protest
Rosie Rogers, National Coordinator, Compass
Dr Chris Cocking, Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton, author of report on report on the possible psychological and physical effects of the use of water cannon
Susan Matthews, mother of Alfie Meadows
Michelle Stanistreet, General Secretary, National Union of Journalists (NUJ)
Paul Kenny, General Secretary, GMB Union
Billy Hayes, General Secretary, Communication Workers Union (CWU)
Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, PCS Union
Len McCluskey, Unite the Union, General Secretary
Steve Turner, Unite the Union, Assistant General Secretary
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Wes Streeting, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Ilford North
Jessica Asato, Labour Paliamentary candidate for Norwich North