Wombles accused after 'officer picked fight'(posted 8027 days ago)Jeevan Vasagar Guardian
Tuesday April 30, 2002
A police officer yesterday described being surrounded by "a sea of masked individuals screaming abuse and lashing out" as he tried to arrest a member of the anti-capitalist protest group known as the Wombles.
Seven members of the anarchist group went on trial yesterday at Horseferry Road magistrates' court in central London on charges including assaulting a police officer, causing criminal damage to a police van and using threatening words or behaviour.
Supporters of the Wombles claimed outside court that the trial was deliberately being held this week to keep the men away from tomorrow's May Day demonstrations.
The fracas which led to the trial broke out on October 31 last year after a police patrol in Oxford Street in central London spotted a group of about 20, most of whom were dressed in white paper suits and Halloween masks.
It is the typical gear of the Wombles, who had been picketing a speech by Henry Kissinger at the Institute of Directors earlier that day.
PC Martin Hayes, who had also been on duty at the Kissinger protest, got out of the van after he saw one of the men - identified in court as Martin King, 28, of Finsbury Park, north London - gesturing and flicking v-signs. He tried to detain Mr King. "The group surged around me and encircled me," he said.
"There were a lot of comments such as 'kick him, get him'. They were extremely abusive and threatening."
The court heard that police bundled Mr King into their van, then came under attack from the protesters. As the van was kicked, one of the officers shouted to the driver to go - he reversed into Oxford Street and collided with a bus.
Police reinforcements arrived and the officers got out of their van and started chasing the protesters, PC Hayes said.
Some of them tried to strip off their paper suits as they ran. Simon Chapman, 28, of Basildon, Essex, was grabbed by PC Hayes as he tried to pull off his costume. The officer alleged that Mr Chapman kicked him in the ankle.
Under cross-examination by Kieran Vaughan, counsel for King, PC Hayes agreed that a man gesturing was not a threat to the public. "And if you had driven on, nothing would have happened?" he asked. "I believe that sort of behaviour should be challenged," PC Hayes replied.
Jo Cooper, counsel for another defendant, Clayton Elliott, 28, of Lewisham, south London, alleged other officers thought PC Hayes was "inclined to lose control" and took things too personally. He said: "You stopped and picked a petty fight, didn't you?"
PC Hayes replied: "I didn't pick a fight. I challenged someone re: anti-social behaviour."
Also charged are Robin Horsell, 42, of KENNINGTON, south London; Bennet McComish, 29, of Homerton, east London; Peter Gerajhty, 37, of Finchley, north London; and Graham McAleer, 47, of Finsbury Park, north London.
The trial continues today.
· Papers alleging police wrongly detained two of about 3,000 people caught up in the action to contain last year's May Day protest in London were yesterday lodged at the high court. Lawyers for the pair said the papers involved two test cases over the police's right to be able to detain the crowd in Oxford Circus from 2pm to 9pm.