Police have now released all 114 potential protesters arrested on Monday. They were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass and criminal damage. It is thought they were planning to protest at Radcliffe-on-Soar Power Station outskirts of Nottingham.
The press is reporting bolt-cutters and such like were taken from the potential protesters.
The worrying thing is that 114 people were rounded up for planning to exercise their democratic right to protest. It might be — as has happened before — that among those 114 people were people intent on trespassing and causing damage. However, this possibility does not trump the right of the remaining people to protest.
The right to petition others for a redress of grievances is a fundamental right in any civilised society.
The mass arrest, finger printing, DNA sampling, photographing and deprivation of liberty of 114 people for planning to protest is not.
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[...] Following the mass arrest of 114 people, Nottinghamshire Police have outdone themselves. This time they’re seen repeatedly electrocuting someone with 50,000 volts. They also punch his face a few times for good measure. [...]
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