Our tactics are supposed to be scary – police chief
THE man in charge of policing in Bristol has defended the actions of police officers filmed slamming riot shields down onto protesters sitting on the ground, and said the tactics involved in dispersing crowds are “supposed to be scary”.
Superintendent Mark Runacres said it was up to each individual officer to justify their level of the use of force in the way they acted, following Friday night’s scenes in Bristol city centre.
There has been criticism at the way in which the demonstration was dispersed by police in the Haymarket.
Police used horses, dogs and officers with riot shields to forcibly move protesters from what was essentially a peaceful, but illegal, sit-down protest in the middle of the road.
After the police began to advance they were met by some missiles, including a firework thrown under the feet of horses, bottles and even a bike pedal.
Police were filmed trying to move people up and away from the sitdown protest on the Haymarket by using the bottom of their shields to strike the protesters.
In a radio interview yesterday Supt Mark Runacres told BCfm’s Pat Hart that he appreciated the tactics used may look “unsightly and shocking to some”, but they were legitimate and legal.
“I’ve been in policing for over 25 years now, and it’s an unfortunate reality that in public order policing, the tactics that are used – the shield strikes that you’re referring to – that’s an absolutely legitimate and trained tactic that officers are coached on in their public order training,” he said.
“It’s approved by the College of Policing, and if they can justify that act, as a proportionate response, then they are entitled to do it, and it’s for each officer to justify their individual uses of force, that’s a matter for them to justify, and if there are any complaints, they will be investigated and they need to justify what they have done,” he added.
“In terms of that tactic, it may look unsightly and shocking to some, but in terms of the reality of public order policing, and policing disorder, it’s a legitimate tactic that an officer can use, if it’s necessary to move someone away from an area, if they are a threat, or to keep themselves safe.
“That might be unpleasant for some, but it’s difficult for me because I can’t sit here and criticise officers for doing something that they’ve been trained to do. It is scary. I feel uncomfortable saying this, but that’s how it’s supposed to be; when we are dealing with public order policing, part of the way you want to operate is when you are in that mode,” he added.
In a lengthy interview, Supt Runacres outlined the sequence of events that preceded Tuesday’s and Friday’s forceful interventions by police, which saw a protest camp of around 200 people broken up by force on College Green on Tuesday, and the lengthy stand off between protesters in the Haymarket and police protecting Bridewell police station on Friday end in scenes that included a mounted police charge down Bond Street, missiles thrown at police, and the use of shields and batons on sitting protesters.
Supt Runacres said they had liaised with the Mayor’s Office as Tuesday’s College Green protest camp developed, and a course of action was agreed upon.
“On Tuesday we were aware of what was initially being publicised as a protest against trespass aspects of the legislation,” he said.
“Initially we were led to believe people were being encouraged to trespass in locations and post their videos online, but as we got closer to Tuesday and in particular Tuesday afternoon, it became apparent there was a group who were planning to go to College Green and occupy that space.
“People did, and set up an encampment, there were a number of tents pitched there. Numbers swelled to a few hundred, and that started to cause us concern.
“We had the Occupy movement there a few years back, and people will remember they were on College Green and were there for some time.
“So throughout Tuesday, we spoke to people at the council, in the Mayor’s Office, we spoke to the Director of Public Health, to assess what would be the appropriate and necessary response.
“And it was decided collectively, that it would be necessary to move people from College Green, because there were concerns around the public health risk that that gathering would bring. We had concerns about how that encampment could grow if it went unchecked,” he added.
A spokesperson for the Mayor Marvin Rees said: “It’s good practice that the police consult before events and the views of public health and other partners is important in achieving a common understanding of how to manage public events in everyone’s interest.
“However, only the police can determine police operations,” he added.