(Not satire – I’m sorry to say)
UPDATE 2 – have a look at this link for the latest on the disability activist who was questioned by two police officers in her home at midnight in relation to comments she’d posted on Facebook critical of government cuts and specifically the Department of Work and Pensions and their attacks on the rights of disability claimants:
PCS trade union sets police on disabled activist for campaigning against the government
Here’s the original article on Pride’s Purge:
Police raid activist’s home for ‘criminal’ posts on Facebook.
UPDATE 1 – She has made a formal complaint to South Wales police and in the letter, she lays out in detail what happened that night.
She has given me permission to share it with you, so here it is, in her own words:
Complaint Against South Wales Police – Harassment and Intimidation of a Vulnerable Disabled Person
Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act
I am a vulnerable disabled person with a serious mental health condition, currently in the DWP’s Support Group for Employment and Support Allowance (the Support Group is reserved for the most severely disabled benefit claimants who are unable to work and are too unwell to be in the Work Related Activities group). I experience considerable anxiety and severe depression, exacerbated by having to struggle for many months to get into the Support Group and receive disability benefits. I am happy to supply medical information regarding the severity of my condition.
I struggle to get to sleep because of anxiety and agitation due to severe depression, and I need to work hard at calming myself enough to sleep. At approximately 11.40pm on Friday night, 26th October, shortly after I had succeeded in falling asleep for the night, the doorbell rang very loudly and repeatedly, half a dozen times. Shocked and disorientated I stumbled to the front door, pulling on some trousers. To my immense shock there were two police officers at the door, a male and a female officer in high-vis jackets and bristling with equipment as if here to deal with a riot.
They told me they had come to investigate criminal activity that I was involved in on Facebook. I was profoundly shocked and disorientated. I asked what criminal activity. They said complaints had been made about posts I’d made on Facebook about the Jobcentre. I explained that I had been involved in Disabled People Against Cuts, a campaigning group. (In fact I had withdrawn my involvement from any campaigning earlier that day – I am too unwell to participate in protests and campaigns, I had been to London with disability campaigners on 20th October and it had left me exhausted almost all week). I had posted some posts on Facebook in the previous couple of days suggesting that disabled people exercise the right to peaceful direct-action protest against the DWP because PCS (the DWP staff union) was disinclined to campaign for a stop to the Work Capability Assessments which are destroying the lives of hundreds of thousands of disabled people and killing 73 of us a week.
Like many disabled people I am profoundly distressed by the Work Capability Assessments and Atos, and by our treatment by the DWP. However, there is nothing even remotely criminal about suggesting on Facebook that disabled people protest against the DWP. It is completely and utterly unacceptable that two police officers were sent to a disabled person’s home in the middle of the night for making such Facebook posts. I asked them who had complained about my Facebook posts. They refused to tell me. I asked them how they’d obtained my address. They wouldn’t tell me.
Things went on to become considerably more stressful and intimidating. The officers asked me for ID. As a campaigner and trade union activist (before I became ill) I have attended briefings on the law in relation to protest, and I knew that I had no obligation to show ID given that I had done nothing criminal and the police had no reason to suspect I had. I was shocked and deeply upset by the accusation that my Facebook posts are criminal as I have always been a strong proponent of peaceful protest. I therefore declined to show the officers ID.
The male officer then said that failure to show them ID was obstructing the police in their duties. I was appalled by this because I knew it not to be true, and it seemed inconceivable to me that a serving police officer would not know the law. I could only conclude that the officer KNEW what he was telling me was untrue, and it was a threat to intimidate me because I had advocated legitimate peaceful protest in some Facebook posts.
The officers kept interrogating me about my posts on Facebook. They then said that some of my posts had been deleted. I have deleted no posts at all in the last couple of weeks – I have nothing to hide. Then they asked me if I was the organiser of a protest against the UKBA the following day, in support of a Cardiff family who had been deported last week. I have absolutely nothing to do with that protest, although I support it and one of the family members is a friend of mine. I told the officers this. They asked me if I would be attending the protest the next day. I said I failed to see how that could possibly be any of their business but as it happened, while I had intended to attend the protest, I was too ill and would not be doing so.
Again the officers demanded to see ID, and interrogated me about my Facebook posts, and by this time I was becoming considerably distressed. I said I wanted to make a phone call and would get back to them. I tried to close the door but the male officer stepped into the hallway to prevent the door closing and the female officer also stepped into the hallway and used her body to keep the door open. This absolutely terrified me. I fled into the bedroom and started crying uncontrollably. While I looked up numbers on my mobile phone I heard the male officer saying that I was probably sending emails. The female officer spoke to someone by radio or phone and described me as “being very obstructive”. They had invaded my home in the middle of the night, accused me of criminal activity on Facebook and of organising a peaceful protest the following day I had nothing to do with, had been very intimidating and aggressive – and they said I was “being very obstructive”!! In fact I was terrified, in considerable distress, and crying uncontrollably.
I tried some friends and left sobbing messages on their answer phones. In a panic and terrified, and searching the phone’s address book for someone who could help, I found the number of a legal observer who’d once legal observed a protest I’d been involved in. Fortunately he answered my call and I told him hysterically that there were two police officers in my flat making terrifying accusations against me, and how could I get them out of my flat. The legal observer was wonderful and very calm, and spent some time calming me down and explaining my rights. He told me I had no obligation to show ID and that the officers had to leave if I asked them to. He told me to record their shoulder numbers (which I forgot to do because I was too distressed).
After a while the male police officer started shouting from the hallway for me to come back and talk to them. I had calmed down a lot thanks to the calming talk from the legal observer, but I was still crying. I went back to the police officers and told them I wanted them to get out of my flat please. The male officer said they weren’t in my flat – but they both were, they were over the threshold and holding the front door open. They were breaching the integrity and privacy of my home, something that in my illness has become very important to me. Only my support workers come into my home: in the last two years only one close friend has come in, only once. The thought of anyone in my home distresses me considerably, so I was desperate for the police officers to get out, and it took every ounce of self-control not to start screaming hysterically at them to get out.
When I came back to them after speaking to the legal observer, the police officers completely changed their story. The female officer now said that the reason they were there was to pay a welfare visit. I said no, you said you were here to investigate criminal posts on Facebook. She said no not at all, they’d been sent to check on me because there were concerns about my welfare. She then asked me if I was ok. I said I had been ok, but was now very far from ok thanks to her and her colleague. I asked them several more times to leave. Again the female officer insisted this was a welfare visit. I asked who had expressed concerns about my welfare. They wouldn’t say. They asked me again for ID. I refused again. Finally, after numerous requests that they leave, they stepped back out of the hallway and I was able to close the door. I spent the rest of the night unable to stop crying and had to take a lot of Diazepam (which I prefer not to use) to calm down.
I believe this visit was of no legitimacy whatsoever, and was done purely to intimidate me because I have been active in protest in the past. We have the right of peaceful protest, and South Wales Police has a terrible reputation with regards stopping peaceful protests and harassment of protestors. I would like an apology and an assurance that disabled people will be allowed to protest peacefully in South Wales without this kind of harassment from the police. My experience at the hands of South Wales Police has already been written about by at least three different political bloggers (as you would know if you monitor my facebook posts as closely as you appear to), and have been widely circulated throughout the UK in the disabled community and more broadly. This kind of bullying and intimidation of disabled people for protesting what’s happening to us is disgusting and we will not tolerate it.
I would like the following questions answered.
Freedom of Information Requests:
1.What training is given to South Wales Police officers with regards making visits to vulnerable disabled people, particularly those with mental health conditions.
2.What procedure should South Wales Police officers follow when making visits to vulnerable disabled people, particularly those with mental health conditions.
3.What procedure should South Wales Police officers follow when making “welfare visits”. What triggers welfare visits.
4.What training to South Wales Police officers receive on the law with regards to asking for identity and with regards being asked to leave a property when they have no reason to believe a crime has been committed.
5.What training do South Wales Police officers receive with regards dealing with people on the autism spectrum? Does this training include the importance of respect for maintaining the integrity of the boundaries of someone’s home?
6.How much time/manpower/money does South Wales Police invest in monitoring Facebook post (a) generally, (b) of people involved in Disabled People Against Cuts or other disability campaigning groups and individuals.
Data Protection Act Subject Access Requests
1.Why was I visited by South Wales Police officers on Friday night 26th October? Who sent the officers (name, rank), and on what grounds?
2.Why was I told my Facebook posts are criminal?
3.Did anyone complain about my Facebook posts? If so, who? If no-one complained, why was I questioned?
4.Why was I asked whether I organised/was involved in the deportation protest on Saturday 27th.
5.On what grounds were welfare concerns raised about me, and my whom?
6.How did the police obtain my address?
7.Please send, as a DPA SAR, all information of any/all kind and nature that South Wales Police hold on me.
Yours,
[name redacted]
.
I’ll let you know when there is a reply from South Wales police.
.
Please feel free to comment – you don’t need to register and I’m extremely minimal with the moderating – so please go ahead.
.
By the way, if you click on any of these buttons below, you’ll be doing me a big favour by sharing this article with other people. Thanks:
Jayne Linney said:
Thanks You Tom – All my best to Lisa PLEASE
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Fiona Goffe said:
What a brilliant response. What a truly shocking thing to have happened which has (as I assume was the intention) put the fear of god into everyone. This is an outrage of incredible proportions… Love to Lisa and WE WILL NOT STOP.
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Paul Barnard said:
sounds dreadful and wholly wrong. well done to her for rallying enough to fight back after such a deplorable incident. i am just aware that many of us would not have survived such an intimidating attack.
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Mike Sivier said:
Reblogged this on Vox Political and commented:
Tom Pride has an update on the disabled activist who was visited by police in her home at midnight last week. She has now made a formal complaint – which is excellent news. Read more on Tom’s blog.
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S said:
Thats just appalling, i hope that she has recovered and send her support (of the virtual sort at the mo!) and look forward to hearing the excuses of the police.
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Beccy Moore said:
That is truly despicable. The fact that the police stepped over into your own home is bad enough, but to suddenly change their story once you knew your legal rights? What idiot in their own minds would pay a ‘welfare’ visit at that time of night.
I am truly appalled, and will share this with as many people as possible, and will keep on being active in Facebook groups that protest against such things.
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Mike Sivier said:
Excellent update, Tom. Over on my blog, I’m getting a lot of contact from people who are living in fear over what’s going to happen to them, not just with the disability benefit reforms, but with the bedroom tax and the changes to council tax, both of which are coming into force in April next year. This is why the lady who received the call from the police was right to campaign against what’s going on, and it’s why the police were wrong to try to intimidate her. For an example of the way people are thinking, read this:
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maddsuspicions said:
Thank you for this update. I imagine this was truly terrifying for the poor lady concerned.
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Penelope Twining said:
Was horrified, unfortunately not surprised, to read of your experience in the current climate. I have shared this as I believe this should be very much in the Public Eye and not ‘swept under the carpet’.
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Jennie Holland said:
Hope you get real answers
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Winston Smith said:
You aren’t alone. It’s shocking how corrupt and depraved bad cops can be. Keep your fight up. We eventually got a bent Sergeant transferred (as close to discipline as they get, it seems) whose attitude to family life & preference for sadists suggests he was mates with Fred & Rose West
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lescrompsblogg said:
They will try and brush this outrage under the carpet,we can,t let this happen,we need to keep up the pressure for answers
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Claire OT said:
This seems like a gross misuse of police powers. I hope you get the answers you need and are able to recover from an horrific encounter in your own home.
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Claire said:
Reblogged this on OT on wheels and commented:
I’m re-posting this striking report of what appears to be police harrassment and intimidation of a vulnerable disabled person in their own home in the middle of the night . I am appalled to think that this is how police forces plan to dea with disabled people advocating peaceful protest on their social networking sites- which is not illegal in any way!
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FuBar said:
It is truly a shame on all of us, that this type of terrorism continues to plague society.
Maybe it’s time we reassessed the rules of engagement for the the “War (of) Terrorism”…
PS;
Anyone/ENTITY can develop and submit applications on the social network platform.. ANYONE.
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Editor said:
Reblogged this on kickingthecat.
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Martine Yates said:
Disgraceful. A small point, why were they demanding an ID when they patently knew who she was? The officers in question were clearly acting outwith their remit. This is shameful
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Eric said:
I’d consider suing under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act. The fact they changed their story from an alleged criminal investigation to a welfare visit is beyond belief. Id ask for what was said to the officers by their controller for them to change their stance. Something doesnt add up, and this requires a full investigation. Presumably, as a welfare visit, they would be able to provide evidence that they were qualified to offer advice and assistance on welfare. Refusal to leave the premises when asked to do so, could also be considered as trespass, and I’d certainly look at making a complaint under the prevention of Harrassment Act, not only against the officers who attended, but against all who were involved in this.
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Jerome said:
This is truly worrying. We do not live in East Germany but that is how the police have behaved. My guess is that someone rang the police and used face book information about your address to report you for being involved in a protest. The police were at fault asking you for ID. They also changed their story when the realised that what they had done was wrong to cover themselves. This is a nasty business and the police should pay compensation.
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Newholistic Camps said:
I found this a very scary story.
If we can not innocently speak out against the serial killers who employed Atos, then we are surely just up for a cull.
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roz said:
utterly abhorrent way to treat anyone leave alone a vulnerable person. unfortunately it appears u r not alone in this. the police paid a visit to my step father who is in his 80s for repeatedly e mailing his mp and tho i don’t know the content of those e mails no charges were brought against him so presumably it was just to put the frighteners on him.
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lyndaphillips2 said:
I’m also getting intimidated and suspect it may have something to do with SWP… There was also an ‘unfortunate’ medical mistake at PCH in the summer…
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goggzilla said:
Name the town where this happened, put pressure on the local police.
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matthew said:
Im so sorry to hear about what happened. It is disgusting behaviour and should not be tolerated in anyway. I too although not disabled in any way have had numerous run ins with the south wales police, normally on the street bieng stopped and their excuse is i look like the sort to cause trouble. I wouldnt be suprised if they get no training.
the police have a nasty habit of liking to frighten people.
All the best and hope u dont get any more nasty visits.
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Kat Quatermass said:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/home-of-female-disability-activist-raided-for-anticuts-comments-on-facebook-8231347.html The independent appeared to have picked up the story (at least it generates a google hit) but I can’t click through to it. Anybody spoken to their journalists about why?
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sphinx said:
I hope you do not mind but I have shared this page on a general discussion forum I run as I believe it should be shared as widely as possible. Unfortunately I suspect that those with little or no experience of protesting legally will not believe it or think it a one off aberration – those of wider experience already know how truthful this is.
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mark windows said:
Stand up to the policy enforcement drones. This lady should counterclaim. I expose fraud amongst councils, the police and any other public servants. If more people stood up to these bullies they would not get away with it. I know quite a few people who have taken on ATOS and won. Corporations need to be exposed.Keep getting the truth out. Dont be intimidated!
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Atos Victims (@AtosVictims1) said:
This is something that one would of thought only happens in the nighmares of children, sadly the police no longer police with the public consent, they are no more than lapdogs of the state and it’s going to get worse.
Not only are disabled people having to endure the torture of the Atos Torture Assessment as I like to call it but now the government and and their spiv police force are harrassing innocent vulnerable people, shame on them.
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Lyn McKenzie said:
Absolutely shocked!
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pandora said:
It looks like the article may have been removed but I found a cache of the page: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:q3qrEPkhUWoJ:www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/home-of-female-disability-activist-raided-for-anticuts-comments-on-facebook-8231347.html+&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=firefox-a
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digger evans said:
omg i too have menatal health problems and physical disabilities, if find it beyond the pale that police offeicers think they are entitled to bully and harass innocent members of the public in this manner, those officers should not be in their jobs if they are found to be guilty of what you say. how totally disgusting
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Russell said:
This matter needs to be invested. And the police held to account for there actions.
The big question is. Who authorised the late night time home visit.??????
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Ryan said:
Wow! You sound like the other billion people abusing the system! You are disabled but yet you seem to be right on the dime about your “facts” you couldn’t get a job greeting people at walmart? Everyone seems to have horror stories about cops breaking laws and overstepping boundaries, I guess your all a bunch of lawyers? Oh that’s right you sit at home and collect a cheque! Stop bitching about service workers doing their job, stop telling them how to do their job, stop protesting the government we the working class pay the payroll to and go eat at a soup kitchen like poor people are suppose to! Typical ungrateful people, we let you live for free and you still bitch
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charity sweet said:
while their are good police constables, there are far too many nazi’s wearing police uniforms… i have had many similar experiences myself and it is very intimidating which is why they do it…. absolutely disgusted.
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woollyfunk said:
Whoa, this is so disturbing. Im so sorry this happened to you. This was bullying pure and simple!
Ive just started an M.E online resource and makes you worry if your going to get a knock on the door because your telling people what is really happening to us. I think we have a right to educate people to our (disabled community) plight.
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charity sweet said:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/06/453841.html
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Steve said:
Hi Ryan,
I’m sorry that people like me can’t find employment, but there are a lot of factors that prevent disabled people from getting jobs. One of these factors is prejudice from ignorant, snobbish bigots like you; able-bodied people are almost always likely to be chosen for a job over disabled people. As for the police “doing their job”, you’re simply wrong. They were being intimidating towards a disabled woman whilst trespassing on her property in the middle of the night for some comments she made criticising an organisation. That is not proper police conduct.
As for the “billion” people abusing the system (which is the stupidest use of hyperbole I’ve ever seen), fraudulent claims, particularly for disability benefits are lower than 0.5%.
“You are disabled but yet you seem to be right on the dime about your “facts””
So…you’re saying that the person who wrote this was right, but shouldn’t complain about the police? Are you simply saying disabled people shouldn’t have the same rights as you? You can support yourself, so you have the right to feel safe?
I do hope you don’t become disabled. I know you’d never claim the benefits you’d need if you did…
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Rosie Don (@RosieDon2) said:
I’m well so far, but got an Aspie brother who would not be able to protest, or even attend meetings, if his vital benefits were cut or threatened with cuts. Despite her terror, i would have this woman know that she speaks for many who cannot (I’m sure she does, but just to reiterate the fact) and that that is a truly courageous and beautiful act. It would appear she’s been knocked for six by these bullies but i bet she finds strength to stand strong again. Fwd’d the letter to rest of my address book. Courage.
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Nick Gall said:
Frightening!
Please pass on my sympathies to this woman and rest assured that I will share this with as many folk as possible.
We need to keep fighting, as this kind of sledgehammer tactic shows that informed people scare these craven bullies
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El said:
Model letter for Data Protestion Request to police.
Your address
Town
Post code
Model letter for Data Protection request
Data Protection Officer
Organisation’s address
Department Address
Post code
[Insert date]
Dear [Enter name],
I am writing to request all the information to which I am entitled to under section 7(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining some of the areas and occasions on which your organisation may have compiled information on me. As you will understand, this may not be a definitive list of such occasions.
[Give a description of how you have come into contact with the organisation – the more specific, the better]
I would be interested in any discussion or opinions expressed within your organisation of my person, reputation, character, history or behaviour, actual or perceived.
I should make it clear that this request should also cover all or any other information you may hold. I hope that you will be able to comprehensively search all your records. The definition of “personal data” under the Act covers both facts and opinions about myself as an individual, as well as information regarding the intentions of your organisation towards myself as an individual.
This request should therefore cover any internal external memos, emails, faxes and any other correspondence or readily accessible data held on computer by your organisation, which could be classified as ‘personal data’ under the 1998 Data Protection Act. This covers both manual and electronic data.
I enclose a photocopy of [proof of your address, such as gas/electricity/telephone bill] as confirmation of the above being my home address. I have also enclosed a photocopy of my passport [or similar, such as driving licence] and a recent photograph of myself to aid your identification. I also enclose a cheque for £10 to cover costs incurred.
I understand that under the act, I should be entitled to a response within 40 days. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Yours,
[Enter name]
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Chris Tandy said:
She was and is a brave lady and a credit to all who voice their protest at Atos, the DWP and particularly the loathsome Iain Duncan Smith, he who ought to be hanging his head in shame. But I doubt if he is. He has no soul, no feeling, and is a coward, a bully and of less value than a maggot.
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ginatoaster said:
Hi, mentioned you (anonymously) in an article I wrote for the Welfare News service today http://welfarenewsservice.co.uk/archives/640 Please do keep me informed groxford@gmail.com
Thank you
Gina
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Rex Caprorum said:
Penelope Twining suggested this needs to be kept in the public eye. That prompted me to wonder whether anybody has told Private Eye about what’s going on, and whether people think it would be useful…
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Ian McNairn said:
Be aware that Goggzilla is Ciaran Goggins is believed to be a undercover police officer who has worked for the PSNI.
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Mik said:
That sounds like an excellent idea, Rex…
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goggzilla said:
Hello Derek, finished your birthday cake? Will they allow that in HMP Norwich? Your horoscope says that by mid November you will either face arrest by The Met or be “outed”.
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Chris Patterson said:
I read this and actually felt physically sick. I have an Atos reassessment this month. It’s going to take a lot of willpower not to ask the assessor how do they manage to get out of bed in the morning knowing they will possibly be giving somebody a death sentence. Do you take pride in your work and get as much of their details relating to their profession so I can report them to the correct governing body for failure of duty of care.
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Tom Pride said:
You don’t need to mention Tom Pride anonymously. I would imagine a 350-year-old officer in Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army would be fairly safe from litigation and wouldn’t be easily intimidated should anyone wish to pay him a visit in the middle of the night.
And if the website was closed down – they’d soon find it popping up again all over the place.
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Tom Pride said:
I very seriously doubt anyone posting on here is an undercover police officer. They’re far too busy paying activists visits in the middle of the night to find the time to trawl comment sections of blogs.
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bagladyinstitches said:
There may be some good cops but they are intimidated by the Common Purpose subversives and political correctness gone mad. I doubt that many policy enforcers have had an above average education and many are there because they are either ex-army and can find no other jobs and others look at the job security and pensions. Those are being eroded now as we speak and each policy enforcer should take a long look at what their role really is – they are there to protect the rich and powerful including government and local council members. Policy enforcers are not in the business of protecting the ‘plebs’ and dispossessed. I feel so sorry and enraged at the treatment meted out to a vulnerable woman, so add cowardice and bullying to the list of desirable traits in a policy enforcer. Are the police on steroids? That would explain their aggression. They showed their ignorance of the law, wilful ignorance in my view, in attacking this woman – a soft target. We are living a police state to rival the Stasi communist network of informers and police who seem to be unaccountable and rogue.
I hope that the woman gets justice over her illegal treatment. Difficult when the police force is contaminated with freemasonry and marxist-fabian ideology brainwashing by Common Purpose.
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Chris Patterson said:
Well the copper pass mark is only 55%.
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geordielopithacus said:
I’d like to say the lady who the police interrogated like this has my fullest sympathy and understanding, I am firmly beginning to see this pattern in most, if not all, police forces in England. I myself was brow beaten and bullied in my own home by an officer from Northumbria police into dropping assault charges against some one because in his words “testimony of someone with mental health problems will never stand up”. What is it about our society that seems to think the most vulnerable are fair game for the authorities and workings of government. The police forces, the DWP and the Jobcentre, Politicians and corporations (like ATOS, GAP, and even some NHS trusts, et..al.) all have poor past and current records in dealing with people with disabilities.
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goggzilla said:
Tom, excellent point on police and arrest of activists. I can tell you however some of us get our own police trolls (I have one ex Met, a “worshipful brother” who is going to be investigated re: the Morgan murder cover-up). Do not underestimate the fear that plod have of the left esp now that we have the Internet. There are police who actually go on left sites to disrupt. Well, easier than catching burglars and muggers eh?
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Mrs Peace Grrl said:
Ryan -You are obviously a troll and a stupid one at that….You are neither clever nor funny and I think you comment should be deleted as it doesnt make sense apart from anything….Are you so brainwashed by some right-wing extremist that you think disabled = fraudster? We all need to know our rights and to think otherwise is really dumb and nasty…Im surprised you have a job as I cant think of a job that you would be able to do with your limited intellect…
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Karl winnett said:
Its pure evil, these people have no morals what so ever. Maybe we should organize and descend on South Wales police HQ and demand answers to there actions.
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Jenny Willott said:
A link to this blog was posted on my Facebook page. If you could get Lisa to contact me, I will happily look into what has happened and help in any way I can.
You can reach me via Jenny@JennyWillott.com or call my constituency office on 02920 462276.
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Chris Patterson said:
Got an email through about Ryan’s post. He’s a Yank and a Mitt Romney supporter. I quote a line from 30 Rock today “he’s ageing, mean and rich. He’s a Republican”. People have similar values on this side of the pond.
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Tom Pride said:
OK – thanks – I’ll let her know.
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Hermia said:
“We are living a police state to rival the Stasi communist network of informers and police who seem to be unaccountable and rogue.”
We’re really not. Nothing like it. Thankfully, we live in the sort of country where something like this is considered an outrage rather than a normal occurrence, and where we are free to talk about it online without risking being arrested, tortured and given fifteen years hard labour in Siberia (sorry, I know you were talking about German examples, I just know more about Russia in this instance). Of course, it shouldn’t be bloody happening at all, it’s unacceptable at any level, and it’s worrying that we don’t know how widespread the problem is. But that hasn’t suddenly turned the country into a communist police state.
As for “political correctness gone mad”, last I checked “politcally correct” was a derogatory term used to pour scorn upon anyone asking for basic human rights or freedom from discrimination. An overconcern for human rights is not what’s causing this particular problem.
I agree that policy enforcers are far more invested in protecting the concerns of the powerful than of the poor. I also agree that this was completely unacceptable behaviour by the police. With any luck it will be properly investigated and may even receive mainstream publicity, though I don’t have my hopes too high on that count.
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Hermia said:
Unfortunately you’re not the only one who has been told that your testimony is useless if you have mental health problems. Anyone with PTSD seems to be regarded as automatically untrustworthy in this respect, which is a problem as PTSD is relatively common in victims of crime, especially sexual crime (where the conviction rate is beyond a joke, as we all know).
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charity sweet said:
I am sorry to disagree hermia and we are living in a dreadful political police state of affairs. Did you not read this woman’s post? The bag lady is spot on the common purpose money in her assessment of reality in the UK.
Activists across the nation are regularly and systematically targeted for police and judicial harassment and persecution by stasi like enforcers of corrupted statute law.
I wholeheartedly agree that there are great police and sadly completely acknowledge that they are being bullied by those in seniority – the corrupted.
This is a cull – make no mistake. Their intentions are crystal clear – there is no place in scamerons society for the weak or the ill or the poor – Atos will make sure people who deserve and are entitled to financial help are denied this help.
What kind of an asshole picks on the weak? That would be your local MP and his buddies in parliament and their boss scameron. The elite don’t give a flying fuck about this woman’s welfare and even took it a step further by troubling themselves to purposely harrass her: plod should know sec 5 public order – criminal offense to cause harassment alarm or distress. Who do you call when it’s th police who are the problem?
My advice to this good lady is to speak up and speak out very loudly in order to protect herself from these bullies. Bringing this out into the open was extremely brave of her and the right thing to do. They like their victims to remain silent and going public is the best thing to do – that way they cannot isolate her.
How many many many many others is this one brave woman speaking out for?
Take courage woman <3<3<3
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operacat said:
Just want to send her all my good wishes and support.
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asura said:
I am appalled: the wrongness of the Police`s actions against a vulnerable, law-abiding disabled woman. It`s the epitome of our leaders` shameful actions: doing anything and everything to cover their tracks over the culling of disabled people.
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Eeva said:
Greetings from Finland! This sounds horrible! I hope you get some answers. What they did is not right. I look forward to hearing what happens.
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Tony Pancakes said:
I find it interesting that you talk about how “we” supposedly let disabled people live for free, as if the right to life becomes a privilege as soon as somebody becomes unable to support themselves financially by virtue of illness. What a vile, contemptible, little prick you are.
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larry wardman said:
another example of the position the police have taken in our society, they are the barrier wall between the rich and powerful and the poor and disenfrasnchised..many examples of this posture have manifested themselves recently…big one being the dropping of the investigation into jimmy savile (M,A. in paedophilia)…they are not keepers of the peace but agitators and bullies in the service of the status quo…who are a crap band anyway haha…we all know where the police stand….i await the heavy knock on the door at anytime…its a shame on the system that this person should have to undergo such harassment and have to deal with the lies as well…peace
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larry wardman said:
RYAN IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST TWATS I HAVE EVER HEARD HAHAHAHA…GET BACK IN THE SWAMP YOU BOTTOM FEEDER( OR MAYBE UR A BOTTOM LICKER)
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Chris said:
Hello,
This sounds like an utter disgrace. I work for a civil liberties charity called Statewatch – if possible I would like to get a bit more information on this to write it up for our website. Please get in touch via chris[at]statewatch.org if you’ve time, or pass my address on to the lady in question.
Thanks,
Chris
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Tom Pride said:
OK – no problem – I’ll pass on your address to her.
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ChrisR said:
This is very alarming but you have many, many friends and followers now and you have shown great bravery.
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Ian Don said:
Tragic – yet almost bound to happen once we require absolute proof of a person’s right to social support. Guess how many pages there are to the standard form for anyone applying for benefit for OCD. And what do you think would happen when they have completed it? In a case I know of, it was reported as lost, and they were asked to fill in another. If you can imagine what horrors would go through a mind that fears making an error, as it may be a test to see if the new one matches the old, I feel for you. What we need more of is compassion, not compression. When push comes to shove, it is always the weak who fall. We need to stay strong and believe in good over evil (otherwise known as the lust for money).
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ed said:
another reason why this Orwellian system has to be brought to heel…….
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lee said:
having no bill of rights our goverment are abuseing its citizens more and more.we are quitly move down the road to a police state. were the rich rule and the poor and helpless are undertroden and will have no say (unless you can pay it ),as to the the doctes who decide if your ill enough to claim benifits they are paid lackies ror the dwp .my partner went to see one of these so called docters she had severe epelpsy they said you are fine miss whilliams you can go back to work .and promtly stopped her benifit.four weeks later after a lot of crying and stess .my love died of a seizer .i will never forget of forgive .the maid her last few weeks hell .
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Georgia said:
My goodness!
I wonder who on earth in the police department thought it would be a good idea to go around someone’s home at that time of night?
Who sanctioned this action? They need to be disciplined.
I would like to suggest that you write to the Sargent with the name rank and number of each of the police officers who came to your door. Protocol is such that any direct complaint you make to the Sargent WILL go on the permanent record of the officers.
I don’t think the complaints procedure which you have used works that well, maybe it does. But I do know that if you make a direct, written complaint to the officers’ Sargent that he/she must respond and it will be kept on the file of the officers.
I would simply write that it was unacceptable for officers to come around your home at that late hour. That this has left you distressed.
I am glad you have highlighted this issue – I found it on Facebook, a friend of mine posted it.
Good luck with it. You have my support, if only in writing.
Georgia from Harrow, Middlesex
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ed said:
and also a strong letter to the PCC………………
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ed said:
apart from the lies they report, take it from me, you are entitled to a copy of the report about you, and take a witness, so you can disclaim any errouneous comments ( read lies)
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The police do their job. Just get on with yours. said:
The disabled ‘victim’ seems to have an almost supernatural memory for detail. Maybe she could use this talent in a worthwhile job of some sort?
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Use the democratic process! said:
It’s understandable the police thought an immediate visit was required whatever the hour – the woman has filled herself up with paranoid nonsense about the police and a lot of stuff about her rights then posts calls to ‘direct action’ on facebook.
Whatever happened to writing to your MP? Or the local newspaper? Or starting a petition with a group of supporters.
The British police are a benign force for preventing crime and disorder.
Next time you would be advised to think for yourself before posting messages on Facebook.
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Chris Tandy said:
You make the assumption that the woman in question has not attempted to find ‘a worthwhile job’. Do you know therefore her previous history? Whatever it was, she had been diagnosed with a mental health problem. Are you disputing that, and if so, on what grounds? You also seem able to diagnose her by what she has said here. I would not call her memory for detail ‘supernatural’; she had the presence of mind to note down the events of the night. Mental health issues would not necessarily obfuscate her memory for one traumatic night. Judging by what I read in front of me, (that which she wrote), she comes across as a very intelligent person who is able to string a sentence together. So if I’m allowed, I judge her on what I read, not upon what I want to think.
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Silly Hyberbole said:
“Pure evil”…”descend on South Wales Police HQ”…
Where do you think she is living? The Soviet Union?
She is not physically disabled – just temporarily unbalanced and all these comments from ‘supporters’ do her no good at all.
Get a grip woman and give something to society then you will get back what you need.
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Silly Hyberbole said:
Why would ‘the police’ fear examination on the internet? Now all the pretensions about ‘state oppression’ can be brought into the light and shown for what thay are.
If I’m wrong, put together a dossier of facts, go to a solicitor and have them prosecuted.
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Chris Tandy said:
An immediate visit? What utter tosh! If she had rang the police to tell them she had a prowler in her back garden, I doubt very much whether she would have received ‘an immediate visit’.
So she has published some vitriolic comments on Face-book about politicians, Atos, Duncan Smith or some other criminals and you think she needs ‘an immediate visit’ at midnight?
What would she be wanting to write to her MP about then? That duncan smith is a vile streak of Fascist Turd who would be better of dead? She used the medium appropriate to this form of commentary, as do many others, myself included. The petition to tell the world that duncan smith is a streak of cancerous piss goes on regularly and continuously and will do ‘tiil the vile filth is good and dead.
Perhaps this lady did indeed ‘think for herself’, and probably does not need the advice from fuckwits like yourself.
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Silly Hyberbole said:
If she has a self-described mental health problem then it is likely her Facebook comments would not sound normal and be concerning to whoever told the police. The police thought so also so it was reasonable for them to go to her house immediately.
Her reaction at the door was not normal either so the police had reasonable cause to enter her house and make sure things were ok before leaving. There is no great moral issue here.
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Silly Hyberbole said:
What she needs to do, Mr. Tandy, is find some purpose in life; contribute something genuine. Like we all need to do.
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Chris Tandy said:
Now try answering the questions I put to you., please. Your diagnosis
is complete and utter garbage. She is prepared to admit she has a mental health condition, oh, shallow one. This is why she is supposed to be in receipt of ESA. So upon this, you make the judgment that anything she says on Face-book is going to be deranged nonsense. Quite how you make that assumption I do not know, but leaving that aside, you then decide that on that long-distance diagnosis, you assume the police were right, proper and sensible to visit her at midnight? And therefore you assume the police in her local station are going to be sitting there saying, “Her comments don’t sound normal Sarge, I think you’d better get WPC Rachael Prejudice and go pay her a visit. She may, afterall, be having midnight delusions of paranoia, and we must protect the public against such ailments. Best go round and stick your boot in the door.” .
Sadly I live in Dave’s sub-fascist Britain, as does this lady. Whereas you appear to live in Never-never Land.
End of conversation.
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pam said:
Atos appeals panels are bullies! I would love to say exactly how I feel about the whole ATOS charade…It’s left my life in bits fighting for some sort of justice..You have been treated disgracefully Lisa, welcome to the club, you are among friends!!
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Chris Tandy said:
Again, you make assumptions about this Lady. How do you know she does not ‘have some purpose in life’? How can you tell what she may or may not have contributed in her life? What arrogant twaddle.
Oh, and just in case I have not made myself clear, just to re-iterate myself: duncan smith is a streak of cancerous filth. Fascist filth. I guess he gets an erection for everybody he manages to throw off any form of benefit. He makes Savile look like a saint. Please tell him I said so, .
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ed said:
They are no different to their predecessors Schlumberger, only interested in profit , no integrity…
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Silly Hyberbole said:
“duncan smith is a streak of cancerous filth. Fascist filth… He makes Savile look like a saint.”
You write that. That statement tells me you will be of no use to this woman in your current state of mind. Everyone has a disability or a burden and I know nothing about her or about you except what everyone knows – you get back a thousand-fold if you give. But you have to give first and you have to wait.
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WaterDragon said:
From a disabled New Zealand’s – this behaviour by the police to this woman is obscene. I hope this woman will pursue this complaint vigorously to the fullest extent possible, knowing that she is doing it on behalf of us. So many of us support you e hoa (friend) To the police concerned shame on each and every one of you.
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the democratic process is dead said:
Except that the claim that they’re a “benign force” has been falsified by what they did to this woman, as is the claim that they were preventing “crime”. And why shouldn’t people living in a police state call for direct action? Also, why are Tory trolls never raided or arrested for calling for protesters/criminals/folk devil of the day to be shot and suchlike?
As for the “democratic process”, it’s obviously failing to keep these out-of-control police tyrants in check. It is also failing to keep government in check, as the tuition fees sell-out shows.
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the democratic process is dead said:
Another stupid bigot. Who decides what counts as a worthwhile contribution? What if someone is unable to “contribute” on the terms set by others?
In any case, this is irrelevant. The point is that she was subject to illegal, fascistic and traumatising late-night interrogation by police, for a simple act of free speech. This is wrong in principle – whether she’s your comrade or your worst enemy.
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the democratic process is dead said:
If she’s aspie/autistic (as one of her questions implies) then she may well have a near-perfect memory for details. And “silly hyperbole” makes statements which imply that every person who is psychologically different (there are millions) can legitimately be terrorised by police whenever they feel like it, since what they say or do seems “abnormal”. This would mean the police are constant threat to us (which sadly, is often true). This in turn would make it rational for us to feel absolute enmity towards them. In other words, this argument leads to conclusions which falsify it.
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the democratic process is dead said:
“you get back a thousand-fold if you give” – do you have statistical confirmation from a verified academic source for that immense generalisation? I could list a great deal of counter-evidence – for instance, upward social mobility is inversely correlated with neoliberalism. In other words, the more people are forced to “give” to the system, the less they “get”.
Now let’s see if you agree with the following statements, which follow logically from “you get back a thousand-fold if you give”:
1) Food Not Bombs should be allowed to give away free food to homeless people in town squares.
2) If people are given benefits, this is a good thing, because they will contribute a thousand times more in return.
3) Immigrants should be given the right to remain, because they will contribute a thousand times more in return.
4) Bosses should pay workers more, because they will contribute a thousand times more as a result.
5) Criminals should be given a second chance, because if you give forgiveness you will get positive results, but if you give punishment you will get back aggression a thousand times over.
6) Overseas aid should be raised, because beneficiaries will give back a thousand-fold what they receive.
I daresay you will not agree with any of these statements, thus proving that you don’t really believe what you said.
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underlying dilemma... said:
Obviously, absolutely disgusting actions by the police. My heart goes out to the victim of this obvious case of psychological abuse.
Sadly, this kind of abuse is all too common. Hardly a day goes by without some new report of an activist being harassed, a wrongful arrest, an exorbitant sentence for an act of dissent, criminalisation of online speech, misuse of torture-weapons such a tasers, and police getting away with everything from racial abuse to murder. The legal process is failing to hold the police to account, the courts have gutted the ECHR and most of the press don’t care.
The dilemma is that this logically leads to the conclusion that direct action is increasingly needed, and right-wing objections are increasingly hollow. Yet it is also increasingly difficult, for the same reason that it is necessary: the existence of a quasi-fascist police-state. In other words, we’re increasingly persecuted for saying and doing the only things which, logically, we can say and do in this situation.
As for the bigots – they’re doing what Chomsky calls “flak”. They need to silence us to keep believing their system is anything but the monstrosity it has become. Hence they end up trapped in vicious circles. Britain is a democratic country, so abuse can’t happen here. Victims of the state are automatically bad people, so illiberal abuses against them are justified. The abuses are not out of the ordinary. But in any case, there is no need to justify them, since they can’t happen. The torturer in Sartre’s “Altona” is the model for this pattern, which is all too common.
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bagladyinstitches said:
@ hermia The allusion to the Stasi in my comment comes from this poor lady’s post where she asked the policy enforcers repeatedly who had complained / informed on her and she was repeatedly ignored. She also asked what she was being accused of, she was ignored on this point too. When you do not know what you are being accused of and you are not told who your accusers are then we are no longer living in a supposedly free society. This is rule and justice/conviction by inference, association and slander, no-one is held to account. This is designed to create fear and panic. This woman is already vulnerable to such tactics but is brave enough to stand up to her abusers, she deserves our support.
A good film to watch on the tactics and results of such stasi-like activities is the German film “The Lives of Others”; you can find it sub-titled in English. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/
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bagladyinstitches said:
I agree with both geordielopithacus and hermia. The weak and vulnerable are easy pickings for psychopathic control freaks. It is particularly insidious in cases where the mental health problems are a direct consequence of bullying and harassment by various agencies who are purportedly there to help the vulnerable.
A quote by Krishnamurti – “It is no measure of good health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society”.
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bagladyinstitches said:
A good point. Also I wonder how many real emergencies or reports of burglaries etc got put on hold at the same time so that these plods were free to go round to this woman’s house mob-handed. If only real crimes were given the same assiduous and rigorous attention . . .
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bagladyinstitches said:
@ The police do their job. Just get on with yours
This poor woman obviously has a capacity for logic and intellectual reasoning not apparent in her abusers – therefore not a suitable candidate for work as a policy enforcer I fear 🙂
As for getting a worthwhile job I believe most jobs have been outsourced to India and China these days. Since you so obviously care perhaps you can help this lady find a “worthwhile job” in this country if such a thing exists.
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bagladyinstitches said:
@ Chris Tandy I couldn’t have put it better myself. The unwillingness of the policy enforcers to answer the lady’s questions about who, why and what shows that there is an underlying dark agenda here and activists are on a target list. If the policy enforcers are “just doing their job” and they have nothing to hide then why do they fear direct questions and direct action.
We the plebs are always being told that if we have nothing to hide and have done nothing wrong then we have no reason to fear the police state – somehow that doesn’t apply to the “authorities” who depend on the plebs for their salaries and generous pensions. Something not quite right with that picture.
It appears to me that this present state of bankster-created “austerity” is bringing with it a job creation scheme for bullyboys and informers. Much easier than tackling real crime and at the same time a good boost for monthly performance targets.
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Julian said:
I’d love to be able to say unbelievable but it just isn’t. The corrupt culture of our police service needs to be changed. Officers must obey the law, abide by it and use it to uphold peace & justice. So sorry to hear of your distress. May my God bless you and may you experience colossal support in your ongoing fight for your mental health & well being. Loadsa love to you lady! Jx
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operacat said:
No, she couldn’t get a job at Walmart because (a) she lives in the UK (b)she is too ill to work. It is I suppose just possible that this post is ironic…I mean, can he really MEAN ‘go and eat at a soup kitchen like poor people are supposed to’…..
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goggzilla said:
One is trying yet in a de facto police state that is difficult.
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Chris Tandy said:
“”“duncan smith is a streak of cancerous filth. Fascist filth… He makes Savile look like a saint.”
You write that. That statement tells me you will be of no use to this woman in your current state of mind. Everyone has a disability or a burden and I know nothing about her or about you except what everyone knows – you get back a thousand-fold if you give. But you have to give first and you have to wait. “”
I’m afraid I cannot fathom what on earth you are wittering on about, ‘Silly Hyperbole’.
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Eric said:
I agree with you Mrs Peace Girl. Ryan using the term ‘ service workers’ to describe intimidatory thugs in a uniform shows that you really have little comprehension. Your knowledge of the UK population is also lacking: there are, at the last count, around 60M in the UK, around 300M in the US. Either falls woefully short of the billion you quote. Its ignorant, and willingly stupid people like you that exacerbate the problem. For your sake, grow up quickly, because you are going to need to. I only hope you never become disabled, nor face the deep joy that is to be experienced dealing with the corrupt, and quite frankly unfit for purpose DWP.
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Chris said:
I have read this in absolute horror! You live in a (supposedly) Western liberal democracy where the sanctity of private property and individual freedom is (supposedly) to be respected. However, it seems that the defence of private property and individual liberty is only for the rich! Heaven forbid should the papparazi invade the privacy of a royal duchess (who lives not far from you, I understand)!! But an ordinary citizen, who happens to experience mental health issues, and is protesting against injustice apparently doesn’t have these same rights to privacy and freedom of speech! I hope the South Wales police get everything they deserve including a lawsuit. Find a good lawyer who will take your case pro bono and give it to the South Wales Police! All the best to you from Otago, New Zealand.
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benefitscrounger said:
I agree with you too, Mrs Peace Grrl.
Particularly in regard to his obviously limited intellect.
I also have mental health issues so along with the stigmatisation that presents, I now have to deal with being branded a “scrounger”.
I have found, over the years, that it is usually intellectually vapid trolls like “Ryan” who are the biggest victims of propaganda. This, i suspect, stems from their over taxed brains having never had an original thought in their sorry excuse for an existence. So they are quite happy to be spoon fed their opinions by the media.
He is to be pitied really.
What people like “Ryan” will never grasp is that while I may be mentally ill, I am also highly educated, intelligent and HAVE worked for many years.
Which (for Ryans benefit) means I have paid my tax and National Insurance Contibutions for several decades!
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benefitscrounger said:
I object to your classification of mental ill health as “just temporarily unbalanced”.
As for your suggestion that she “Get a grip”, are you another subscriber, like Atos, to the widley discredited and scientifically invalid “bio-psychosocial” model of health?
I think it is you who should heed your own advice and “get a grip”. You have absolutley no evidence to suggest this woman has NOT given “something to society”.
The point I, and others, are trying to get you to understand is that many people who HAVE contributed (some for 4 or 5 decades!) are being left with less than nothing under this systematic ConDem cull.
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Liz Terry said:
My heart goes out to this poor woman. Well done her for writing such a detailed and articulate complaint letter, which can’t have been easy. I really hope she gets the answers she deserves.
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Caleb Selah said:
I await the answers to the questions with interest
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Dave said:
I have been following the news of this through friends on F,B.. you have my support .
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a hughes said:
What is going on in this country? We have work capability tests undertaken by people who aren’t interested in what doctors say, police calling around to vulnerable people at midnight… (I live alone too and know how frightening that would be.) This country is becoming some kind of nightmare….. I hope the Tories never use the word “civilised” again because the whole ATOS joke means we are not a civilised country. And this just defies explanation.
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Mike McNutt said:
A simple letter to the Police authority, asking for the details of the police visit to your home is the first step. If they refuse to give any information, you must call the police, to report that you have had a visit from police impersonators. Give them enough room, and they will be sure enough to fill it with mistakes. The relationship between South Wales police, and their wage payers, has not improved since the Tonypandy Riots.
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Mike McNutt said:
Sorry, I forgot to say, that you should have a witness with you if they wish to talk to you. If you can, record all conversations, even on the telephone. It is not illegal to record a conversation you have with a second party. Face them down, they are trying to bully you. I know how hard that is, but you will grow stronger. There are many serious questions, that need answering here. Is Chris Bryant your MP?
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Louise said:
Reading this i could only think of the stories i was told of as a child and how the RUC/ Special branch tried these exact same tactics to intimidate those they knew were in the right (during civil rights protests in northern ireland) because they are bullies and fear those strong enough to stand up for those who don’t have a voice!
Lisa you are an amazing strong woman and truly inspirational! My partner too has had trouble with these reviews, when he finally got an appeal they found that the doctor had ignored basically everything he was told about his condition, family history everything he even outright lied about who answered the questions (I had to speak for him after he became to anxious to do so himself but the doctor marked down that my partner had answered the questions fully!)!
i only hope this whole thing gets resolved fast for you!
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North said:
This sounds like a pack of lies to me.
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North said:
It’s a lie. The plod they send to pick you up are totally disinterested in the case matter. They are just the escort service so the senior plods can question you. The only reason they would make a scene is if you were actively resisting arrest, in which case they have to treat you like any other criminal. My reaction when I was arrested was simply to ask if I could at least finish dressing and have a quick cigarette, since I’d be gone all day. They were quite reasonable.
That people are being hauled in for inconsequential facebook posts is obscene and wrong, but the way they actually do it is a great deal more mundane, unless what was said was directly threatening/menacing to an individual. But they don’t say what was actually said and she strikes me as the sort of professional whiner who would make a meal of it and is rinsing it for all it’s worth.
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David Messenger said:
EVERY police officer in this country is ‘COMPOUNDING TREASON’ and has NO authority over any of us. Fact. To make them aware of their criminality check out http://www.acasefortreason.org.uk and obtain the evidence of Edward Heaths treason against the sovereign people of this land. If you require a ‘Misprision of treason’ template then email me and I will gladly supply you with it. By doing this you put these corrupt officers in a difficult position as by serving such a notice on them and retaining a photocopy with proof of postage (registered post) they have no choice but to report the crimes to a justice of the peace as soon as they can or be guilty of the crime themselves under section 1 of the 1735 treason Act.
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David Messenger said:
The evidence is in computer disc format called ‘Shoehorned into the EU’…if you email me with an address I will supply you with a copy of the discs. The discs contain nearly 500 documents gleaned from the public records office that evidence the crimes of sdeition and treason. Peace.
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lyndaphillips2 said:
Please could I have a copy? Thanks in advance 🙂
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lyndaphillips2 said:
No worries hun and I shall send you a few disks back… Please email me at babybear3333@aol.com and I’ll give you my address etc…
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Dean said:
Excellant letter.Very informative for someone like me waiting to make an official complaint against the Police, i didnt realise you could present data protection requests with it so thankyou for standing up to them, standing up for us and for making it public for us all to see.I take it the Adult Autism Strategy hasn’t reached you any more than its reached me and my home county?
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Andrew said:
Just to say, you have my utter sympthy and thank god you had the strength not to give in to them. Its uterly unacceptable what happened to you. Big big hugs and loads of careing love You are an amazing and inspirational lperson! Andrew
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lyndaphillips2 said:
Don’t forget you need to send a fee of £10 with a DSAR, even if it’s in relation to a complaint, otherwise they may send it back/ask for the fee… In this case however, they may not want the embarrassment of doing that 😉
Excellent letter, hope she feels ok soon :)Thanks for update – I’m waiting for that ‘knock’ and if they do they’ll have picked the wrong one here…xxx
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lyndaphillips2 said:
In addition, it’s about time SWP got their act together with dealing with vulnerable adults. I’ve fallen foul of their methods more than a few times in the last 10 years for absolutely ludicrous things. All of us need to report them if they don’t treat us the way they should…xxx
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jayrookwood said:
One thing I’d like to know: if it was a welfare visit, what reason did they have for attending in the middle of the night? Surely a welfare visit would ordinarily happen during the day, and would only occur late at night if the alarm had been raised by a neighbour or close relative.
The fact that the victim was asleep suggests that South Wales Police was using tactics similar to those used at Guantanamo and other torture facilities, where a target is woken during the night and forcibly interrogated while half-awake, because they are mentally and emotionally less able to cope with the situation and more likely to make mistakes. These are not the actions of a civilised and humane police force, but of police-state bullies.
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a hughes said:
I have to say, against all the negative police vibes, I had a really good positive experience with them last year. I have had major depression for a while and some of the local yobs were coming and smashing up my garden and yelling through the letterbox. Two uniformed officers came around in the middle of the day, were so understanding and compassionate and told me not to worry and they would sort it out. One of them went on a door to door straight afterwards. I don’t know what they said around the neighbourhood but the trouble stopped that very night. And they checked back a month later to see if I was ok. That was the Daventry branch of the West Midlands police and they were always courteous and helpful. I was very impressed.
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Tom Pride said:
Absolutely. A lot of police officers to a fantastic job but like in every profession some make mistakes. In this case – a big mistake.
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Naomi-Louise Benton said:
This is really distressing, I’m disabled and in Scotland, I have already had two people from social services telling me I’d be moved within a month NOW. They wandered round my home telling me to get rid of virtually all my possessions as I wouldn’t need trhem and couldn’t possibly use them. The powers that be want me to move from a three bedroom to one bedroom property, 6 weeks after massive surgery where I encountered complications and got rushed back to be worked on and restarted. They told me I’d need to move before Christmas as they need to housing stock to comply with the legislation when it is finally operational. There was no mention of April, just ‘before Christmas’. I’m no fool, and was straight on the phone to my very new, very green social worker, who contacted that team on my behalf. The outcome was to her satisfaction as, the rules are not definitive, according to social services team, if you can afford to pay the increase you can stay…I’ve been told I need to find an extra £15 per week to secure the property…now, that was direct from social services, and if they have it wrong I’ll be fighting all the way for mental distress as well as everything else. I have four more rounds of surgery to go, the only reason I do as well as I do is familiarity, any move would be too much, I’ve had four different awful things go really wrong this week and am not coping now, never mind add packing when I’m not to sneeze, let alone pack boxes and move to wherever they find…I was told it would be impossible to choose, I would have to take what was availabkle and swap therafter, entirely unsuitable as a wheelchair user. I feel so isolated right now, and am bearly coping with the thought, never mind whatever the reality will end up being. I don’t have another £15 per week. If I move the custody battle which starts next month will be pointless as I won’t haveroom for my kids, all the work I’ve been doing for the last two years would have been pointless and I’ll feel even more useless and obscelete than I do now. I don’t really understand the tax in the first place, it’s just another way for them to claw money back and tackle the waiting lists without building new houses. I have asked for leneancy due to my mental and physical health, my social worker is going to be the one liasing with the housing team on my behalf as I found them unapproachable. I have been told that I can stay, if I find the extra cash, and I’m now going to be searching for a charitable contribution from a disabled charity to make up the shortfall. I’m lucky enough to have good support from Capability Scotland, my Church, the community circle and Friday Friends. Not everyone has anyone to at lesat vent at, and I’ve been assured that if push comes to shove and I do have to move people will help me pack and move, but my mum’s ashes are in the garden and my kids can get to me if they need help as they are at risk. I understand that my situation is complicated and that there is not always room for ‘special treatment’ but in my opinion this is crazy, unneccessary legislation which is going to cost more to police and monitor than it will save. Building new houses helps the economy, morale and community. Uprooting people destroys the good name Britain has in regard to looking after the residents. We may not be perfect but this verges on abuse! Sorry to rant, but I had no idea this would affect me, or how soon…right here and right now is intimidating and frightening, especially as I live alone. I hope noone else goes through the interrogation style ‘visit’ I had, it’s quite disturbing…I didn’t get the impression they had been given any training as how to actually conduct this visit, they kept looking at each other for support. It’s really not good enough, especially when the ‘old’ system of helping disabled people move has also gone, as of last year according to the team from housing. I’m fed up having to beg friends and random people I know for any type of help, never mind someing as big as moving and it’s even worse when it’s againt my will!!!
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a hughes said:
I had to move in similar circumstances. I had moved back home to look after my Mum, who had dementia. I was very close to her and when she died, it was really tough. The family had been in that home for 40 years, and when she died, I had to move from a three bedroomed house to a one bedroom flat, in the middle of overpowering grief when I had depression anyway.
Having said that, the Housing Association people were very understanding and kind and let me stay on until they found a lovely place for me. I’m very happy where I am now. It seems like the worst thing in the world but the point is really that there are families out there with nowhere to live. One person living in a three bedroom house is not really viable under those circumstances. As I said, I love where I live now. It may not be as horrendous as you think it is. (Your housing team sound like a nightmare. Mine were very sweet, that could be the difference.) And I had to get rid of a lot of stuff, moving from three bedroom house to one bedroom flat but I was able to keep the really sentimental things. Other things that weren’t sentimental were easily disposable. It all worked out for me, though it was very painful at the time, I’m sure it will work for you.
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catherine courtney (@comefollowcath) said:
I dont go to bed early,that way they cant try to embarrass you They like you to feel uncomfortable in a state of not quite dressed know what i mean,All you can do is roll with ,and when they have gone raise your eye brows and let your sense of humour kick in and think silly bastards,
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jayrookwood said:
That’s unfortunately not an option for all of us. I have severe insomnia (a side-effect of the drugs I’m on to stop me committing suicide) so when I do finally manage to fall asleep I’m usually exhausted. I need at least ten hours in bed each night just to be sure I get five or six hours of sleep.
I also have Asperger Syndrome and social anxiety, so unexpectedly dealing with a couple of strangers is likely to cause serious problems, irrespective of what time of day it is. Depending on how badly I react, I may end up unable to leave my flat for a week.
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Lorrain said:
Lol This makes me sick especially when there are groups like this https://www.facebook.com/pages/Im-Fed-up-with-benefit-scroungers-getting-life-for-free/286754583976 on Face Book who are being racist against not just people on benefits but large people etc. This group has been reported yet they are still spreading their vile intentions. What on earth happen to regulators on this site. Is this a site we would allow our children to feel safe in? i don’t think so. I am an adult and astonished by this in humane way that people or Face book can get away with this type of behaviour.
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Numpty said:
sounds like a scrounger to me – depression & anxiety isnt disability, its part of bieng human. people like her have ruined it for the genuinely disabled, like my mate with brain damage from mugging, my mate with MS, and myself with heamoplegic stroke – all of which are on low-rate dla, and without heating, transport, enough to eat, …
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Chris Tandy said:
I assume you, Numpty, a the representative from the Campaign for Real Disability. Do tell how you think ‘people like her’ have ‘ruined it’ for people like yourself. who you consider ‘genuinely disabled’. Is there a league table of disability, and are you the person who runs it?
Your two mates and yourself have my sympathy and best wishes, but sadly your disability appears to have impaired your ability to rationalise facts.
This person has problems with mental health, as diagnosed by medical institutions and ratified, in effect, by the DWP ,despite her falling foul of the Atos meat-processing unit. I assume you, Numpty, and your two mates, fit into the same category, Why is she any different to you?
What you need, Numpty, is a spokesperson, somebody who is prepared to stand up to the vicious and heartless system as enthusiastically run by the loathsome Ian Duncan Smith. I’m sure you would be pleased for a support group, and somebody to speak up on your behalf, if you do not have the ability to do so.
Might I suggest you contact a certain disability campaigner in Wales, who has had more courage than you display, and is fighting back against the authorities and the severe harassment from her local constabulary, and doing so with great dignity.
She could be a role-model for you…and your ‘mates’……
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rainbowwarriorlizzie said:
Reblogged this on HUMAN RIGHTS & POLITICAL JOURNAL.
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rainbowwarriorlizzie said:
Blessings and Prayers to the female disabled activist we are holding you in our prayers.This is outrageous and truly shocking and fires my spirit evermore to Keep Fighting, as a fellow disabled activist. We send our Love. Please know that WE WILL NEVER STOP. May the Grace of God give you Strength and Courage in his Love. Stand Tall and keep strong Lass Blessings, Prayers, Peace and Love Rainbow Warrior Lizzie
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socialaction2014 said:
Reblogged this on Social Action.
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Tom said:
I despair what is happening in this country, when all the austerity measures are aimed at poorest, most vulnerable but not at those who caused it, where this gov give£12 billion in aid a year then say cuts to budget on poorest is £25 billion then n instead of stopping that just penallise poorest…. n say our children/grandchildren gonna hafta pay for this oh I’m so angry so will stop here NUFF SED!
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