Where: online. RSVP to legaltrainingbristol@gmail.com to attend details by Sat 21st+ tracked in person outdoors in Bristol when Co-vid restrictions allow charity Liberty says it is taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police and accuses the force of arresting legal observers during Kill the Bill protests – a move it has condemned as a “scare tactic to deter protests”. This will be hands-on training, so be prepared to get involved. There will also be a briefing on the main violations of the law that activists face. Please bring pen and paper. Legal observers are volunteers who are part of an organized team that collects information about protests. Their presence is reassuring to protesters and can protect people from illegal or repressive policing. You don`t need any special legal training, but you do need to be able to take quick and accurate notes, communicate well with others, and stay calm under stress. Met Police responded to a request for comment, saying: “On Saturday 3 April, at around 7.15pm, a man and a woman were arrested on the beach by officers as part of the police operation for the central London protests. Both were arrested under health protection regulations and fined. The two detainees acted as legal observers during the demonstration. » Cost: Free / or if you can afford it, please donate to StopWatchHow do I register?: RSVP to legaltrainingbristol@gmail.com with1. Your name (full or legal name not required)2.

Place of residence (e.g. Bristol, Cardiff, Somerset)3. A few sentences about how you would like to use this training and previous experiences you would like to share with us,4. Any accessibility requirements relevant to the conduct of online sessions. “There is a lot of particularly blatant behaviour towards protesters, and we are here to provide legal support and monitor police behaviour, and it seems that they are actively preventing us from doing so by arresting us. Green & Black Cross (“GBC”) is an independent local project that provides legal observers for protests and provides training on protest rights. Green and Black Cross (GBC) provides training and support to legal observers at hundreds of events each year and has offices in London, Brighton, Manchester and Leeds. greenandblackcross.org greenandblackcross.org/legal/trainings email: blackprotestlegal@protonmail.com/coordinatorBPLS@protonmail.com 2020 saw a resurgence of political activism around the world.

Although we are locked in our homes for most of the year, more and more people are expressing their dissatisfaction with the current social order and taking to the streets to protest. This upsurge in protest movements coincided (perhaps unsurprisingly) with a wave of police violence against protesters, especially those who are regaining their voice. This violence is aimed at silencing us and stopping the momentum that social justice movements have gained over the past 6 to 12 months. We must therefore organize ourselves and our comrades to defend ourselves against attacks from all sectors of the criminal justice system, from the police to the judiciary. Having legal observers on the ground during protests is part of this community self-defense and we want to share with you some of our knowledge on this topic! “There are real concerns about how this is developing, with the ability of our legal observers to go to protests without being put in danger.” A spokesperson for Black Protest Legal Support said: “An attack on legal observers is an attack on the ability to monitor the police independently. Sam Grant, head of policy and campaigns at Liberty, said: “The arrest of legal observers is an intimidation tactic to deter protests. Legal observers ensure that the rights of protesters are respected and that the police act in accordance with the law. If officials feel they are acting legally, they should welcome this review. Website: www.bristolabc.wordpress.com/defendant-solidarity/ provide important legal and practical information to squatters.

Liberty, in collaboration with Migrants Organize and Black Protest Legal Support, designed and produced protest cards for migrant communities to inform and empower them to exercise their legal rights to protest against state racism and hostile environment in the safest way possible. Legal observers are independent, legally trained volunteers who monitor and record police behaviour and provide legal information and support to organisers and protesters. You can contact them for information or assistance. They are easily recognizable at demonstrations and wear high-visibility jackets with the inscription “LEGAL OBSERVER” on the back. Legal observers are always the key to helping people protest, whether it`s handing out important legal advice on bust cards or finding witnesses for arrests. If you are a seasoned activist, there will be parts you already know, but the depth we are going to do should give you more confidence and knowledge on how to deal with the police. Green & Black Cross Manchester supports legal observers and detainees during protests in the Manchester area. We are a small group of Bristol-based people with experience in legal observation and legal education of activists – between us we work with Bristol Défendeur Solidarity, CopWatch, StopWatch, Green and Black Cross and Black Protest Legal Support. Their standard training for legal observers is very comprehensive and includes: – Police tactics – Stop and search law and procedure – How to support arrests – Police ranks and command structure – Support for directional actions – How to best legally support activists and identify inappropriate policing afterwards Two legal observers from Black Protest Legal Support, A nonprofit organization, were arrested during Saturday`s protests, he said. Black Protest Legal Support (“BPLS”) facilitates legal observers for demonstrations organized by Black and other racialized protesters and/or involving Black and other racialized protesters.

They also have an extensive network of lawyers who are committed to legally representing Black people and other racialized organizers/protesters arrested during protests. You can contact the following organizations to arrange legal observers for your next event: What to expect:–Interactive training with information, practical exercises, scenarios to explore in groups and PAUSES (you will never have more than 55 minutes without a break) – The first session will introduce you to the role of the legal observer and some of the key skills and issues, The second session will delve deeper into specific scenarios and give more time to practice legal observation skills Netpol monitors public order, protests and street policing and challenges excessive, discriminatory or civil rights policing.