Policing of rally in Sheffield to be reviewed following claims of 'unprovoked violent police behaviour'

People concerned about the policing of a Sheffield rally in support of Kurdish people in Iraq should await the outcome of a review into the incident, South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commisioner has said.
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Both the South Yorkshire Migrant and Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG) and Sheffield Trades Union Council (TUC) have made complaints after claims that officers hit and used pepper spray at the demonstration outside the Town Hall on Sunday, April 24, in which some protestors carried flags depicting the jailed leaded of the banned PKK, Abdullah Öcalan.

South Yorkshire Police said a 44-year-old man from Sheffield was arrested during protests outside Sheffield Town Hall, on suspicion of displaying articles suggesting membership/support for a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

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SYMAAG issued a statement saying it had written to Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, to raise a formal complaint about ‘unprovoked violent police behaviour against a peaceful demonstration’.

Police on the steps of Town Hall in Sheffield during the Kurdish protest on Sunday afternoon. A man was arrestedPolice on the steps of Town Hall in Sheffield during the Kurdish protest on Sunday afternoon. A man was arrested
Police on the steps of Town Hall in Sheffield during the Kurdish protest on Sunday afternoon. A man was arrested

Dr Billings has now responded, following what he described as a ‘number of complaints’ about the force’s policing during the protest, and says the ‘whole incident’ will be examined.

“Over the next few days CCTV will be collected from around the area and the whole incident examined,” he said.

“I urge those who are expressing strong views – especially those who were not themselves present – to await the outcome of the review.”

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He added: “At the weekend there was a demonstration in Sheffield City Centre organised by the South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG) to show solidarity with Kurdish people in Iraq following interventions there by Turkish armed forces.

“About 40 people were present and the policing was at first minimal. However, at some point the police intervened and an arrest was made.

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“I have had a number of people contact me to protest about the policing from this point onwards.

“As a result, I met the Deputy Chief Constable this morning and he has agreed to review the police response.”

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South Yorkshire Police has previously confirmed that video footage of the policing will be reviewed at chief officer level, and said they were aware of community concern over circumstances surrounding the arrest.

SYMAAG claimed officers hurled people to the ground and hit them around the head, while a woman and some men were pepper sprayed, with some protesters reported to have held flags of the banned PKK, which is covered by terrorism laws. The law treats the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

John Grayson, a member of SYMAAG who was present at the protest, said some people were left vomiting due to pepper spray. He said: “It was absolute disgrace – there was no justification for that sort of tactics.”

He said police had taken flags from people who had been at the protest, and they had approached officers at the end to ask for them back. Some had tried to wrestle them back off officers, and that was when the atmosphere changed, he said.

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Those present at the demonstration say the atmosphere was initially peaceful, until the protesters started to ask officers to return flags that had been seized.

SYMAAG say their demonstration, in conjunction with Sheffield Kurdish groups, attracted around 100 people including a number of Kurdish families with small children.