{"id":91209,"date":"2021-03-24T13:32:20","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T13:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1163536"},"modified":"2021-03-24T13:32:20","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T13:32:20","slug":"the-bbc-just-went-full-on-north-korea-against-killthebill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/03\/24\/the-bbc-just-went-full-on-north-korea-against-killthebill\/","title":{"rendered":"The BBC just went full-on North Korea against #KillTheBill"},"content":{"rendered":"

The BBC<\/em> just cemented its position as a state-supporting broadcaster in its coverage of a #KillTheBill<\/a> camp in Bristol on Tuesday 23 March. It didn’t provide balance in its reporting. Instead, the BBC<\/em> dedicated an entire article to defending the Tories and the violent police. Moreover, it whitewashed the reality of what happened on the ground.<\/p>\n

Bristol: more action to #KillTheBill<\/h5>\n

On 23 March, people set up a protest camp on College Green in Bristol. It came after what The Canary<\/em> called<\/a> the “siege of Bristol\u2019s Bridewell police station” on Sunday 21 March, where police attacked people protesting the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill<\/a>. The camp on College Green was also about this bill. But this time, people were raising<\/a> awareness of certain aspects of it. These include<\/a> the bill targeting and criminalising the Gypsy and Roma and Traveller (GRT) community.<\/p>\n

Riot police from various forces eventually broke up the camp, and the protests that followed. The Canary<\/em>‘s<\/em> Eliza Egret was on the ground. She described<\/a> the policing as “the most violent and disgraceful policing I have ever seen in the UK”:<\/p>\n

The police formed a tight line around the green, ready to attack, as people sitting on the ground chanted \u201cpeaceful protesters\u201d. A couple more minutes later the police waded in. They ripped up tents, trampled over a vigil for murdered women, and grabbed protesters from the ground, shoving them, kicking them and punching them, while screaming \u201cGET BACK!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Egret further reported:<\/p>\n

Protesters told me that they were bitten by dogs, and I was informed that a 17-year-old had been hospitalised from a dog bite. I was also told that others were admitted to hospital after being hit on the head by the police\u2019s shields. One woman told me she was hit in her face by a shield; another person\u2019s arm was put in a sling by medics. At least one person was arrested in that initial attack.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

People also tweeted film of what the police did:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Peaceful protestors being attacked by police just now at college green, Bristol – anyone still saying protestors are the villain need their heads wobbled pic.twitter.com\/BljBEkQJe6<\/a><\/p>\n

— fern (@_____fern) March 23, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n