All News

UFFC

Dalian Atkinson: PC Benjamin Monk jailed for ex-footballer’s death

Male Prisonersource: BBC News
published: 29 June 2021

A police officer who unlawfully killed Dalian Atkinson by tasering him to the ground and kicking him in the head has been jailed for eight years. PC Benjamin Monk, 43, discharged his taser three times and kicked him twice in the head, leaving bootlace prints on his forehead, his trial heard.

The former Aston Villa striker died after the 2016 stand-off outside his father’s home in Telford, Shropshire. Jurors cleared Monk of an alternative charge of murder on 23 June. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence before being entitled to release on licence.

Continue reading

UFFC

UN calls for end of ‘impunity’ for police violence against black people

French Riot Policesource: The Guardian
published: 28 June 2021

A UN report that analysed racial justice in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd has called on member states including the UK to end the “impunity” enjoyed by police officers who violate the human rights of black people.

The UN human rights office analysis of 190 deaths across the world led to the report’s damning conclusion that law enforcement officers are rarely held accountable for killing black people due in part to deficient investigations and an unwillingness to acknowledge the impact of structural racism.

The 23-page global report, and its accompanying 95-page conference room paper, features seven examples of deaths involving police, including the case of Kevin Clarke, who died after being restrained by officers in London in 2018.

Continue reading

UFFC

Privacy International launches new guide to resisting high tech police surveillance

Free to Protest - Privacy-International-Guide promotional image
Image Credit : Privacy International

source: Netpol
published: 29 June 2021

This is a guest post by Harmit Kambo, Campaigns Director, Privacy International

Imagine going to a peaceful protest and having to show your ID to the police before you can join it. Or having to fill out a form about why you are attending that particular protest. Sounds absurd, right? Surely we should all be free to protest, without the police knowing who we are?

But high tech surveillance of protests is real, and it enables the police to identify, monitor and track protestors, indiscriminately and at scale.

For example, your face is increasingly becoming your ID card with the rapid development of facial recognition technology and its deployment at protests.

Continue reading