Protesters march with flares in Sheffield 2011 against the coalition government’s austerity plans.
Before stating the motive of a demonstration, news reporters have usually unveiled the number of arrested protesters. This evocative topic regurgitates any previously circulated footage of police officers dragging activists into the back of armoured vans, immediately suggesting those arrested are lawbreakers.
Yet, the majority of the time those detained are never charged, which leaves room to question the purpose behind these empty but emotionally strenuous arrests. A Freedom of Information request from a member of the public shows that out of 221 arrested during the London student protests in November and December 2010, only three people were charged. This overwhelmingly demonstrates that arrests are often unjustly made.
So how must it feel to attend your first protest and see yourself or fellow demonstrators end up in handcuffs?
fruitful north 