In the wake of the G20 demonstrations, protester Nicky Fisher was trying to get to the vigil for the dead protester Ian Tomlinson. The police however were employing the controversial technique of 'Kettling'* and would not allow her through.

She claims to have been pushed by a much larger police sergeant and pushed him back, he then hit her across the face with the back of his hand and hit her across the legs with a baton bringing her to the ground - this too was caught on video camera

In fact a baton strike to the legs is the recommended form of 'personal defence' - in this case from being sworn at by a diminutive young woman

What makes this 'news' however is that police sergeant had his epaulette covered while attacking her despite rules which state that they should be 'identifiable at all times'.

Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said: 'It shows that there is something systemically wrong within the Met that officers think they can openly disobey orders and get away with it.'
A spokesman declined to comment when asked whether the officers would face disciplinary action.


* This is when the police impose cordons on demonstrators and refuse to let anyone from within the cordon leave for what can be hours.
Although ruled legal the police are effectively imprisoning people who may be behaving perfectly peacefully and lawfully and safety is compromised as well as liberty.
Moreover such tactics might be thought to encourage violence in some instances by overreaction
These containment tactics were first used over a long period of time on 1 May 2001 when an anti-capitalist protest at Oxford Circus was corralled by the police for seven hours in bad weather and with no access to toilet facilities.