Jonathan Blair, Daniel McQuillan, Richard Moth and Nicola Doherty
Thursday July 26, 2001

The group of G8 activists on this flight were part of about 90 people held in custody after a police raid on a school building in which they were sleeping last Saturday night.

Police indiscriminately batoned those present, mainly young people offering no resistance. After being beaten we were held in a large room which came to resemble a field hospital in the Crimean war.

Most of those present required hospital treatment. Several were carried out on stretchers. People suffered broken bones and head injuries and many were covered in blood.

All those present were taken into police custody. While held they suffered further punches and kicks.

We were held in bare concrete cells for 36 hours with little food and in conditions of severe mental and sometimes physical stress.

Frequent requests for contact with lawyers were refused. Our location was never disclosed to lawyers and reporters.

Many had money, passports and other possessions taken and not yet returned.

At times we were made to stand spread-eagled for periods of up to two hours.

After this we were moved to a regular prison which was at the end of the maximum time we could be held without charge - four days.

We were brought before a magistrate, briefly questioned and then we were free to go.

We were immediately released and we were then deported by police and banned from Italy for five years despite not ever having been convicted of any crime.

We are angered about this degree of state violence against a group of people simply expressing their democratic rights.

We are deeply moved by the tens of thousands of people around the world who came out on the streets to support us and have warm memories of the sympathy, hospitality and solidarity of the majority of Italian people we came into contact with.

We also condemn what we assume to be Tony Blair’s refusal to criticise the police violence against ourselves and others.

We will continue to stand up for our beliefs and a picket outside the Italian embassy will be held at 3pm on Saturday.

Graham Douglas
Tony Bowyer
Sara Rajzman, Community Initiatives, London
Rahul Patel, Assistant Branch Secretary
Mick Beirne, Shop Steward, Housing
Pasqual Testa, Shop Steward, Housing
Tanya Sherfatmand, Health and Safety Officer, Social Services
Josie Crisp, Shop Steward, Housing Benefit
John Sinha, Technical Analyst
Sean Wallis, UCL AUT branch committee
Susan Murray, editor Green Socialist
Mick Totten, University Senior Lecturer
Gareth Jenkins, Regional Delegate, Univ of Greenwich, Inner London NATFHE
Nick Auvache UNISON Middlesex University
Ali Brown, NUJ member
Dave Statham, President GMB Holborn Branch
Tessa Wright, GMB member
Sarah Fraser, Volunteer Coordinator, Positively Women
Mark Shephard, UNISON, Sheffield Hallam University
Jessica Hardy, Teacher from South London
Dave Barnes, TSSA Branch Chair GTRM South Branch
federico riggio, student, Italy
NICK CRASKE (GMB member)
Vivien Altman, journalist
Rebecca Breuer, Publishing Rights Assistant
Jules Evans, journalist
Bella Pagdin
Karen Dwyer, lawyer
Richard Beard, Librarian
Tim Nitram, Journalist, Hamburg, Germany
Rozz Evans, Unison, Middlesex University branch
Neil Overy, School of Oriental and African Studies PhD student
Chris Jones, Chair Merseyside Socialist Alliance, AUT Lancaster University.
Dr Christopher R. Jones
Alun Howkins, Professore of Social History, University of Sussex
Liz Reynolds, Unison Member
Mark Campbell, NATFHE Co-Coordinating Committee, University of East London
Alex Windsor
Nikki Rose, singer/songwriter
Lee Grocott, IT Specialist
Bill Gorman
Alp Biricik,coordinator of I&V -Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly/Turkey
Ebru Uzpeder, coordinator assistant-Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly/Turkey
M›irÕad Campbell, Chair of South East London Health UNISON (pers cap)
Adam Shiels, Accountant
Pûl O’Ceallaigh, Unison member and pacifist Quaker
Richard Alonzo - E-Commerce Content Developer
Marie-Benedicte Dembour, Lecturer in Law, University of Sussex
Jan Miehle, student
Rebecca Cartwright
Guy Lincoln Leeds, Metropolitan University
Jim Taylor, Therapy Assistant, City & Hackney Community Health Unison
Jenny Daglish, Therapist, City & Hackney Community Health Unison
Sue Leahy, Occupational Therapist
Nicki Vaughan, Occupational Therapist
Marianne Behm, Art Therapist (MSF)
Renato Pesci, Art Therapist (MSF)
Ambrose Bockarie, Occupational Therapy Assistant
Dyana Altenor
Anna Stafford, Therapist, City & Hackney Community Health Unison
Tom Marshall, journalist
Robert Kerr, Accountant, Twin Trading Ltd
Richard Hide, Manager, Twin Trading Ltd
Jenny Anderson (Law student)
Andy Russell (NATFHE)
Dave Shiels
Dave Pinnock
Paul Oliver
Chris Hewett, environmental researcher
Julie Alonzo, Secretary, University of Birmingham
Ben Robinson, NUS
Kirsty Sutherland, Research Associate, University of East Anglia
Michael Barrett Brown
Liz Brennan, UNISON steward, Cambridge City Council
Christian Momet, “Les Amis du Monde Diplomatique) Paris
Mik Heys, Steward-Chartered Society Of Physiotherapy
Bhanu Ramaswamy MCSP
David Horner (Biologist)
Francesca Vinti
NIAMH O’TOOLE - TGWU SHOP STEWARD
james brett, filmmaker
Sue Taylor NATFHE