advice for what we should do if the police visit?

[vivariumvivariumsvivaria]

It occurred to me that I have no idea what I should do if the police came to my door.

Am I right in thinking that if they request an interview you can refuse to attend until you have posted on MN?

Can anyone point a boring, conformist, clean living woman who may have written polite emails, harbour stickers and haberdashery (and who is definitely offensively female) in the direction of practical advice?

I think Ceri Black politely refused all invitations to go to the station, Marion Millar and PP both attended with a solicitor, and Granarchist went alone.

Because, frankly, I'm now at the stage of "bring it on".

It is beyond belief that this is real and we're actually having this conversation. The world has gone absolutely mad.

@yourhairiswinterfire Scottish politicians didn't want rape victims to be allowed to ask for a female forensic medic. Not for the right to HAVE a female, for the right to ASK for one.

So, yes, if your intimate searcher is a TW then there is a conflict between their employment law and your 2010 equality act exemptions.

I'd refuse.

The majority of TW in that position would find someone else to do the search because they are not nasty people. However, if you got a TRA TW who was also a misogynist high on power that being in the police comes with and who also wishes to exert that power over you while you are in a vulnerable position - well, tricky.

I would question why they would need to look up my bumhole if I was arrested for stickering, though, that does seem a little disproportionate.

Am tempted to start sewing ribbons onto my tampon threads as an act of rebellion.

If denied menstrual products would leaving bloody handprints everywhere be a valid response.

@BlueberryCheezecake

Based on previous GC arrests, the thing to do seems to be to immediately start a crowdfunder to cover your legal fees, then once the charges get dropped, go mysteriously quiet and don't tell anyone what's happened to their money or whether they're going to get it back.

Ooh! Yes. I'd forgotten about that part.

And I have never asked for my money back. Every time I have donated I have been told that money is being kept because of the likelihood of appeals and/or that A N Other cause wil get the money, if I have no objections. My choice.

What you mean is that they don't publicise what happens to the money that may not be used up. Which is entirely different! And eminenetly sensible, Not least because it annoys some people... and leads others to make daft insinuations!

I do have two questions on the subject, mind...

1. How does being arrested even work if you are dependant on a carer through severe disability? Are they held with you? 😄
2. If you claim a mysterious third "gender", not NB but something really obscure - how does intimate searching work?

I reckon I am a lot older than some posters here so have less to lose in terms of employment, status etc. I may or may not have been in possession of stickers. I may or may not have given stickers to another person. I may or may not have left offensive ribbons in public places. They can come for me, I don't care.

Me too, @SamphiretheStickerist.

If the seeds I sent to allotments weren't needed and got spent on a wee spa weekend or an electricity bill or counselling to recover from her laboured gardening, fair play to her.

Well, @BeyondShrinks, Granarchist has medical needs and a mobility scooter but seems to have been left to hope it's battery didn't give out half way up the hill on her way home at 3am.

So, I imagine that if you needed a carer you'd be gubbed.

A long time ago when I was a Climate activist, the advice if you get arrested was to give a "no comment" interview and use your phonecall to request a solicitor. The recommended firm was Bindermans, who have a lot of experience in defending the right to protest:
www.bindmans.com/what-we-do/right-to-protest/team

Don't know how up-to-date that advice is though!

@BlueberryCheezecake

Based on previous GC arrests, the thing to do seems to be to immediately start a crowdfunder to cover your legal fees, then once the charges get dropped, go mysteriously quiet and don't tell anyone what's happened to their money or whether they're going to get it back.

This page provides advice about the law and your rights. This will help answer any questions you might have – and help you decide how to act.

www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/advice_information/what-if-im-arrested/

vivariumvivariumsvivaria

I feel exactly the same - bring it on! They can't arrest us all for dangerous stickering (foresees another amendment to Police & Crime Bill).

I hope Marion spent my £50 on stickers and ribbons.

Based on previous GC arrests, the thing to do seems to be to immediately start a crowdfunder to cover your legal fees, then once the charges get dropped, go mysteriously quiet and don't tell anyone what's happened to their money or whether they're going to get it back.

I know what happens to it.

And when we donate, we donate fully aware that charges could be dropped. That's why people should only donate what they can afford to lose.

Once again, our money and how we choose to spend it is none of your business. You just worry about your own, we'll worry about ours 😊

go mysteriously quiet and don't tell anyone what's happened to their money or whether they're going to get it back.

Hang on I thought all the legal cases were funded by the right-wing Christians?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/24/met-apologises-to-academic-for-sexist-derogatory-language

Taken from the other board - an officer told others to treat her like a terrorist and they cut off her clothes with scissors.

Apparently giving them a Paddington bear extra hard stare and asking ‘are you bloody kidding me??’ Isn’t the right thing to do when they ask for your name, address and dob for doing press-ups against the back of a pack bench.

Yessir it happened (it’s the law apparently NOT to use railings or park fixtures for exercise purposes).

Also asking them why they are hassling you rather than looking for the 3 guys who mugged your teen, grabbed his phone and kicked him in the head. Or ‘so what about him on the bike over there? Or her over there not picking up the dog shit? Or them over there on the path on electric scooters??? Why aren’t you hassling them? Is it. Because they aren’t fat wee middle aged white women and a soft target???’

Apparently I have ‘an attitude’. Also apparently my eyes go a bit dark and very scary when riled (before my male companion stepped in and did the ‘officer - are you sure this is necessary?’ routine to diffuse a potentially ugly scene).

Ducker still took my details…

Bloody hell, @SwissBall.

Dear god, what did I just read?

@KittenKong I had a occasion to give a Paddington bear extra hard stare to a passing police officer after a near miss accident.

Could't believe the officious eejit wanted to tell me off instead of letting me deal with my unharmed but frightened child.

Told him so, too. He told me "attitude".

I asked if that was a crime and whether this was best use of police time and turned my back on him because having a massive great bloke lowering over us was not helpful for my sobbing kid.

Had forgotten about that until you said "attitude".

@SwissBall

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/24/met-apologises-to-academic-for-sexist-derogatory-language

Taken from the other board - an officer told others to treat her like a terrorist and they cut off her clothes with scissors.

Goodness knows why those officers haven't faced any disciplinary action as a result of that incident. It can't have been a one off, or a unusual incident, the way they all joined in without hesitation. Just pure spite and revenge for a woman they decided was irritating to them.

Depends on the situation, based on the good wife, basically have a solicitor present, before any discussions take place, better to have one and not need one.

Goodness knows why those officers haven't faced any disciplinary action as a result of that incident. It can't have been a one off, or a unusual incident, the way they all joined in without hesitation. Just pure spite and revenge for a woman they decided was irritating to them.

Goodness might not know but institutionalised misogyny with a culture of impunity do…

[quote vivariumvivariumsvivaria]@KittenKong I had a occasion to give a Paddington bear extra hard stare to a passing police officer after a near miss accident.

Could't believe the officious eejit wanted to tell me off instead of letting me deal with my unharmed but frightened child.

Told him so, too. He told me "attitude".

I asked if that was a crime and whether this was best use of police time and turned my back on him because having a massive great bloke lowering over us was not helpful for my sobbing kid.

Had forgotten about that until you said "attitude".[/quote]
As my companion said ‘they aren’t gods. They are just blokes who could have got a job as a clerk in an office but decided they wanted a shiny badly and power. Most don’t join us to save the world’.

To be honest - when ds was mugged (and kicked on the head) the officers who felt with us were mostly nice, not very efficient (I had to show one how to use the computer system). Two came back to drop off the ‘evidence’ - one (a very new officer) was rather sweet and considerate - but his colleague just stood and gave me a filthy death stare (definitely vibes of a man I’d avoid). I don’t know why he was giving me such a look of loathing. I’d never met him, spoken to him and I had only opened the door.

In the UK.

Answer the door, ask what's it about, let them tell you, you've been naughty. Say nothing, respond with "what is your next action"

They may say NFA just a word and leave, thank them for their visit.

If they say a caution, decline the caution if you wish, be arrested and go to custody for processing. You will be given a on duty solicitor for interview. No comment through interview, be released on bail pending further investigation. Await news from the CPS on of you are being charged or NFA'd.

If charged meet with legal team, go to court and enter a not guilty plea to magistrates, then await a trial date at magistrates and argue your innoccence.

I mean first is probably the most they will do "come for a chat" just ignore them nod, and when they are finished "lecturing you" they leave in my experience. Just gets logged on the Police National Database but it's not a conviction or caution.