Policing protest

Por Noma Submitted on 23 Novembro, 2009 - 10:32
Alan Fowler, ISS, David Cote, Lawyers for Human Rights, Paper by Marcelle Dawson

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Second session of the Mobilising Social Justice Conference focused on the paper presented by Marcelle Dawson of the University of Johannesburg. She focuses on Policing protest.
She noted that she was unable to access police information write conducting her research.

In his input, Alan Fowler a professor at ISS, asked the following questions: Who defines the situation? What are the compliance types for regimes? What are the transmission mechanisms between the state and civil society? How do they work in SA and in other places?

Fowler disagrees with the earlier sentiments that there are structures in place, instead he says ‘structuration’ is at play.  Structuration is the issue – there are lots of issues at play – rather a work in progress – structure is too static. What are the processes scales, time frames. There are dynamic process at play not just structures.

He further said that those who define the situation also set the tone and the agenda, this has to be explored. The nature of the political inter phase generally has passed its ‘sell-by date’ in South Africa and in Europe – there is a need to rethink strategies.

David Cote, Head of Strategic Litigation Unit at the Lawyers for Human Rights,  shared his experience as a human rights lawyer. His focus was on how the police have dealt with issues e.g. an incident at the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg where a number of refugees resided. A number of people were intimidated and men were arrested. Many people were deported without  cases heard or representation by lawyers.