I was pleased to see in the Mirror newspaper that the Space Hijackers, who I described in 2009 on one of the many times I’ve photographed them as “a group who call themselves ‘Anarchitects’ whose various projects over the last ten years given a new creative face to protest” have got a payout from the Met Police over their arrest at the G20 protests in April 2009.

It’s perhaps a little unfair on the Met, as it was the City of London Police who actually arrested them on clearly spurious grounds for ‘impersonating police officers‘, but the Met were in charge, and presumably pressed the Crown Prosecution Service to proceed with the ridiculous case against them. It was almost certainly simply as an attempt to deflect criticism away from the police handling of the event, which they had spent days in the media talking up into a riot, and where they then engaged in riot against the protesters. Unfortunately for their plans, one of those who got caught up in the police riot, a newspaper seller on his way home, was killed by a police officer. Even more unfortunately for them, the unprovoked attack was caught on video, and a few days later the story of Ian Tomlinson hit the news headlines.

The Metropolitan Police has apologised to the family of Ian Tomlinson and reached an out-of-court settlement over his death at the G20 protests in 2009.

The amount of compensation has not been disclosed.

According to reports last week Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe had given authorisation to finalise the settlement of a case brought by the Tomlinson family.

Mr Tomlinson's widow, Julia, and seven of his children and step-children had pursued the claim.

Mr Tomlinson, 47, was struck with a baton and pushed to the ground by PC Simon Harwood as he walked away from the fringes of the 2009 protests in the City of London.

Exclusive: phones were monitored and fake internet cafes set up to gather information from allies in London in 2009

Ewen MacAskill, Nick Davies, Nick Hopkins, Julian Borger and James Ball

Foreign politicians and officials who took part in two G20 summit meetings in London in 2009 had their computers monitored and their phone calls intercepted on the instructions of their British government hosts, according to documents seen by the Guardian. Some delegates were tricked into using internet cafes which had been set up by British intelligence agencies to read their email traffic.

The revelation comes as Britain prepares to host another summit on Monday – for the G8 nations, all of whom attended the 2009 meetings which were the object of the systematic spying. It is likely to lead to some tension among visiting delegates who will want the prime minister to explain whether they were targets in 2009 and whether the exercise is to be repeated this week.

PC Simon Harwood, the police officer cleared of killing newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson during the G20 riots, has been sacked after being found guilty of gross misconduct by a disciplinary panel.

The 45-year-old had admitted striking Mr Tomlinson with his baton and pushing him to the ground during the riots near the Royal Exchange Buildings in the City of London on April 1 2009.

But he denied that his actions contributed to Mr Tomlinson’s death and was cleared of manslaughter at a criminal trial in July.

Today a police panel found that he had breached professional standards through discreditable conduct and use of force, constituting gross misconduct.

A police officer who was cleared of killing Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests will face force disciplinary proceedings on September 17.

Pc Simon Harwood was acquitted of manslaughter last month, but police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) ordered that he should face the internal Metropolitan Police hearing in public.

Today, Scotland Yard confirmed that a gross misconduct hearing in front of a panel of three people including a senior officer and a lay person will take place on September 17. It is expected to last up to four weeks.

Harwood hit Mr Tomlinson with his baton and shoved him to the ground near the Royal Exchange Buildings in the City of London in April 2009.

Statistics on Police and Protester Violence Compared

by Enid Godtree

Toronto – Police violence was likely more prevalent than protester violence during the G20 according to a report recently released by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD).

While media reports on the G20 protests have focussed heavily on protester violence and vandalism, the OIPRD report shows that there were more complaints that police used excessive force, than reports that police were injured during the G20.

An internal police review completed after the G20 found that 97 officers “were injured in the course of carrying out their duties.” While the internal report ties only 2 of these injuries to protesters violence, the OIPRD report also outlines a number of instances of protesters throwing projectiles at police.

In addition to police injuries, 330 assorted criminal charges (not all for violence) were laid against protesters and bystanders with 201 of them stayed, withdrawn or dismissed. A remaining 32 people plead guilty to a host of charges, while another 50 had their charges diverted or were subject to peace bonds. 34 charges are outstanding.

Metropolitan police win appeal against high court ruling criticising violent tactics at the G20 protest in 2009

Owen Bowcott

Police tactics of kettling protesters, used extensively during the G20 protests in London three years ago, have been upheld as lawful.

The appeal court overturned a previous ruling by the high court on the controversial technique deployed to contain demonstrators during the climate camp sit-in.

Lord Neuberger, the Master of the Rolls, sitting in the court of appeal with Lord Justice Hughes and Lord Justice Sullivan, declared that the lower court’s finding was flawed and allowed the appeal by the Metropolitan police commissioner.

The ruling was immediately criticised by protesters and their lawyers, who said they would challenge the legal setback in the supreme court.

A Scotland Yard officer has denied killing newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests.

Simon Harwood

PC Simon Harwood has denied killing Ian Tomlinson

Mr Tomlinson, who was 47, collapsed and died at the demonstrations in central London in April 2009.

PC Simon Harwood, a father of two, showed no emotion when he pleaded not guilty to the charge of manslaughter at Southwark Crown Court.

As Harwood, 40, denied the allegation, relatives of Mr Tomlinson gasped from the public gallery.

His widow Julia wiped tears from her eyes, while his stepson Paul King hung his head and muttered “no”.

Mrs Tomlinson has previously said the death devastated her family, adding: “I remember feeling he was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

The trial of the police officer accused over the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests in April 2009, has been set for October 2012.

The date was set on Friday morning at Southwark crown court and means the trial will not take place until three and a half years after Tomlinson died.

PC Simon Harwood is charged with manslaughter over the death and was caught on video striking Tomlinson with his baton.Tomlinson, a 47-year-old newspaper seller, collapsed and died at the demonstration over the G20 summit, near the Bank of England on 1 April 2009, moments after being struck with a baton and pushed to the ground.

Harwood was on duty as clashes broke out between demonstrators and police. He is currently suspended from duty.

The Metropolitan Police officer involved in the G20 protests death of Ian Tomlinson has been charged with manslaughter and will face trial.

On Tuesday, the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that there was enough evidence to charge Scotland Yard officer PC Simon Harwood, who will appear in court next month.

The development comes after Keir Starmer QC vowed to launch a quick and "thorough" review of his decision not to prosecute after an inquest jury unanimously ruled earlier this month that the newspaper seller was unlawfully killed at the protests.

by Tom Pettifor

Julia Tomlinson has lodged papers at the High Court which are thought to be a damages claim for assault.

Her action follows Ian’s inquest where jurors found he died as a result of being hit by PC Simon Harwood at the G20 demo two years ago.

Compensation is expected to be a five-figure sum and is unlikely to be strongly contested by the Met police.

But it will not be settled until after disciplinary and possible criminal action against PC Harwood.

Mrs Tomlinson’s writ names Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson as the respondent.

Ulster peer accuses Sir Paul Stephenson of sacrificing Harwood, who fatally injured Ian Tomlinson at G20 protests

Britain’s most senior police officer has denied making a “fall guy” out of Simon Harwood, the officer found to have unlawfully killed Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests.

Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan police commissioner, was accused by the Ulster Unionist peer Lord Maginnis of being prepared to “surrender” PC Harwood.

An inquest jury concluded on Tuesday that Tomlinson was unlawfully killed when Harwood struck him with a baton and pushed him to the ground during the demonstrations in London on 1 April 2009.

The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, is considering whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute Harwood for manslaughter. He previously said he believed there was not.

Tod beim G-20-Gipfel vor zwei Jahren

Überraschende Wende im Fall des im April 2009 beim G-20-Gipfel in London ums Leben gekommenen Passanten: Eine in London veröffentlichte gerichtliche Untersuchung ergab, dass der 47-Jährige von einem Polizisten “unrechtmäßig” angegriffen worden war. Der Polizist habe rücksichtslos und gefährlich gehandelt, als er den Mann während der Demonstration 2009 mit einem Schlagstock attackiert und auf den Boden gestoßen hatte. Der Beamte habe “überzogene und unangemessene” Kraft eingesetzt. Der Passant habe keine Gefahr dargestellt.

Der Fall könnte nun wieder aufgerollt werden. Vergangenen Sommer war entschieden worden, dass der Polizist nicht vor Gericht muss. Zur Begründung hatte die Staatsanwaltschaft damals gesagt, dass es keine reale Aussicht auf eine Verurteilung des Polizisten gebe. Jetzt wird geprüft, ob es doch eine Anklage geben könnte.

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3 May 2011

The jury at the inquest into the death of 47 year old Ian Tomlinson, who died on 1 April 2009 in the context of a heavily-policed and high profile G20 demonstration, have today returned a verdict of unlawful killing. They found that:

Time, place and circumstances at or in which injury was sustained:

Mr Tomlinson was on his way home from work on 1st April 2009 during the G20 demonstrations.

He was fatally injured at around 19.20 in Royal Exchange Buildings (the Passage), near to the junction with Cornhill, London EC3. This was as a result of a baton strike from behind and a push in the back by a police officer which caused Mr Tomlinson to fall heavily.

Both the baton strike and the push were excessive and unreasonable.

Ian Tomlinson was unlawfully killed by a Scotland Yard officer at the G20 protests, an inquest jury ruled today.

Criminal proceedings could reopen against Pc Simon Harwood after jurors ruled he acted illegally, recklessly and dangerously in shoving Mr Tomlinson to the ground.

Evidence from Pc Harwood and pathologist Dr Freddy Patel was discredited as part of the verdict which will prompt reviews by both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police.

Dr Patel has now been suspended from the Home Office register of pathologists.

Mr Tomlinson, a homeless 47-year-old newspaper seller, collapsed and died on the fringes of the demonstrations in central London on April 1 2009.

The death became an international controversy after New York businessman Christopher La Jaunie handed footage he had taken of the police confrontation to the Guardian newspaper.

Duncan Robinson

The jury concluded that the newspaper seller was unlawfully killed by a police officer at the G20 protests in 2009.

Ian Tomlinson was “unlawfully killed” by a police officer during the G20 protests in 2009, an inquest into his death has found.

The verdict did not refer to PC Simon Harwood – who struck Tomlinson with a baton and pushed him to the ground – by name, but it has reopened the possibility that Harwood will face charges for his actions on 1 April 2009.

The jury found that Harwood’s actions were “excessive and unreasonable” and that Tomlinson “posed no threat” to police.

CPS reviews decision not to prosecute PC Simon Harwood over the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests two years ago

Paul Lewis

PC Simon Harwood’s first public account of what happened to Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests two years ago came at the beginning of last month, at the inquest into the newspaper vendor’s death.

Told by the judge that he did not have to answer questions if he believed doing so would incriminate himself, Harwood replied: “I was very aware of that. I’m here as a witness to help the inquest and also to give some sort of answers to help the family.”

Hearing this, Tomlinson’s wife Julia and two of her sons walked out of the hearing room, apparently in disbelief.

Inquest told Tomlinson’s death was caused by bleeding after he was struck with a baton and shoved to the ground by police

A forensic pathologist has told an inquest that the only plausible explanation for the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests was internal bleeding from an injured liver.

Dr Kenneth Shorrock, who was instructed by the Metropolitan Police after one of its officers was shown on film shoving Tomlinson to the ground, said the injury to the organ was “consistent” with the footage.

Two activists have won their case against policing of the G20 protests, as the High Court ruled police containment was “not justified”.

The judges upheld Hannah McClure and Josh Moos’s case that police used “violence” to control the Camp for Climate Action in London in April 2009.

There was “no reasonable” justification for “kettling” but police did not unlawfully try to clear the camp.

The Metropolitan Police said it would appeal against the court’s judgement.

The inquest into the death of Ian Tomlinson is due to start, nearly two years after he collapsed at the G20 protests.

The 47-year-old newspaper-seller died after collapsing on the pavement on the fringes of protests on April 1 2009.

Pathologist Dr Freddy Patel originally found that Mr Tomlinson died of natural causes but amateur video footage emerged showing him being pushed to the ground by a police officer.

Judge Peter Thornton QC, sitting as assistant deputy coroner, will hear evidence at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in Fleet Street, London. The jury inquest is expected to last for up to six weeks.