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Kurdish rights protesters pepper-sprayed in unprovoked police attack in Sheffield, campaigners say

KURDISH rights protesters were pepper-sprayed and hit with batons in an unprovoked attack by police at a demonstration in Sheffield, campaigners have claimed.  

One man was also arrested under counterterrorism legislation and his home raided. 

About 100 people, including families and children, joined the protest outside Sheffield town hall on Sunday which had been called to condemn Turkey’s recent attacks on Kurds in Iraq. 

It was policed by officers from South Yorkshire Police and the region’s counterterrorism force. 

Protesters described the atmosphere as initially peaceful. Metin Arslan, a member of the city’s Kurdish community, told the Morning Star that this changed when two officers came over after the demo had dispersed and seized several flags. 

Asked why, the officers said the flags showed support for proscribed organisations and they needed to question Mr Arslan. 

Later he was told by the officers that he was free to go, but when he tried to pick up the flags, he was arrested. Others who tried to retrieve the flags were hit with batons across their hands and targeted with pepper spray, he said. Another was allegedly punched in the face. 

“I think this an absolute disgrace by the South Yorkshire Police,” Mr Arslan said.

“We have done a lot of demonstrations with the same flags, the same banners, but they were very much brutal in this one.”

Another protester said: “That’s all because of a flag? We’ve been to hundreds of demonstrations and we have never seen this.”

John Grayson of the South Yorkshire Migration & Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG), one of organisers of Sunday’s demo, told the Morning Star that one woman was left vomiting after being pepper-sprayed. 

“There were children screaming, it was very very distressing.”

Mr Arslan said he was held at the police station for more than seven hours where he was interrogated by counterterrorism officers and his phone seized. His home was also raided by 20 officers while his children were there alone. 

He said the ordeal shows that “the British government and police, especially South Yorkshire Police, has something against our community.”

Protesters had been waving flags depicting Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is banned under British law.

SYMAAG has called for an official investigation into the police’s response to the demo. Local councillors have also raised concerns with South Yorkshire Police about officers’ use of force.

Sheffield Superintendent Benn Kemp said that footage of the incident is being reviewed at chief officer level following concerns over the arrest of Mr Arslan. 

South Yorkshire Police confirmed that officers arrested a 44-year-old man "on suspicion of displaying articles suggesting membership/support for a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000."

The statement added: "The man was detained for questioning and has since been released under investigation. Enquiries continue in conjunction with Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE)."

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