Jody McIntyre: Here’s An Opposing View
SO. What news of Jody MacInytre, the cerebral palsy sufferer filmed being hauled from his wheelchair by police during the students fees protest in London? He was a University student who won a place to study:
I lasted approximately three days at University before dropping out. Clearly, it wasn’t my cup of tea.
Talking to Ben Brown on the BBC, Macintrye says he does not look like a threat. But can who is and who is not a threat be so easily ascertained? Brown does his argument few favours with the line:
“There’s a suggestion that you were rolling in the direction of the police.”
Had only the police stood on top of a slope.
Anyhow, this is what he had to say about his involvement at the first student demo, when a fire extinguisher was tossed off the roof by one Edward Woollard:
But then, the chants changed… “To the stairs! To the stairs!” Two policemen blocking a tiny door were soon brushed aside, and around fifty of us forced our way through before they had a chance to re-seal the entrance.
It was an epic mission to the top. Nine floors; eighteen flights of stairs. Two friends carried my wheelchair, and I walked. We couldn’t give up now.
When we finally made it to the roof, a feeling of calm descended. I looked over the edge; thousands of students, three massive bonfires and masses of passion still occupied the courtyard. The Tory’s HQ was on it’s last legs. And we were on the roof.
This is only the start.
This is only background, of course. The best thing you can about the police tipping Mr MacIntyre from his wheelchair is that they are not prejudiced and do not treat handicapped people with kid gloves. The police do love video evidence, and this tape makes for pretty compelling evidence of wrongdoing.
Still, Mr MacIntyre is hot news. What else do we know? Well, Jody Macintyre, who tells Ben Brown he does not classify himself as revolutionary, supports the Palestinians:
So now, just as the Zapatistas said in southern Mexico, the people of Iraq say, the people of Palestine say, the people of Afghanistan say… Ya Basta! Enough is enough! Enough is enough!
You may recall the name Leon Klinghoffer. He was shot by the PLF and pushed off the Achille Lauro. He was in a wheelchair. The wheelchair went over the side, too.
Not that any of this changes the facts, or alters the video. But did we see it all? What went before and after? Here are some images that might help to build a clearer picture of what occurred that day.
And so it goes. Only one thing is certain: your opinions and will distort your view…
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Posted: 15th, December 2010 | In: Reviews Comments (11) | TrackBack | Permalink
