Two women were forced to the ground and held in prison for four days after asking a police officer for his badge number, according to complaints being submitted to the police watchdog.
Val Swain, 43, and Emily Apple, 33, of protest group Fit Watch, were detained after allegedly attempting to photograph officers during last year’s climate camp demonstration at Kingsnorth.
According to a report by The Guardian the complaints have been submitted to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, along with police surveillance footage obtained by the newspaper.
The footage appears to show gloved police officers grabbing one woman by the throat and standing on another’s feet following a discussion.
In the footage a woman asks an officer for his number. He replies: “I don’t have to tell you.”
The woman insists: “You do have to tell me. If someone requests your number you do have to give a number.”
Another woman then attempts to take a picture of the officer, before both are arrested.
The Independent Police Complaints confirmed they have received letters stating three people will be submitting statements of complaints in relation to their arrest and detention at the Climate Camp Demonstration on August 8 2008.
ACC Andy Adams of Kent Police said: “We recognise that people have made complaints and we are dealing with these in accordance with our normal procedures. There is currently a joint NPIA/ACPO review being carried out by South Yorkshire Police into the policing operation. In addition there is an application for a judicial review within the court process. Until these have been completed it would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases.”
The Fit Watch activist group was established to monitor police forward intelligence teams (Fits), the surveillance units that monitor campaigners at demonstrations and meetings.

To see the video visit www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/jun/21/fit-watch-kingsnorth-arrests