DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL

[Alx]

I have just been sent an email by some friends of mine who were playing at this years Download festival, and the content is of a serious assault from the Security and Police on site. What makes it worse was they were assaulting one of the fellow performers, Who had perfromed on Saturday.

 

Please if you were there, read this article and if you can help out in anyway then get in contact with me in any of the following ways:

dictionaries@hotmail.com

guko@hotmail.co.uk

www.myspace.com/guko

 

A friend of ours was severely beaten by irresponsible security this past weekend at Download Festival on Sunday morning.

 

To make it more ridiculous, he was there because he was one of the performers!??

 

This is an edited version of his account...

 

"Sunday morning at Download. We're drinking with friends in their campsite. People are starting big scary fires and pulling down the lights. It starts to get out of hand because the security are doing nothing.

 

We decide to back to our (VIP) campsite. We are blocked by riot police. I ask to be let through to my campsite. They charge a

 

t me with their shields and knock me down. Then they retreat. I ask for the number of the cop who knocked me down. He stays silent. This is illegal. I ask again. They prepare for another charge.

 

I get down on my knees and stretch out my arms. "I am defenseless. I just want you number. It's my right. What is your number?"

 

They charge at me, and ROUND me. A load of big security guys grab me, drag me by my ankles to a van. They throw me in, the doors close. They start punching me in the face. "You want our f***ing number? I'll give you our f***ing number. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN. DON'T LOOK AT ME."

 

I feel more punches and what I think are kicks.

 

I then get taken to a holding area where I'm searched and sat by a wall with a load of other people. They take my stuff. They cut off and take my wristbands, so I can't get back in. Blood is now streaming down my face, people look shocked when they see me.

 

We ask for water, they deny it.

 

Eventually, they chuck me out, with, as far as they are concerned, no means of getting to my stuff."

 

His girlfriend was also assaulted by security and had to be taken to hospital after being thrown 4 or 5 feet by her throat.

 

If you witnessed this, or have any video footage/photos of the assault then please let us know.

 

Thanks.

 

Your assistance is greatly appreciated and I hope that this issue can quickly be resolved.

 

Alex

[steff]

I was there. but didn't hear anything about this. I'll ask around a few friends who were there and let you know if any of them saw/heard anything.

That's terrible though, hope it gets sorted out soon. Scary to think that things like that can happen and it'd be even worse if they got away with it.

[KB]

well i was there sunday morning and there was no rioting or taking down lights at all.

 

apparently there was that night or maybe even the next morning, but definately not in the morning.

 

which campsite was it supposed to have been in?

[Alx]

Yeh the guy was one of the comedians for the event, and was Patrick O'Neil. I will find out which campsite as that would narrow things down.

 

Alex

[steff]

I just found THIS on the Download website. There's a bit more information on it there if that helps at all.

[Alx]

Cheers steff

 

A

[Alx]

Just incase you wanted to see the footage that I have managed to get hold of

 

 

please be aware there is strong language from the outset.. How many times do you count them asking for their number???

 

Alex

[Maraviel]

Good god, that's shocking...

 

Hope it gets sorted - animalistic behaviour like that can't be tolerated.

[Jacali]

the state of the british defence forces disgusts me sumtimes, for example, the other night my boyfriend and i were walking home from the video shop when he got punched by sum random scally for no reason, and when the police came we told them what happened, n this scally was sayin stuff like "HE started on me, the ff-in blah blah" etc, and then wen my boyf sed "shut up thats a ff-in lie" the policeman told him (my boyf) to shut up or he'd lock us all up! which i think is just rude, i know its not extreme but its just the they way they are is all wrong, the armed forces/police/security guards etc are supposed to be there to keep us safe, not start fights and try and arrest us for sayin the f-word to sum1 who has just punched us in the face etc. its all a bit pants, i sure hope that guy and his girlf are ok, i will ask sum of my pals who were at DL if they saw anythin