Posters branding force 'totally corrupt' appear near Scotland Yard headquarters
The poster is one of several that have been spotted across London
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A poster branding the Metropolitan Police ”totally corrupt” has been spotted in the heart of London – right outside the New Scotland Yard headquarters in fact.
The poster is one of several that have been spotted across London. It is believed that the Met has already removed one that appeared in Brixton over the weekend, but have yet to respond to the one fixed to the glass of the bus stop near its own HQ.
The posters, designed by anarchist magazine STRIKE! also feature the hashtag #ACAB, an acronym which stands for ‘All Coppers Are B******s’.
In 2014, the designs went viral after anonymous members of the art-activism organisation Special Patrol Group (SPG) put them up in bus stop advertisements around London.
The poster in Victoria reads: “Operation Tiberius uncovered 42 of our senior officers letting criminals get away with murder. For the right price.”
It also brands the Metropolitan Police “totally corrupt” at the bottom.
Another, found in New Cross, says: “In 2013 we spent £9.6m telling you we’re not violent, racist and corrupt. It’s propaganda pure and simple.”
Previous posters read: “Since 1990, 1513 people have died in police custody or following police contact. Not a single officer has been convicted for any of their deaths.”
The Independent contacted the Met for comment about the contents of the posters and we were directed to a speech by the Home Secretary Theresa May next month.
Announcing an independent review into deaths and serious incidents in police custody, she said review would “examine the procedures and processes surrounding deaths and serious incidents in police custody” and identify areas for improvement “to ensure appropriate, humane institutional treatment when such incidents occur”.
When asked about the posters, a spokesperson for the Met told The Independent: “On Sunday, 2 August, officers were made aware of a poster, purporting to be from the MPS, being displayed inside advertising space at a bus stop in Lewisham High Street, SE13.
“The owners of the advertising space were contacted and removed the poster.
“A number of similar posters purporting to be from the MPS were removed from locations in Coldharbour Lane, Lambeth on Sunday, 2 August. These posters were not displayed inside advertising space.”
The poster in the New Scotland Yard bus stop remained in place as of Monday 3 August.