THE G20 get-together may succeed in breathing new life into the world economy – but it threatened the death of the historic right to protest peacefully.

As more details emerge of police tactics in dealing with tens of thousands of marchers at last week’s London conference, the more outrageous the police treatment appears.

Batons and dogs were used against peaceful “climate camp” protestors, who spoke of their terror as they were shoved backwards by officers screaming in pumped-up rage.

Meanwhile, thousands of other people – including parents with children and passers-by – were held for up to eight hours behind police cordons, in a tactic known as “kettling”.

When finally offered the chance to leave, protestors were ordered to give names, addresses and have their pictures taken. If they refused, they were sent back into the pen.

Now, the Independent Police Complaints Commission is probing the death of 47-yearold Ian Tomlinson, who suffered a heart attack after being caught up in the clashes.

Video footage shows him being shoved so hard in the back by an officer – and possibly hit by a baton – that he fell to the floor. He died minutes later. Last week, the police portrayed the death as a tragic accident.

This catalogue of abuses comes hard on the heels of the disgraceful, unprovoked violence when a climate change camp was set up to protest against a new coal-fired power station in Kent.

Then, the “potentially dangerous” items seized by police included blankets, soap, toilet rolls, board games, clown costumes, children’s crayons, cushions, carpet, marker pens and a pensioner’s walking stick.

Justifying such draconian action, the police claimed 70 officers were injured – only to later admit that the only “injuries” were heat exhaustion, toothache, insect bites, diarrhoea, cut fingers and headaches.

I am fast coming to the conclusion that the police are out of control and that anyone joining a peaceful demonstration risks a trip to hospital – or even the morgue.

At best, they face detention long into the evening and having their identities and faces added to the police database, just for following in the footsteps of Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

It is hard not to link these kneejerk assaults on peaceful protest to the Government’s own repeated attacks on civil liberties, be it ID cards, or the innocent having their DNA details stored. I should declare an interest here because – not being a big fan of illegal wars, student fees or the poll tax – I have joined the odd demo in the past.

However, none other than former US Vice- President Al Gore has urged us all to get arrested if it will help prevent the construction of new carbon-pumping coal plants.

In these momentous times, civil obedience is becoming more respectable and more necessary – which is why the police must not be allowed to stamp it out.

SYMPATHY for MPs is hard to muster these days, but consider the case of Durham North MP Kevan Jones, who serves as an – unpaid – defence minister.

When Gordon Brown announced that ministers would forgo the 2.33 per cent pay rise awarded to all other MPs, it left our Kevan £1,500 worse off than his backbench colleagues – despite his extra workload.

Happily, the former GMB man retains his formidable shop-stewarding skills. Within days, the Prime Minister was persuaded to think again and the £1,500 was restored.