talkmagic.co.uk

after watching the news this evening, i see how spookily close my mickey taking was...

a giant great window was smashed, coins where thrown - take THAT Mr. Brown and G20!

I'm sure that'll stop people in their tracks and make them sit up and pay attention...that smashed window and loose change can bring down governments...

they should have tried it with Pol Pot...that would have taught old Saloth a thing or two I'm sure...

It's almost like you PREDICTED it!

It was certainly a fine demonstration of young people wearing their hearts on their sleeves (and then looting RBS for computers). And it's always the same - a few nice (but naive) kids put up some tents and have "seminars" about how the world could be better, while thugs spit at the police and get kicked in.

At least my tube journey home was not affected.

I don't understand how you can claim to be protesting for a better, fairer world whilst at the same time adding to the sum of human misery. I know I'm probably just naive and not blessed with the high intellect displayed by the protesters.

Whether or not you agree with the protests, you gotta agree that the police did get a little out of hand: Video and news linky

kolm wrote:Whether or not you agree with the protests, you gotta agree that the police did get a little out of hand: Video and news linky

They always do - this isn't a new thing. It's the unfortunate residue of any kind of authoritative power that the weilder has to resist the urge to become scum. For many, the urge is too strong. Human nature.

In my shop we have a security guard who sits with his feet on the table, farting, reading the Daily Star and talking about how he'd like to see all assylum seekers deported. He's currently under investigation for slamming a shoplifter's head against the wall several times and breaking his nose, but as he tells it "I'm not worried: who are they gonna believe? Me, or some crack-addict chav?" And, indeed, he'll undoubtedly get away with it.

Life's fun, isn't it, boys and girls?

queen of clubs wrote:

kolm wrote:Whether or not you agree with the protests, you gotta agree that the police did get a little out of hand: Video and news linky

They always do - this isn't a new thing. It's the unfortunate residue of any kind of authoritative power that the weilder has to resist the urge to become scum.

I'm not sure that's entirely fair. In this country it still makes headlines when a policeman is suspected of behaving badly. In this case -*suspected*. We don't have the sound track to that footage, though. I'm not justifying violence. I'm just pointing out that, as yet, we don't have all the facts.

News is only news when it's an anomaly. If most police were mostly abusive the news would report about nice police people being helpful. Which it isn't in my locality, at least.

I personally know one policeman who it an utter racist ****. And another who both a 7' riot policeman and a lovely guy who goes to church and is one of the most reasonable people I know - even in the face of louts.

Just shows you can't generalise.

No you cant generalise because people are, after all, only human.

The problem is that everyone does generalise though. Some, not all, of the protesters have a generic view of the police. That being, they're robots working for the system. Man. They're actually people with thoughts, feelings and families.

No doubt some, not all, of the police have a generic view of the protesters too.

Like you Ted, i've met some lovely police officers, and some nasty ones too. And i've met some lovely crusty hippies, and ive met some who'll take the sugar out of your tea while you're drinking it.

It makes us feel safe, and its a whole lot easier, to generalise but it's a rather narrow minded way of going about things.

queen of clubs wrote:In my shop we have a security guard who sits with his feet on the table, farting, reading the Daily Star and talking about how he'd like to see all assylum seekers deported. He's currently under investigation for slamming a shoplifter's head against the wall several times and breaking his nose, but as he tells it "I'm not worried: who are they gonna believe? Me, or some crack-addict chav?" And, indeed, he'll undoubtedly get away with it.

Life's fun, isn't it, boys and girls?

Have you considered videoing him saying that and offering the footage into evidence?

Point one of the new Policing Pledge is a promise to, "Always treat you fairly with dignity and respect..."

From the video, it seems as if Mr Tomlinson was treated to a criminal assault. It looks like a police dog handler had already let his animal have a go at him at the beginning of the clip, and the police were clearly keen to move forwards. What's not so clear is whether Tomlinson had some difficulty walking, was dawdling to make a point, or was trying to figure out how to get out of the way of the police while avoiding the riot off to the right of the shot. Either way, the investigation focuses on whether it was it proper to assault him in a manner designed to dash him violently to the ground and the reason the officer had for doing so. (God, you can really tell I've been writing news stories all week!)

And another thing... when he collapsed and was being cared for, some scum was throwing things at the officers trying to help him.

A clear lesson to youngsters everywhere about the perils of walking everywhere with your hands in your pockets