police attack on 'protestor'?

[planeterotica]

jj wrote:

> It's hard to compare our situation with France- their police
> have
> been routinely armed [gas, guns and water-cannon] and for much
> longer, so they might be said to have 'upped the stakes' a lot
> earlier.
planeterotica wrote:

Also CS gas cannisters and flick knives are openly and legally on sell in France so the police over their are entitled to fight fire with fire.

[planeterotica]

JRPornstar wrote:

This country is on a very slippery slope, and we are
heading downhill rapidly.

planeterotica wrote

Yes and it is fast becoming an authoritarian and police state where protest will not be tolerated.

[jj]

randyandy wrote:
> JJ it is hard to compare however the media reaction needs to be
> looked at.
Yep, we need to remember they are also peddling an agenda.


> When the same media have shows like Police Camera Action etc
> which are watched and are enjoyed when the 'chav' gets a
> beating, sprayed, pinned or took down why aren't questions
> asked about the force being used then?
True, it seems to be OK if the 'beatee' is a cardboard cut-out
'bad guy'.

> I am going to stop commenting on this because I am coming
> across as not having any sympathy for the man that was killed,
> which isn't the case.
I for one didn't read that into your comments. You shouldn't have
to constantly 'self-censor' or qualify your thought before posting,
and explain everything you say, otherwise we'd never have a debate.

[JonnyHungwell]

Yes a man died, but the rest of the world are laughing at us for the way our police act like a bunch of gay boys, poncing about and trying to appease the crowds and media the majority of the time. No other police force in the world is so soft on demonstrators - they should go in batons swinging, with water cannons and tear gas, just like they would on the continent. The rule should be you've got the right to protest, but if a policeman gives you an instruction and then you decide to wilfully ignore it, you get whacked - and if you die, tough.

Demonstrators from all over the world are thinking of coming to London to make their protests, because they've seen our police are cowardly and are scared of demonstrators - and when they do touch one, a media furore erupts.

[JonnyHungwell]

[img]http://www.volkskrant.nl/multimedia/arc ... 29279b.jpg[/img]

This is what they'd face in the Netherlands, courtesy of the Mobiele Eenheid.

[jj]

So basically you're saying that the police should neither enforce
the law nor obey it? That's a recipe for civil war.
If a policeman 'gives you an instruction' you have the right to
ignore it as long as you are not thereby committing an offence.
If you do commit an offence then the PC can arrest you. As long
as you do not resist, if he manhandles you that is assault, and
an offence. If you resist arrest and he uses only reasonable force,
then that is legal.
Just because foreign forces behave like barbarians there is no reason
for us to follow suit.

[Deano!]

JonnyHungwell wrote:


> This is what they'd face in the Netherlands, courtesy of the
> Mobiele Eenheid.

Very good point too. I remember being surprised at some footage of the Dutch police dealing with some UK soccer louts who were at a game in the Netherlands back in the 80's when the problem was out of hand. As soon as trouble started, the Dutch cops quickly moved in and simply belted about 4 or 5 of them with truncheons. They dropped to the ground and the rest immediately surrendered and left peacefully.

I had imagined that a rather permissive, often socialist country like Holland would have a poofy warm and fuzzy approach. The sudden forceful method seemed to stop far more people getting hurt.

From what I've seen of the G20 protesters, they dont seem too worried about using 'excessive force' against anyone with different opinions.