Bit of a hoo-haa down in london

[flammableBen]

Just like football fans really. whack em all. if they're in the way they must be guilty.

[Sippo]

I'd say the same whoever was protesting like the 'students' have. Some times needs must, if the old bill think it's getting out of hand then things need to be done. In the first instance it would be civil, and the coppers would only react if they were felt threatened by the situation.

Any decent person knows that the scenes from the other day were damn disgusting and bang out of order. Brings this country to shame.

[flammableBen]

I think it's the apathy, the 'fuck everyone else unless it affects me' attitude which puts this country to shame.

[leefer]

I think it's the apathy, the 'fuck everyone else unless it affects me' attitude which puts this country to shame.

Got to disagree with you on this Ben.
Most of those idiots protesting have never had it so good....all pissed up,all got mobile phones costing a month what there education would cost a month.
Fact is nothing in life is free these days....get used to it.
Why should the likes of me working 50 hours per week have my taxes go towards there education...i had to pay nearly two grand for my lorry training/licence....should i go and protest,wouldn't put myself down to that level.
Personally i would prefer to pay for my own education...not get it free from somebody else..call me old fashioned.
As for the scenes at the memorial etc...in an instance they have isolated themselfs from any little sympathy they did have..especially from the older generation.

On a selfish note i am glad the Libs have taken this stance...it means we wont be seeing this joke of a party fuck around in the voting system for many years ahead...if ever.

[reeves4england]

Got to disagree with you on this Ben.
Most of those idiots protesting have never had it so good....all pissed up,all got mobile phones costing a month what there education would cost a month.
Fact is nothing in life is free these days....get used to it.
Why should the likes of me working 50 hours per week have my taxes go towards there education...i had to pay nearly two grand for my lorry training/licence....should i go and protest,wouldn't put myself down to that level.
Personally i would prefer to pay for my own education...not get it free from somebody else..call me old fashioned.
As for the scenes at the memorial etc...in an instance they have isolated themselfs from any little sympathy they did have..especially from the older generation

On a selfish note i am glad the Libs have taken this stance...it means we wont be seeing this joke of a party fuck around in the voting system for many years ahead...if ever.

It's easy to say that. But I recently graduated with debts over £25k, and under the new system I'd have had debts of around £43k. And as long as I get a decent job at some point then obviously I'm going to have to pay it back.

And then what about people who go through four, five, six or seven year courses to become lawyers, doctors or vets? The country needs people with these sorts of qualifications.

As for comments various people have made about students having loads of money and not knowing what to do with it, I'm sure that's true in some cases, but for me I struggled to even cover my rent with my loan in London.

[Rich Pullen]

I had to work throughout my university years and it didn't bother me one bit.

Without doubt students are generally lumped into the same old stereotype. This also doesn't bother me because I loved university, I love learning and enjoyed having a great time in my early 20's.

I pay taxes, I get on with it. If I'm giving the opportunity for someone to become a doctor and save my life one day then it's money well spent!

[pauld]

It would be the majority of people at the front that get a whack. All non-violent intent protestors would be at the back (common sense). The police would be telling them to get back. And then you'd get one or two thinking they are superman etc...

Not necessarily. Perhaps if it had been two static fronts, but it wasn't the other day. A lot of the injuries were sustained when the police horses charged into the crowd, which parts the crowd down the middle and pushes some of those at the front to the sides. So you might be safely in the middle (as for much of the time there was no "back" in that there were clusters of protesters and coppers in front and behind each other), trying to stay away from the front line bits and then the coppers come charging down the middle of it and suddenly you're in "the front line". Some of those who got injured probably did so when attacking coppers and so probably did "deserve a whack" (or at least put themselves in a position where they had to expect they'd get one) but a lot were just in the wrong place trying to stay out of trouble or at least not directly causing it. That's the problem with fluid volatile situations like that, there isn't really a safe area. And no, I'm not having a go at the coppers - they were frequently under attack from several sides and faced with large hostile crowds. One of the tactics they're going to use to deal with that is to try to break the crowd up and inevitably some of the force used will be a little indiscriminate and people will get hurt. Some of them will probably "deserve it", many won't.

[leefer]

Not necessarily. Perhaps if it had been two static fronts, but it wasn't the other day. A lot of the injuries were sustained when the police horses charged into the crowd, which parts the crowd down the middle and pushes some of those at the front to the sides. So you might be safely in the middle (as for much of the time there was no "back" in that there were clusters of protesters and coppers in front and behind each other), trying to stay away from the front line bits and then the coppers come charging down the middle of it and suddenly you're in "the front line". Some of those who got injured probably did so when attacking coppers and so probably did "deserve a whack" (or at least put themselves in a position where they had to expect they'd get one) but a lot were just in the wrong place trying to stay out of trouble or at least not directly causing it. That's the problem with fluid volatile situations like that, there isn't really a safe area. And no, I'm not having a go at the coppers - they were frequently under attack from several sides and faced with large hostile crowds. One of the tactics they're going to use to deal with that is to try to break the crowd up and inevitably some of the force used will be a little indiscriminate and people will get hurt. Some of them will probably "deserve it", many won't.

Which ever way you look at it there is no easy answer....personally i think the police have been fairly tolerant given the situation...thats not to say you will get a few police abusing there powers.
I do feel sorry for the protesters who genuinly wanted to march on London and VOICE there disaproval...and have been tarnished by fringe loony groups.

[herthab]

Not defending any actions but the police have a difficult job when faced with the levels of violent protest seen recently. It's easy for people to criticise their actions from afar, but what would we do if faced with hundreds of unruly cunts, hellbent on chaos?

[pauld]

Not defending any actions but the police have a difficult job when faced with the levels of violent protest seen recently. It's easy for people to criticise their actions from afar, but what would we do if faced with hundreds of unruly cunts, hellbent on chaos?

Speaking personally, I'd run away

[herthab]

Speaking personally, I'd run away

Me too.

[pauld]

We could skip away, hand in hand

[leefer]

Singing..bring me sunshine

[Sippo]

If I were a police man there and saw you two hand in hand skipping i'd fucking go for you. In fact, I'd get my truncheon out....

[pauld]

If I were a police man there and saw you two hand in hand skipping i'd fucking go for you. In fact, I'd get my truncheon out....

Steady ..... we're in "Dutch art film" territory here.