Society & Culture3 mins ago
Calais People-Smugglers
This report from the BBC tonight.
http://
Really frightening I thought. Time to call the military in?
http://
Really frightening I thought. Time to call the military in?
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They're dishing out the (rather too obvious) advice to not travel at night but I guess holidaymakers have zero control over their ferry timings, other than that they have to choose them months in advance, at the bookings stage?
I have to phrase this as a question as I don't travel.
Will this end up with night/early dawn sailings becoming so unpopular that they're withdrawn altogether?
I have to phrase this as a question as I don't travel.
Will this end up with night/early dawn sailings becoming so unpopular that they're withdrawn altogether?
Good point. It is totally unacceptable for the police to declare the public road a 'no go area'. The French police and French authorities should be ashamed. And yes it does seem as if the inability (or lack of will) to deal with the issue has encouraged it to change into a military control required situation.
I can understand why the journalist found it a frightening situation but maybe that was because his team had the benefit of night-vision-grade cameras.
It would be several times more frightening to, first, encounter a (supposedly) fallen tree, picked out in your headlights, then find people coming out of the pitch black, at the side of the road and rapping on your side windows (lorry height), with a big stick. Worse yet, weapons unseen but all too easily imagined.
The problem, for the police is that sending a car (2 persons) to deal with an infraction at the level of obstructing the highway, or even 2 cars risks putting the officers in the situation of being on foot, having left the cars unlocked and finding themselves rapidly outflanked by a crowd of 20. If taken by surprise, from behind they could have their weapon snatched.
Troops does seem like a sledgehammer to crack the proverbial nut but they can be turned out, in appropriate numbers and, with luck cause aggressors to back away from the situation and let drivers be.
No shooting should be required BUT the armed forces are at a permanent disadvantage in that they are expected to wait until fired upon, not fire the first shots. Retaining the moral high ground always costs one (or more) soldiers' lives.
It would be several times more frightening to, first, encounter a (supposedly) fallen tree, picked out in your headlights, then find people coming out of the pitch black, at the side of the road and rapping on your side windows (lorry height), with a big stick. Worse yet, weapons unseen but all too easily imagined.
The problem, for the police is that sending a car (2 persons) to deal with an infraction at the level of obstructing the highway, or even 2 cars risks putting the officers in the situation of being on foot, having left the cars unlocked and finding themselves rapidly outflanked by a crowd of 20. If taken by surprise, from behind they could have their weapon snatched.
Troops does seem like a sledgehammer to crack the proverbial nut but they can be turned out, in appropriate numbers and, with luck cause aggressors to back away from the situation and let drivers be.
No shooting should be required BUT the armed forces are at a permanent disadvantage in that they are expected to wait until fired upon, not fire the first shots. Retaining the moral high ground always costs one (or more) soldiers' lives.
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