More evidence we're heading towards a police state?

[HillyHugger]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/01/stop- and-search-terror-law

With the possibilities of terror attacks you could expect the figures to go up but seems a wee bit excessive to me . It's just the old 'Suss' law under a different name

[Gromit]

The anti terror laws have caused more disruption to our lives than any terrorist could imagine in his wildest dreams. Whether it be 120,000 fruitless searches, millions inconvenienced at airports or farcical trials on flimsy evidence.

You can imagine al Qaeda watching this and laughing their sandals off at us.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/pol itics/lawandorder/5251053/Police-accused-of-ab using-powers-as-anti-terrorism-stop-and-search es-treble.html

[wasp]

I wonder if the loved ones of the victims of terror attacks feel the same way that you do Gromit !

[squarebear]

I've no problem with any Police officer wanting to stop and search me. I've nothing to hide and if it helps stop these people then all the better.

[danchip]

its only people with something to hide which have a problem with this sort of thing

[Gromit]

wasp

Our freedoms and British way of life are worth keeping. The terrorists hate that and that is why they attack us.

It would be a shame if lost that not by al Qaeda's hand, but by our own rulers introducing bad laws, and the police abusing their new powers.

It seems we are doing the terrorist's job for them.

[maxximus]

danchip and squarebear, it saddens me to say that it is the likes of you, that is probably going to end us in ovens or some other form of hell, wake up and get a f -ckin spine you dress wearing waste of skin. i mean this in the nicest way

[squarebear]

Why? Do you have something to hide? Why would I mind if the police want to stop me?

[wasp]

Gromii. After that digusting comment by Maxximus I'm bowing out of this one. Cheers

[paraffin]

"a police state"

Absolute codswallop!

[maxximus]

wasn't trying to offend anyone's sensibility's' just trying to provoke a little deeper thought than what's available at your morning newstand, which is apparantely what we are all supposed to believe. wether you believe that or not!

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

The anti terror laws have caused more disruption to our lives than any terrorist could imagine in his wildest dreams.

Try telling this to the families who lost someone during the London bombings.

Your totally selfish post makes my stomach churn, have you been one of those inconvenienced at airports.

If you can stop thinking about yourself for a moment, just consider how much those grieving families lives have been disrupted.

[maxximus]

nobody is suggesting that the families of the dead wether they be from london, serbia, iraq, afghanistan i could go on and on and on never mind 20 years of south american atrocities before europe even dared speak of it,. "the war on terrosism is fraud"

[maxximus]

shouldn't be forgotten, of course not

[Gromit]

anotheoldgit

As usual, you are missing the point. The question and Telegraph and Guardian reports are about the Police mis-using their powers. They have been using anti terror laws to stop citizens where no terrorist activity is the reason. People protesting about Power Stations for example.

I am all for the police having powers to stop people they genuinely suspect of terrorist activities, but the law at the moment does not include enough safe guards to stop the police using the new powers wrongly.

We are not heading for a police state, but some very poor laws have been passed in the name of anti terrorism.

[ludwig]

"If you want to imagine the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever "

Yes, I'm imagining Peter Andre's face, so it's not actually that depressing.

[HillyHugger]

If there was any evidence that the use of these laws were actually keeping us safe then maybe I'd think differently - I don't see any in the reports I've read .
As I expected plenty of comments along the lines of 'I have nothing to hide so I don't mind ' variety .
What happens after the next attack ? There will be one, of that you can be sure . More of the freedoms people fought for eroded, of that you can also be sure .

[paraffin]

Hilly:

Have you ever stopped to consider that these measures may possibly have averted "the next attack"?

[Gromit]

Have you ever stopped to consider that these measures may possibly have averted "the next attack"?

I hope that the next attack is averted by sound intelligence, surveillance, sharing information, phone and email intercepts and properly planned arrests and evidence gathering.

If we are relying on beat officers to randomly picking people out of a crowd and searching them in the hope that they are terrorists, then I am worried.