student protest

[sammmo]

watching the latest peaceful protest that the students are having today has made me wonder whatever happened to the water canons or tear gas or rubber bullets.. has this country got soft?

[Sqad]

sammo....I asked the same question during the last riots, but I was ridiculed...good luck.

[sammmo]

A nice little water canon in this weather would soon sort them out..

[Ankou]

people generally protest because they enjoy it, and for many it raises the adrenaline, often leading to violence or civil disobedience. use of cannons and plastic/rubber bullets inflames these reactions and is often counter productive.

a better way to control such riots/protests is to hem them into a confined space and then just wait until they get bored or fed up and go home. it also saves the public purse from all the ipcc investigations, inquiries and claims.

[LazyGun]

I must be watching a different news feed.... i dont see any riot. Its a democractic right to protest in this country. The students registered with the police in advance of the march.
Why are you calling for water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets? Are you a closet fascist?

[Sqad]

Ankou....no! no! you miss the point.

I wouldn´t care whether it was counter-productive, I would just enjoy being in control of a water cannon, soaking the "great unwashed"

[jake-the-peg]

Generally dumb heavy handed techniques like bullets and tear gas tend to delight the blood lust of the Daily Mail tendency but play badly with the rest of the country.

Tends to drain public support for the police seeing some 18 stone copper beat the hell out of a 18 year old girl.

I have often wonderred about our reluctance to use water cannon - not directly but soaking a crowd tends to quell aggro without seeming overly disproportionate.

must be practical problems

[jd_1984]

Lazy Gun - Is it a democratic rite to use violence and criminal damage? I dont think anybody is questioning a citizens rite to peacefully protest. But, a percentage will use the cause as a reason to create havoc, because they enjoy it. Then guess what - the point of the protest is completely overshadowed!

[LazyGun]

No, I dont advocate violence or property damage - as you say, it is largely counterproductive. I just havent seen any behaviour that warrants such repressive police tactics as widespread use of tear gas, or rubber bullets.

[sammmo]

I'm with you sqad.. bags being the driver.. i'd make the buggers run..

[DrFilth]

so jd, me and you go on the peacful demo
you get shot in the eye by a rubber bullet and lose your sight in one eye while i get a good soaking and freeze to death

why not just ban all marches that you do not agree with

[sammmo]

we could use the water canon first..If that don't stop them get out the tear gas, for the few that still keep coming a couple of hits from a rubber bullet should do the trick if not get out the tazers..

[Sqad]

Dr Filth....no....PEACEFUL is the operative word and this does not need harsh retaliation.

Violence to policeman and public property, cannot in any way be tolerated.....hence the rubber bullets and water cannons.....if you are injured then it is just "collateral damage"...........it happens you know.

[DrFilth]

sammmo like the ones used by

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11518119

[Ankou]

practical matters.

they cost about £750k each and the met don't own any. they'd have to buy a couple (they work in pairs) or loan them from northern ireland or the french.

[lcg]

i say good luck to 'em...i rioted at the poll tax to show my displeasure - toff nosed b***ards never listen to the proletariat...x

[Zeuhl]

French water cannon?

Do we get a choice of Still or Sparkling?
.

[venator]

I think one country used to spray rioting crowds with purple dye, then pick up the rioters at their leisure.

[DrFilth]

sqad some people on here would love to go back to the good old days

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterloo_Massacre

that will teach em, low life scum wanting rights

[jd_1984]

My answer was neither for or against the use of rubber bullets, water cannons etc.. was there an assumption that I am all for maximum force by the police?
My point was FACT - there will always be a percentage of idiots that jump on the bandwagon and cause trouble because thats how they get their kicks. And when this happens it is very unfortunate as the peaceful demonstrators' cause doesnt get the headlines.
Now, the police have to action a reasonable response in the interests of everybody's safety and that will always be a tough call to make. If we did start firing rubber bullets in to a crowd somebody would have to stand up in court and demonstrate why this was the only resort left

[Sqad]

ankou....750K each? that is a lot of dosh.

However....I wonder how much the bill will be for repairing the Tory Headquarters at Millbank and for police overtime?