The Sri Lankan protest

[kia cat]

Why are they saying on the news "� it's costing the Met [Police] � x million �" to control this protest? Aren't we all paying for this and any other protest?

[sara3]

.

[jake-the-peg]

They're saying it because they want to try to make you angry about it.

They didn't make a big deal about how much it cost to police Obama's visit did they? (bet you it was way more)

Policing demonstrations is part of living in a democracy - shooting anybody who wants to protest is cheaper

It's just the news media trying to manipulate the gullible

[Gromit]

The Met Police get a fixed budget, and part of that budget is an allocation to police demonstrations in the capital, be it anti-war, G20, help the Gurkhas or whatever. The Sri Lankan protests are draining this budget because they are sustained, the are taking place over many days.

These things happen every now and then and special money is made available to the police, such as during the miners strike. I suspect you are hearing the moan about the cost because the Met is after more money from the authorities.

[VHG]

>They're saying it because they want to try to make you >angry about it.

Nobody minds paying for a genuine protest about something happening in the UK, or a visit of a foreign world leader or whatever.

But this is an event that is happening in another part of the world, so are we supposed to sort out all the worlds problems?

And anyway, most "protests" take part on a certain day, and then, having made their point, all go back to work or whatever.

But these people are protesting day after day and just making themselves a pain.

One assumes they have no work to go to or they could not be on the streets day after day, so is this another foreign community we are supporting with our benefits system.

[VHG]

Also, funny how these people are so concerned about their "home" country, yet all live in the UK.

If they were that concerned they would all go back.

[jake-the-peg]

Glad you weren't about with that attitude in 1939 VHG

[Gromit]

VHG

you are missing the point. They are protesting here because the Government in their mother country are massacring Tamil civilians. 20,000 is the estimate. They are not going to go to Sri Lanka to protest are they?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia /srilanka/5405085/Sri-Lankan-army-accused-of-m assacring-20000-Tamil-civilians-in-final-assau lt.html

And it turns out the British have been supplying the Sri Lankan Government with arms, so we may have blood on our hands too.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia /srilanka/5426520/Britain-sold-arms-to-Sri-Lan ka-during-Tamil-Tiger-conflict.html

[Gromit]

Another ' long incubation period ' British colonial seed ' flowers ' , the original shabbly , care-less
gardeners long dead , and their offspring just want to "' forget about that bad patch !!! for it is overgrown by pernicious weeds .

I sure Eric Cantona would have said something on similar lines.