PC Pinkstone has also posted on this, as a Luton lad he feels "disappointed."I'm as "disappointed" as anyone. But it also neatly answers a question that most coppers get asked on a semi-regular basis: "What's the worst thing you've dealt with?"
I'd say THIS kind of job is definitely up there.
Dead people, bloodied fights, violence - they are not pleasant but they are what you joined to do. Protecting people like these protestors against members of the public who are probably feeling emotions similar to you is frankly not what I joined to do.
I personally have huge respect for the armed forces of this country. The Police as a whole has a good relationship with the forces, and many many coppers are ex-services.
To have to protect a sickening group like the one shown in the video above is what is difficult about the job.
I've watched it a few times now, and my eye keeps getting drawn to an elderly man in a grey anorak and pie hat who appears to challenge the protestors. I appreciate I'm stereotyping here, but he doesn't look like the type for violence. Instead, he looks a lot like someone's Grandfather who is so upset and angered by what he sees he feels he has to react.
Rock and a hard place for the coppers there. Whilst on duty I've been to military parades, rememberance dos and funerals of local soldiers killed on multiple occasions, and the pride at those events clashes completely with the shameful actions of the protestors in Luton.
19 comments:
Can I ask your opinion on why none of these protestors were arrested for maybe inciting racial hatred say or maybe something along the lines of using behaviour likely to incite a riot (if such a charge exists) or is it too much of a political minefield for your commanding officers to contemplate?
The reason I ask is one man was allegedly arrested for throwing a packet of bacon at these protestors and there was another arrested for something else I believe.
Could you shed a light on this for me please ATNS, after reading this back I understand it may sound like me sniping at the police force but in now ay is it meant to.
I would hazard a guess that they weren't arrested because they weren't breaking the law. Political protests, even unpopular ones, are important in a free society.
That wasn't a political protest - it was a demonstration that Britain no longer has any bollocks. The placard waving "protesters" prove our own spineless incompetence.
The only reason they could have their little protest is because of people like our armed forces who protect our free society and have died for it.
However, i find it very hard to pleasantly describe how angry i feel about this, it did make me a bit happier though (rightly or wrongly) that people were prepared to confront them.
The only reason they could have their little protest is because of people like our armed forces who protect our free society and have died for it.
Indeed.
I think those at the welcome home parade who disagreed with the protesters would have responded better by totally ignoring them, though. The only way to deal with people with bad ideas is to allow them to express them and then argue them out of town.
PC Michael P is correct in his concise assessment.
To the Anon questioner, I can assure you that the law of this land has ample offences, with powers of arrest, that would do this demo nicely, including the offensive posters. Often officers would love to act on their own discretion and arrest. In Demo situations care is required in order to have the ability to effect your purpose and act in a co-ordinated fashion so as not to become overwhelmed. That's what the bosses are there for.
The police `stance` on such things is usually stated by the commanders at the tactical briefings. Perhaps the command in this case did not set their stall out to maintain the law as much as maintaining the Queens Peace - they appeared to suborn the former to purely keep the latter, but you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs and I personally believe that a few arrests never go amiss in maintaining the balance of the right to demo vs breaking the law. Sometimes the police need to be seen doing this, for the greater good.
From my armchair I felt the commander could have adjusted the line on this one, acted decisively and led his/her officers in taking out the peace-breachers. Videos don't show it all, but if the line was crossed as I suspect it was several times and had someone made the command decision to arrest the most offensive and inflammatory, there would have been a silent roar of `thank fuck we're going to do something`, from the rank and file and from, I suspect, the greater public that the police also serve.
So, how come mincing about calling Scientology a not-so-nice-name can result in arrest (http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/UK_minor_faces_charges_for_calling_Scientology_%27cult%27_at_protest) but this can't.
Sad indication of what we're up to these days, although you can hardly blame the Police for most of the crap involved.
I think the police on the ground probably did the 'right thing' by keeping the peace rather than upholding the letter of the law. Mainly, because if the maggots with the placards had been arrested etc. it would ultimately play into their hands and their agenda. Some of the meeja would side with their 'victim hood' and certainly abroad, loud voices would be raised. On the plus side, there are freely available photo's of these maggots....... I expect a few stop and searches may not go amiss.
Good point TonyF
How is this not a political protest? OK, so you don't like the views expressed (for the record, neither do I), but people are still entitled to express them. These protesters shouldn't have been arrested, and neither should the anti-Scientology protester that ScottishWannabe mentioned.
As MetAnon notes, the only "reason they could have their little protest is because of people like our armed forces who protect our free society" - we don't help or thank the forces by trying to throw away the freedoms that they've fought for just because we don't like the way a tiny handful of people use them.
May sound wrong but,
Oop North,
these people may have been born and bred in the UK or the be some of our recent acquisitions. They no doubt welcome some of the benefits of living in this country even if they work, ie child benefit, education for children, the NHS etc. etc. etc. A whole lot else if they don't.
They are welcome to enjoy the services provided by these and I would not hold a grudge for them doing so.
What I do hold a grudge against is if it were white people holding such placards in a role reversal there would be widespread condemnation amongst the non British living in this country and we would all be unilatterally decreed to be rascist.
I am going to swear and say if you don't like it fuck off to:
i. where you came from, if a recent new addition to the population. (Is the UK really the first safe country you came across on your flee from persecution....no).
ii. whatever other lifestyle you lead and have enjoyed since your birth as a UK citizen. Then allow the native Britain to enjoy some of the ceremony that used to exist in this once great country prior to us becoming the lapdog and garbage bin of the rest of the world.
Sorry for long comment and I too understand the need for political protest but not the obvious racial hatred displayed by the individuals on this occassion.
Brown, Cameron or whoever comes into power next for fucks sake sort it out.
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - More than 1,000 serving police officers in Britain have criminal records, figures obtained under freedom of information laws showed on Wednesday.
Convictions of the 1,063 officers include 77 for violence, 36 for theft and 96 for dishonesty.
Five of these officers were reinstated by the Home Office after being sacked by their local forces.
More than half the convictions were for speeding, drink-driving or other motoring offences, according to the figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats from 41 of Britain's 52 police forces.
Another 210 officers have been dismissed or been required to resign in the past five years because of their criminal convictions.
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman Chris Huhne said officers convicted of violence or dishonesty should be dismissed immediately.
"A serving police officer is expected by members of the public to be self controlled and self restrained in the use of force," Huhne told BBC television.
"If there is dishonesty, police offices can't actually do their duty in giving evidence ... the defense would completely shred their credibility in court."
Why did no member of the public approach a police office and say, with reference to the 'Butchers of Basra' protestors:
"Officer. That person's behaviour in making such remarks is unacceptable and clearly designed to provoke a breach of the peace. If you won't do something about it, I will."
Batersea Boy: Probably because he didn't want to be arrested. (From Ex Lavender Hill Boy).
To Anonymous:-
Chris Huhne...Pure white..?
Advocates hard drugs, and thinks that Opium in it's natural form can be safely experimented with.
Conviction for using a mobile phone whilst driving.
Allegation of illegal use of EU Parliament funds..Insufficient evidence to prosecute, apparently.
Has been accused of holding unethical shares. Against his alleged political platform.
This tosser is one of the 600+ criminals that inhabit the houses of parliament. Now they should be totally without blemish. But No.
We have to hope that there will be some prosecutions on the basis of the video evidence that has been made public.
I can't speak for this demo but I know that it is more expedient to get the video evidence sorted then arrest and convict using it.
It would be a scandal if some sort of post event investigation was not being undertaken.
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