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07/20/2005: "Being a good lawyer ..."

... I need more evidence than I've had so far, and in particular, the chance to hear the police's side of the story. But I've been hearing enough post-G8 tales like this and this to think that some questions badly need to be answered. That there are elements within our constabulary who conduct themselves as a hard-right paramilitary gang has been beyond dispute since the miners' strike (almost certainly long before, but I mean obvious to me!), but the irony of the Met being up in Scotland harassing hippies while London was being blown up is inescapable.

Replies: 8 Comments

And yet all that says to me is there are bad apples on both sides. You know for a fact that there are anarchist factions who come to events like these just to pick a fight with the polis. And let's not gloss over the halfwits ripping up memorial benches from Princes Street Gardens (and other vandalisms) that were sponsored by organisations that were under the G8A banner !

As I have maintained before, there must be 'better' ways to do this.

Lusiphur said @ 07/20/2005 02:55 PM GMT

I have it on good authority from some workmates that many of those seen ripping up Princes St Gardens were local neds taking advantage...but I was in Paris so just saying....

Arkady's granny said @ 07/20/2005 03:01 PM GMT

So a big boy did it and ran away ? :)

Lusiphur said @ 07/20/2005 03:27 PM GMT

I'm sorry but I must side with the police on this one. They need to crack down on wombles. The sooner they lock up that smug bastard Tobermory, the better.

Mdm Chole was French anyways, so who cares ? Honestly, they come over here and steal our litter...

Ironwood said @ 07/20/2005 03:30 PM GMT

Lusiphur, I'm not for a moment disputing that there are some 'elements' who come to these things looking for a scrap. But that scores absolutely zilch in the justification charts when it comes to harassing, detaining or beating up peaceful protesters.

Ironwood, that's harsh. Imagine you're just wombling along, making good use of the things that you find, (things that the everyday folks leave behind, no less), when some bastard Smurf smashes up a park bench and you cop the blame for it.

CJG said @ 07/20/2005 04:25 PM GMT

The cops might also pick on someone their own size. After all, as the song says 'The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are wee.' :-(

CJG said @ 07/20/2005 04:37 PM GMT

Many parralels can be made here to that game that I know nothing about and hate with a passion : Football.

It is not just the responsibility of the police to 'police' themselves and the supporters, but also a responsibility of the protesters/fans to make sure that the 'bad element' is quickly identified and every attempt to remove them made.

That being said, my point is not relevant to the articles you posted, which are a clear misuse of power that should be addressed by someone. The problem comes in how you succesfully address that problem and, more importantly, who does it.

Bear in mind that we have a court of law and a court of public opinion : It is all too easy to tar with the same brush, be it protesters, fans or muslims.

I'm going to hit that button below now and I'm going to try not to do it twice.

Ironwood said @ 07/21/2005 10:13 AM GMT

IW, I was discussing this w/ someone else just recently - can't 'member who. Ages ago, George Monbiot wrote a thing for the Guardian calling on 'activists' to sort out the looney element in their midst. And re the football thing, you've hit on another interest of mine. I help moderate a site for Old Firm fans, a sort of optimistic initiative where Gers & Celts can meet in a neutral forum w/out threat of violence. I'll doubtless say more about that later, but the q of Gers fans dealing w/ the fanatical bigots & racists in their midst has come up more than once. There are, I think, various & complex reasons why this is allowed to persist.

Ah, feck it, this is far too long for a reply. I'll make it an entry later, if time allows.

Cheers.

CJG said @ 07/21/2005 10:54 AM GMT