You might have seen this image on the news. After being knocked unconscious the “protestors” attacked him even further. They even had time to steal his shoulder numbers as a souvenir. This is a particularly shocking image for me. This uniformed oppressor of liberty, defender of the totalitarian coalition, this unconscious battered man is a friend of mine. One of the best.
What the rioters don’t see, of course, is the person behind the outer layer. This is a man who actually agrees with the cause that the rioters pretend to be motivated by. This is a man who, although not a graduate himself, fully supports the principle of free higher education paid for through taxation. He is a far more generous man than me. And also a professional. The bumper sticker says “professionals do it even when they’re not in the mood”. This man does his job even when he agrees with the people who are going for him.
It is worth remembering exactly what the job of the police is in these situations. It is not to protect the government. It is not to prevent the discussion of policy. It is not to stop people from airing their views, however legitimate or not they may be. Every single officer has made the following promise:
I,… do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve the Queen in the office of constable, with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people; and that I will, to the best of my power, cause the peace to be kept and preserved and prevent all offences against people and property; and that while I continue to hold the said office I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law.
Without fear or favour. Without bias. Whether or not he agrees or not with those he is dealing with. Come what may.
There is only one word that comes to mind when I think about those who think that the appropriate reaction to a government policy is to attack the people who look after us and keep us safe. I don’t need to repeat it.
Sorry about your mate. I hope he recovers well. How dispicable to attack him after he’d been put down.
I was on a shield serial at the Poll Tax demo and was injured there. As it happens I was hit by a fire extinguisher thrown from the top of South Africa House but it bounced harmlessly off my toe cap and shin pad (my assailant must have thought I was made of iron !)
I enjoyed the day out. We all did. It’s what we volunteered to do level 2 training for and we would have hated to have missed it. I felt sorry for the non ‘riot cops’ as many of those really didn’t want to be there. One of them attached himself to me like a limpet when I made an unavoidable arrest, “I’ll help you get through the paperwork if we can make this a joint arrest.” Being a City boy on Bow Street’s turf how could I resist ? The poor bugger was shaking like a leaf.
As it happens a malicious rumour was put about that police officers were exempt from Poll Tax (untrue) and the rioters’ venom was all the more potent for it.
I was called to the Govt inquiry conducted by Earl Ferrers. There I met some seriously injured officers – one of whom (a mounted officer) had had a scaffold pole smashed through his visor and needed his face reconstructed.
The upshot of the discussion was that it had been a mistake to hold back on the deployment of riot officers and that the use of short shields had also been wrong. I think the idea of ‘kettling’ comes from such experience of training officers in shield fives and yet deploying them with round shields thus allowing the protesters to run amock.
PS, My injury was nothing to do with the fire extinguisher. A punk rocker attacked me later from behind and skythed my leg with a sweep kick leaving my thigh badly bruised. I didn’t feel how badly until later. About 8 uniformed guys piled in on him and left him a battered pulp on the ground – it had all been filmed by television crews. I looked up directly at the camera as guilty as a puppy sitting by a pile of poo. My number was in the frame. He had to be nicked. He’d done the crime and also you don’t pulp someone unless they’re worth nicking … or else PCA would have a field day.
Interesting stuff EK.
The week that followed my assault was even more interesting. I was supposed to be on light duties (owing to injury) and instead ended up fighting for my life in the deserted corridor outside the Number One Court of the Old Bailey.
Another time – my blog perhaps.
You know what I saw on Facebook yesterday? Someone said it was OK for protesters to throw missiles at Police, because they had shields and helmets to protect them. I am possibly the least violent person you could ever meet, but at that moment, if I could have reached through the screen and punched them in the face, I would have. It’s not about respect for Police, it’s about respect for other human beings, blaming the uniform is just a convenient excuse. My thoughts are with your friend.
Jo x
“if I could have reached through the screen and punched them in the face, I would have”
I know exactly what you mean.
The public sector unions are turning on the police, they have been ever since the tories got in. Whilst they now defend not only the things they used to purport to hate – PFI schemes – but every single non-job in the land, their language is turning more anti-police by the day.
They are planning wholesale disorder. Personally I don’t think they will get the popular support they need to crash government bonds and sterling with a big riot prior to the 2011 budget and overthrow a weak coalition government – but make no mistake, this is their little game.
As far as UNISON, GMB etc are concerned the ends justify the means, they really are nasty little people.
The “students” are just the first of the socialist agitators, I think.
As you know, Blue, I am far from an instinctive supporter of the Police – more like the opposite, in fact.
But from what I saw on the news of what the protesters were doing, quite frankly they got off lightly. I would have been perfectly happy for the Police to have treated them far worse than they did. The Police that I saw were brave, admirable, and impressively restrained. The violent protesters, on the other hand, were utter scum.
If you have a chance, please pass on my sympathy to your friend.
Thank you Patently. I will and I’m sure he will appreciate it.
Maybe your self deluding fans might like to have a read of this
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9276000/9276699.stm
I hope your mate was one of the bastards that teenage girl referred to. Chances are he cracked a few heads before he was brought down.
And then of course there’s Alfie Meadows, recovering from brain surgery after having his head cracked by a police baton
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-watchdog-to-investigate-truncheon-blow-2157416.html
And the figures that tell the real story; 12 police injured, 43 protesters injured.
Such brave men in armour and helmets, attacking teenage girls with batons, I’m sure you’re very proud.
There are two sides to every story, usually the ones that get into the press are about the victims of “police brutality”, because police aren’t really allowed to run to the press and justify their actions, or even explain what it feels like to have a job where people think it’s perfectly acceptable to treat you like a punching bag, because you wear certain clothes. If a police person went to the papers every time someone committed an act of violence against them, you’d have very little paper left. They have formal investigations to ascertain stuff what went wrong, and what actually happened.
I feel really sorry for that girl and her friends, that does sound like a terrible experience. But isn’t this a bit like moving to a war zone and complaining that your house got bombed? Did she think it was going to be a tickling competition, that people were going to sit around with guitars and sing protest songs? Actually maybe she did, students and young people can have an astounding naivety.
People got hurt.
They shouldn’t have got hurt.
I mean students or Police.
But this, this incident that Blue refers to is just fucking despicable.
“But isn’t this a bit like moving to a war zone and complaining that your house got bombed? Did she think it was going to be a tickling competition, that people were going to sit around with guitars and sing protest songs? “
Spot on!
And the figures that tell the real story; 12 police injured, 43 protesters injured.
So?
What, should we go and find 31 coppers to beat up?
If you’re going to argue numbers, how many protesters were there, relative to police numbers? Such brave protesters, surging forward as a mob to assault a few officers in blue.
And this doesn’t count how many officers were assaulted.
Riot gear is very good for protection from injury. It doesn’t indicate how many blows were directed at the police. Just that the police are better protected.
I’d wager that there were far more assaults on police than the other way around.
tell your bosses to stop treating ALL legitimate protesters like wanton criminals, stop kettling folk, stop invoking violence on people and this terrible situation will never happen again.
The police force only have themselves to blame for creating this climate of violence. lets see some accountability and maybe, just maybe the police will gain the respect they think they deserve.
p.s. I truly hope your friend is ok.
“The police force only have themselves to blame for creating this climate of violence.”
Yeah, they should just let the mob do what they want, and then nobody will get hurt! Well, except…
These threads really bring out the hard-of-thinking, don’t they?
I’ll admit that while watching the protests on tv I’ve forgotten that theres a person under the uniform before, I should know better – I’ll probably be under it myself one day.
I hope your friend and the others injured get better, and I hope those who attacked you guys get what they deserve.
“After being knocked unconscious” – by what? Swing his truncheon to hard at some 15 year old girl and catch himself a blow?
Maybe one of his own colleagues did it? You know, a ‘false flag’ operation, like sending the Royal car into the path of the mob, and erecting that Cenotaph and statue of Winston Churchill overnight so the mob would have no choice but to defile it?
Idiot.
While individual officers have my support. The organisation of the policing failed.
Those in masks should have been forced to have removed them from the start. Ringleaders should have been pulled out early. Peaceful protesters should have been allowed to protest peacefully. Many peaceful protesters will not be peaceful protesters next time after the kettling.
“This is a particularly shocking image for me. This uniformed oppressor of liberty, defender of the totalitarian coalition, this unconscious battered man is a friend of mine. One of the best.”
I was quite shocked to see your post title.
And even more shocked to see the content. And you’re right. There’s no other word to describe these animals….
It’s not a word I enjoy using.
Naturally you hate using the word with the coyness of a harlot getting down to an asking price. In the end you were sufficiently motivated to overcome embarrassment.
You will not be alone in using a word you claim provides you with no enjoyment. There will be others mouthing the same response as they witness exaggerations of the circumstances, feigned injuries and falsified reports.
I too, am absolutely horrified at the behaviour of the so called protesting ‘students’. They all should be named and shamed, particularly the disgusting imbecile, who was photographed urinating on the plinth of Winston Churchill’s statue. Although, judging by the standards of Blair’s ‘Education, education, education, the ignorant moron probably wouldn’t know who Winston Churchill was.
The reason why i seldom comment on your site, Blue, is that, I’m so in agreement with all you say, and it would sound horribly patronising to add my comments.
Keep up the good work Blue, you are destined to succeed in life, with your super intelect and compassionate regard, for mankind!
Di.xx
Hi Di, good to hear from you!
There are boundaries, aren’t there. Marching: fine and dandy, rioting not. Waving placards: great stuff, painting and urinating on war memorials: totally and utterly unacceptable. These children need to grow up and fast.
I am so sorry to hear this Blue. I hope he makes a full recovery.
Thanks Lilith.
A demonstration that demand for prison places will rise. What did those being violent hope to achieve that was constructive?
I did not like seeing horses being deliberately put in the firing line, but apart from that, I thought the Police were fantastic on this occasion.
Pass on my best wishes for a speedy recovery to your friend and thank him on our behalf.
Thanks Meas.
For the idiot who claimed that police can’t run to the press with their tales of woe, here’s an excerpt from Sky News interviewing a police spokesman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FORnsCu4SI&feature=player_embedded
Interestingly, this is the incident that Cameron claimed was police being dragged off horses and beaten. The video shows that the numpty was charging at a lone female protester when he fell off of his own accord. The protester was directly in front of him so couldn’t have dragged him off and anyway, was busy being clubbed by a copper at the time, who carried on hitting her and her friend who tried to protect her. The reporter and police spokesman continue chatting away about the police officer being helped away, ignoring the beatings going on in the background. Yeah, the media never listen to the police do they?
So the BBC obediently reported the Prime Minister of the UK lying about police being attacked. Sky invites a police rep to provide official spin without challenge. Not exactly consistent with the nonsense claim that “…usually the [stories] that get into the press are about the victims of “police brutality”…
The Met police are thugs. From the outset of the march they tried to kettle the protesters who understandably went into plan b to avoid the kettle which police used as an excuse to crack some heads.
At one point police dragged a disabled protester from his wheelchair
http://disabledpeopleprotest.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/police-pulled-jody-mcintyre-revolutionary-out-of-his-chair/
There have been a few half hearted claims of students carrying weapons but there’s little evidence of this being more than paint bombs. It ignores the fact that EVERY SINGLE one of the police started the day carrying a weapon and many had NATO helmets with them and body armour. Sounds like a gang heading in for a ruck to me. They also repeatedly charged the demonstrators on horseback, but all the press could talk about was the pillock who should have still been carrying ‘L’ plates and fell off.
As for the heartending story of the chap in the pic having his shoulder badges stolen, on past records he’d probably removed them himself to avoid ID.
“There have been a few half hearted claims of students carrying weapons but there’s little evidence of this being more than paint bombs.”
And flares, and snooker balls…
Plus there’s the clowns who decided to break up the concrete defence blocks and use that as missiles to aim at the police. And the barriers they tore down, don’t forget those.
Highlight of the day, I can’t quite decide; was it the idiots setting fire to the portaloo they’d no doubt be whining for later, or the idiots that set fire to the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, despite the fact that other students were climbing it at the time?
“It ignores the fact that EVERY SINGLE one of the police started the day carrying a weapon…”
They’re supposed to, numbskull! ‘Ptotection of society’, remember? From dumb, violent, self-righteous little thugs like you.
Hi Angry! I assume I am the “idiot” that you refer to. *Waves* I’d just like to point out:
“claimed that police can’t run to the press with their tales of woe, here’s an excerpt from Sky News interviewing a police *spokesman*”
Think you misunderstood me. I meant individuals cannot run to the papers ad hoc, not an organisational spokesperson. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear, and I hate to be a pedant, but you know, you started it
Oh and lastly? The bit about the shoulder badge? It’s not offensive because it was theft, or that it was a corporate icon of Police Culture. It’s got nothing to do with previous incidents dredged up to muddy the waters, or justify current behaviour. You know why that bit offended me on a deep level? The fact that someone would take something from a man’s unconscious body, any man’s unconscious body, as if knocking them out was some kind of joke or a game, and taking a trinket was like taking a souvenir. That’s worse than an animal mentality. It’s beyond disrespect. It’s vile behaviour. You can yank any number of horror stories from Youtube, or your mental cupboard of Anti-Police memoirs, but badging someone’s body? That’s disgusting.
Here’s a better bit of footage of the officer being pulled off the horse.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=585_1292118087
As for Jodi McIntyre getting pulled off his wheelchair.
1)Disabled man goes on protest. God on him. Not quite clear how exactly he expects to be treated differently within the crowd but doubtless he will claim the DDA should have applied and he should have had his own dedicated riot police to police him and no-one else.
2)Even his blog suggests that officers pulled him out of the way and then got his brother to come over with his wheelchair. The second time he was “removed” from his wheel chair it was to stop him getting trampled by the horses.
Not really clear what the point you are trying to make is – he should have been treated differently? He should have been left in the middle of the crowd to take his chances? He shouldn’t have been moved away because he is disabled?
He’s a f&&king idiot for getting involved in a violent protest when he can’t get out of the way?
As for the ID badge slur – yes – unacceptable behaviour in G20 with officers with no ID badges. I look forward to you posting a link to officers in this protest with no badge numbers on.
“He’s a f&&king idiot for getting involved in a violent protest when he can’t get out of the way?”
Since he turns out to be a hardcore ‘political activist and blogger’, he can’t very well claim inexperience of protests, either…
And a bit more, police attacked a journalist
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=46423&c=1
and police medics refused to help him
“…And flares, and snooker balls…”
Evidence? Or are you making it up?
“…Plus there’s the clowns who decided to break up the concrete defence blocks and use that as missiles to aim at the police. And the barriers they tore down, don’t forget those…”
That was AFTER they’d been brutally attacked by the police and kettled, which the police attempted to do from the outset. They tore down barriers to escape. Police unlawfully detained them and beat them indiscriminately over their heads. Kid with brain injury remember?
“They’re supposed to, numbskull! ‘Ptotection of society’, remember? From dumb, violent, self-righteous little thugs like you.”
Funny way of protecting people, smashing them over the head, attacking disabled people and falsely imprisoning people on a bridge.
Police are liars, they lied about a police horse ride being pulled off his horse, they lied about murdering Jean Charles Menezez and Ian Tomlinson they lied about murdering Blair Peach.
Thugs, thugs, THUGS!
“Police are liars, they lied about a police horse rider being pulled off his horse, they lied about murdering Jean Charles Menezez and Ian Tomlinson they lied about murdering Blair Peach.”
You have disappointed bigots here who, having done their best to lure bad tempered and obscene responses, must content themselves with measured ones, Andy.
“Evidence? Or are you making it up?”
Nope, you’ll find plenty of accounts even at left-wing sources such as the ‘Guardian’ and ‘Indy’. Plus there’s the evidence of my own eyes watching the videos…
“Thugs, thugs, THUGS!”
Yeah, yeah… From what I saw, that description applies so much, much more to the ‘students’. Many of whom were nothing of the sort,of course…
“Evidence? Or are you making it up?”
You wrote “There have been a few half hearted claims of students carrying weapons but there’s little evidence of this being more than paint bombs”.
A curious statement. Why “little” evidence? Why not “no” evidence? Are you unsure of your facts?
I think we all know there were weapons in that mob. Most people were unarmed, sure, but there were violent thugs amongst the students. Fortunately, the police anticipated this, and brought body armour and weapons of their own. Good thing too.
Respect to the coppers there, injured and uninjured.
I know from previous experience that public order policing ain’t nice and can be a pretty horrible experience for those at the front line.
Suddenly my Notting Hill shifts don’t seem so bad!
“Respect to the coppers there, injured and uninjured.”
Yep, it’s not something I could do. In the face of such a crowd I would certainly shit my pants and run away.
I hope you were well away from the action.
Really Tempted to make a public order come back with the Nato on ….. not blaming the students …anarchist infilitration order of the day. Mentioned this on my blog well over a year ago. The anarchists are finally getting the conditions they want
Let’s get it on down a non CCTV side road and see who comes out at the end …. They wouldn’t even take us up on that one !
Are you sure that’s a good idea? I remember a post about you getting clobbered in 1990!!
But I went back afterwards for more and couldn’t post about the clearance of so called “victorious protesters” – The mob soon melts when they know it’s coming on for them !! It looks brutal but can assure you it’s FINAL.
Unfortunately I’ve still got the army mentality of winning the firefight. That would make me a dinosaur today and prime candidate for gripping the rail at Westminster Mags.
Good on today’s L2′s – very restrained but can’t help thinking they are media fodder. The anarchists are praying for a demonstrator to get killed. When that happens I’ll expect the call begging Stressed to return to the fold. It will be a Sad day and evidence we’ve finally lost control.
Doesn’t that show how much “times” have changed even since 1990?
I had an argument with a colleague at work today. She quoted all the usual examples of police brutality which to her meant that nobody could ever trust the police or what they say ever. But nearly all of them are ancient history.
Congratulations on being the 8000th comment on this site!
“I had an argument with a colleague at work today. She quoted all the usual examples of police brutality which to her meant that nobody could ever trust the police or what they say ever. But nearly all of them are ancient history.”
Ian Tomlinson? Jean Charles Menezez? Alfie Meadows?
You’re defences all largely centre around variations of ‘what do you expect on a protest?’, a sentiment that doesn’t seem to apply to the police.
Oh and the ‘better’ clip of the policeman being ‘dragged’ off his horse still clearly shows no such thing and its clearly filmed from further away than the clip I posted.
Look forward to hearing your explanations as to why police tried to get Westminster and Chelsea hospital to refuse to treat Alfie meadows. Even Nazi German forces recognised Medics’ neutrality.
All good examples. Do three outliers give us a general impression of the integrity of the vast majority of officers?
There are designated hospitals set up for both police and anarchists – I would have thought the reason was obvious. The ambo cocked up not police.
Public Order is brutal no doubts about it – In my experience (and trust me I know what I’m talking about)the anarchists could easily avoid the batons if they wanted. Shouldn’t whine if they get clobbered – seen plenty of them gloating when dishing it out to old bill.
JCD was a tragic error of policy and circumstances – not brutality (I posted on that somewhere on my ex blog and tried to explain,not excuse what happened) (Also met the firearms silver on that job – who did everything by the book)I’m also a firearms Silver and personally don’t like decision making by box ticking – but allowing experience to play a part means you start to assume things which can also lead to tragic errors.
And this doesn’t count how many officers were assaulted. Riot gear is very good for protection from injury. It doesn’t indicate how many blows were directed at the police. Just that the police are better protected. I’d wager that there were far more assaults on police than the other way around.