Police could use water cannon to disperse rioters, Theresa May says

[Joanne98]

Source: Telegraph

British police may purchase water-cannon to disperse protesters, the Home Secretary has suggested.

The Metropolitan police is considering its tactics after rioters attacked officers with metal poles, smashed windows and even vandalised a car carrying the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall during protests against rises in university fees.

''The Met Police obviously have to look at how they should be dealing with these demonstrations,'' Theresa May said. ''They will look across the board and they will be making operational decisions.''

She also defended the ''robust'' police response to the disorder that saw dozens of officers and protesters injured, and more than 30 arrests made.





Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8197432/Police-could-use-water-cannon-to-disperse-rioters-Theresa-May-says.html

[NoPasaran]

1. If John Wilkes Booth had used a water pistol

History would have been totally different

[bemildred]

2. Pushing the protests underground might not be the smartest move. nt

[JDPriestly]

4. That is what I am thinking.

Sometimes I honestly wonder if a few of the authorities just enjoy playing the cat to the protestors' mouse.

Could they have just permitted the protestors to march quietly and peacefully wherever they wanted to march to?

Why did this become so confrontational?

It looks really bad for the police when they cage protestors in. We all know that, while a minority of the protestors may get violent, the vast majority do not.

When the police cage the protestors, they make the protestors feel like they are being treated like animals. That makes the protestors all the angrier. So the protestors figure out some kind of strategy so that the next time they protest they can meet the officers' violence with their own violence. The whole thing just becomes a cycle -- a game.

Seems to me that the police should simply watch the crowds to identify the potential criminals and let the rest march peacefully. Is that too difficult somehow? I don't know.

[Creative]

7. Protests are okay and are tolerated. On the other hand, those who

riot, should get wet.

[dipsydoodle]

3. As an aside

Charlie Gilmore has now been arrested.

Police have also issued this list of photos which have also been shown on all national news tv channnels : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337884/Did-suspects-attack-Camilla-tuition-fees-riots-Police-issue-rogues-gallery-14-protesters.html It would appear that is mainly in connection with seking whoever struck Camilla - that sucker will That sucker will be facing a seroius assault charge.

For the general benefit of anyone not familiar with UK law many of the age old penalties associated with offences against the Royal family have never been repealed. At least this charge wouldn't carry an automatic death penalty but certain others do. We only abolished the death penalty for the general crime of murder.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

5. Oh shit

some of these students were fucking foreigners!!! What the fuck?

Mail on Sunday journalists covering the protest saw a Latvian man break off a pole from metal fencing before hurling it at police in Parliament Square.
A group of Black Bloc members said they were from Latvia and had come with a rucksack full of paint bombs and smoke grenades.
One man calling himself Wilf, who said he was from Dresden, was seen to throw a brick and a metal sign at police in Whitehall.
Another demonstrator, who said he was from Turin and lived in a squat in London, said: ‘I’m here to help the students and the people who are poor. I’ve been photographed by the police but I’m immune to it.
'The students here aren’t really tough. I saw one of them hitting the police. He dropped his keys on the floor and then started asking the police nicely whether he could have them back.’



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337884/Did-suspects-attack-Camilla-tuition-fees-riots-Police-issue-rogues-gallery-14-protesters.html#ixzz17uoa7Bge

[Heywood J]

6. What's the weather like there?

I thought they were getting snow - water cannons and snow don't generally mix well.

[dipsydoodle]

8. Was cold that night

especially on Westminster Bridge at midnight where they were moved off too from Parliament Square. That was so they could be dispersed in small parcels of ten south of the river and to prevent them from regrouping. Not too bad since then but expected to snow by Friday/Saturday. I don't think there are any more protests arranged for prior to Christmas.