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I agree with the students. Regardless of the random troublemakers and destruction mongers, you have the right to be pissed off when the government flips you the bird.

Really, as violent as it sounds, it's being handled so much better than it would be if the same riot happened in Canada or the USA. As much as I respect the students who are rightfully pissed off, I also have a lot of respect for the officers who have to deal with it. It's a shame they have to be the ones on the front lines when the lying political whores should be the ones eating the rage and hatred.

KingCracker wrote:
See In America our police force would let them shout and stuff, at least for a little while. But sooner or later, they would of been gassed, water hosed or beaten with batons. I personally like the water hose. That really lets them rioters know, HEY! SHUT YOUR YAP!

Man, cops + water hose = bad memories for folks from Birmingham AL. Still heard folks talk about it down there before I moved away....very scary.

Honestly, where I live we had a protest due to the police shooting an unarmed man in the back while he lay on the ground. There were over 300 police from 3 counties, as well as county sherrifs literally bussed. They were deployed in an area of about 8 square blocks mostly in groups of 8-12. On EVERY corner on EVERY block.

Brits have it easy. I'm very envious.

Peter Wiggin wrote:

KingCracker wrote:
See In America our police force would let them shout and stuff, at least for a little while. But sooner or later, they would of been gassed, water hosed or beaten with batons. I personally like the water hose. That really lets them rioters know, HEY! SHUT YOUR YAP!

Man, cops + water hose = bad memories for folks from Birmingham AL. Still heard folks talk about it down there before I moved away....very scary.

Honestly, where I live we had a protest due to the police shooting an unarmed man in the back while he lay on the ground. There were over 300 police from 3 counties, as well as county sherrifs literally bussed. They were deployed in an area of about 8 square blocks mostly in groups of 8-12. On EVERY corner on EVERY block.

Brits have it easy. I'm very envious.

Thats because you're in Oakland. They were afriad of being killed. No sane person is a cop in Oakland.

I've heard Oakland cops start out at 65k per year fresh from the academy. Just hearsay though.

Peter Wiggin wrote:Brits have it easy. I'm very envious.

We do. Come on over and live here for a bit. The feeling will soon pass.

The thing is the grass is always greener. Where I sit the US has a large budget for almost everything, cheaper to buy goods and live and you get a billion TV channels to watch as well as a friendly and inviting atmosphere where everyone sounds like a New Yorker or a Texas Cowboy.

I know that isn't the case and the majority of Americans are OK, kinda, but that doesn't stop the feeling that living in America would be great. Although with my Lancashire accent I might have to employ an interpreter.

Elmodiddly wrote:

Peter Wiggin wrote:Brits have it easy. I'm very envious.

We do. Come on over and live here for a bit. The feeling will soon pass.

The thing is the grass is always greener. Where I sit the US has a large budget for almost everything, cheaper to buy goods and live and you get a billion TV channels to watch as well as a friendly and inviting atmosphere where everyone sounds like a New Yorker or a Texas Cowboy.

I know that isn't the case and the majority of Americans are OK, kinda, but that doesn't stop the feeling that living in America would be great. Although with my Lancashire accent I might have to employ an interpreter.

Oh don't get me wrong...its a nice place. Its just that we DO have a million channels of TV and every conceivable entertainment medium in the universe (new ones come out every Xmas), and it does a DAMN good job of keeping the populace distracted/entertained. Its the apathy of the American people that is really depressing. In many way's I see the acceptance of "well thats just the way things are" as part of the will of American culture being broken.

<shrug> I'm moving to Canada when we elect Palin.

Peter Wiggin wrote:I've heard Oakland cops start out at 65k per year fresh from the academy. Just hearsay though.

Not enough. Why police a populce that hates you and will kill you if they can, and then the politicians back the scum and not the cops?

Wow sounds like certain Middle Eastern armpits of the universe we're involved in currently.

Frazzled wrote:

Peter Wiggin wrote:I've heard Oakland cops start out at 65k per year fresh from the academy. Just hearsay though.

Not enough. Why police a populce that hates you and will kill you if they can, and then the politicians back the scum and not the cops?

Wow sounds like certain Middle Eastern armpits of the universe we're involved in currently.

Some folks are honestly there to make a difference. Many others simply enjoy the violence that comes with the territory. Hate to say it, but its true.

San Fransisco is pretty brutal too, and definitely more....surreal.

As I've said in a couple of other threads on this subject, the police need better tactics, not more weapons.

They also need to stop trying to get every single person to give their details - peaceful protesters don't have to give their details to police, nor have their pictures taken.

Fine, if the police want to kettle up a few hundred people, so be it, but start processing them straight away, bring in food and water if you are going to be keeping people there for a long time.

Batch people up into groups of X many, shuffle them out of the kettle, weed out any troublemakers and let the rest leave.

You only make the situation worse when you keep large crowds of people bottled up.

The cynic in me wants to think the police only do it so they can get a violent reaction. A kettle is exactly that; somewhere where things come to a boil.

SilverMK2 wrote:As I've said in a couple of other threads on this subject, the police need better tactics, not more weapons.

They also need to stop trying to get every single person to give their details - peaceful protesters don't have to give their details to police, nor have their pictures taken.

Fine, if the police want to kettle up a few hundred people, so be it, but start processing them straight away, bring in food and water if you are going to be keeping people there for a long time.

Batch people up into groups of X many, shuffle them out of the kettle, weed out any troublemakers and let the rest leave.

You only make the situation worse when you keep large crowds of people bottled up.

The cynic in me wants to think the police only do it so they can get a violent reaction. A kettle is exactly that; somewhere where things come to a boil.

Way to much effort and expense. As noted in the title a good cavalry charge with sabres drawn should take care of any problem without delay. For the Czar! er Queen!

Yeah, we've tried that a few times over the last 2,000 years. Never really gone down all that well...

This idea of kettling them up, seems like another hillsborough waiting to happen to me.

And the sight of police pulling a helpless invalid out of his wheelchair, did a lot to ease the situation I'm sure.

SilverMK2 wrote:Yeah, we've tried that a few times over the last 2,000 years. Never really gone down all that well...

Actually it almost always has. Depends on your perspective, of course...

Albatross wrote:Actually it almost always has. Depends on your perspective, of course...

Oh, I'm not saying that it has not worked at stopping protests/resistance/etc, just that it has not gone down well with the subjects of such an act (or subjects in general).

Albatross wrote:

SilverMK2 wrote:Yeah, we've tried that a few times over the last 2,000 years. Never really gone down all that well...

Actually it almost always has. Depends on your perspective, of course...

here's a nice bit of crowd control.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98MtWe2nCS4&feature=related

If history has taught us anything, it's that turkeys rarely vote for Christmas.

Here's some British crowd control: