Rioting students attack Royal car

[Furunculus]

Now it is illegal to photograph police officers - next time it'll be illegal to have an alternate explanation to the police's.

too true, once had a camera confiscated by the police for posing in front of a police car wearing a flat-cap and ladies thong, this after a particularly boozy game of strip jenga with my lady flatmates.

my best-mate was likewise attired in another thong, only supplemented with a a del-boy jacket.

we three (inc the camerman) marched into the police station the next day and demanded the return of the camera and film from the super, who apologized for his colleagues rash action, and offered to develop the film himself with the offending pictures removed.

fun times.

[Beskar]

too true, once had a camera confiscated by the police for posing in front of a police car wearing a flat-cap and ladies thong, this after a particularly boozy game of strip jenga with my lady flatmates.

my best-mate was likewise attired in another thong, only supplemented with a a del-boy jacket.

we three (inc the camerman) marched into the police station the next day and demanded the return of the camera and film from the super, who apologized for his colleagues rash action, and offered to develop the film himself with the offending pictures removed.

fun times.

I didn't imagine your weekends would be quite like that, Veronicanus.

[Furunculus]

lol, that was quite typical really.

who is Veronicanus?

[Slyspy]

Normally I'm OK with the police, but I have no respect for them as a force for good in protest situations. As I said, just another gang up for a fight in my opinion. For example, while it is OK for a copper to swear at a protester and wave a baton at them harsh words from a protester towards a copper will see said protester dragged out of the crowd, subdued, arrested and imprisoned "for the public good". I'm not a great fan of threatening crowds with dogs or charging them with horses, though both are undoubtedly effective.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Say you are put in charge of the police. How do you answer?

1. Leave the protestors be. Traffic congestion, property damage are the price of free speech. No intervention should be made save to intervene to protect someone's life. NOTE: This will be seen as virtual inaction by those people whose property is at risk and may encourage a broader class of damage etc.

2. Leave the protestors be for the most part. Observe and intervene in the case of physical violence, arson, or other felony-level behaviors only. NOTE: this measure will involve judgement calls by police, some of which will be judeged poorly and will involve violence.

3. Leave the protestors be for the most part. Try to maintain an obvious (and hopefully intimidating) presence that serves to deter things from getting too violent. NOTE: Some of your police will cross the line in their efforts at quiet intimidation and round up in favor of thumping a few folks.

4. Move in formations with shields, horses, etc. to shepherd people away from unauthorized areas. If violence occurs, respond with limited violence (tear gas to break up groups; sonic discomfort tools; physical violence only to protect police and other persons who are directly threatened. NOTE: Some of your police will cross the line in their efforts at quiet intimidation and round up in favor of thumping a few folks.

5. Respond aggressively and with some force. Rather than implicit intimidation use moderate force to physically break up the proceedings. NOTE: This more aggressive stance is likely to generate even more incidents.

6. At the first angry shoutings or blocking of traffic, read the Riot Act. Fifteen minutes later, clear the streets with clubs and shields. NOTE: This will injure many and kill several.

7. The Napoleonic approach. NOTE: Street cleaning required at the conclusion of events.


So, where and how would you set things up?

[Brenus]

The Napoleonic approach. NOTE: Street cleaning required at the conclusion of events. This approach is not without risk for properties...

[Furunculus]

4. Move in formations with shields, horses, etc. to shepherd people away from unauthorized areas. If violence occurs, respond with limited violence (tear gas to break up groups; sonic discomfort tools; physical violence only to protect police and other persons who are directly threatened. NOTE: Some of your police will cross the line in their efforts at quiet intimidation and round up in favor of thumping a few folks.

[Banquo's Ghost]

One longs for the old days. Hussars and sabres.

At least then, the peasantry have an excuse for revolution.

[rory_20_uk]

I think that protesters need to be given clearer guidance as to which areas are allowed and which ones are not. Hopefully this would allow large numbers to protest peacefully, and to be aware that they will be moved if they deviate from these areas.

I don't know why water cannons are not used. They are used from a distance and are effective with far less damage than a line of officers going toe to toe with protesters / rioters. Similarly, horse charges are intimidating and generally work very fast with little damage except to the shorts of those caught off guard. Even tear gas is unlikely to cause the damage that seems to be doled out on occasion (although those with asthma had better keep well away from prohibited areas).
Tazers probably wouldn't work on the numbers required and is probably rather OTT in most cases. A lower power electric charge transmitted through the air via a laser mediated ion stream might be useful; I think the USA was working on a laser that was strong enough to cause discomfort rather than damage that would be another method.

And I think that those who carry home made shields / gas masks / weapons should be detained as clearly they're not there for a peaceful protest.

[Furunculus]

And I think that those who carry home made shields / gas masks / weapons should be detained as clearly they're not there for a peaceful protest.

oh yes, those lot make me long for french style riot police where a swift baton'ing is administered down a back alley!

[Husar]

Yes, yes, but there are more effective methods like carpet bombing and artillery shelling available today. Or park some tanks next to the allowed protest route and drive into the protesters once they touch the tanks.
It won't happen again.

Or clone Chuck Norris and place him everywhere along the allowed places.

IMO the problem is angryness. Ok, people protest because they're angry, but maybe they should seperate themselves more from the real troublemakers instead of staying near them. How about if a guy throws rocks at the police, the other protesters grab him and hand him to the police?
But they don't, because dem coppers are the enemy and they're all bad anyway and we'd rather cover him with our innocent bodies, then whine when we get hit.
I've never been to a protest so I can just assume that, of course there are bad policemen as well, but as usual when two groups clash, it's hardly so that one is completely innocent and the other isn't.

[Louis VI the Fat]

shepherd people away from unauthorized areas

There are no unauthorized areas for the people.

The people for their part, however, are at liberty to proclaim any area off limits to authorities.

The Napoleonic approach. NOTE: Street cleaning required at the conclusion of events.

Hah, 'street cleaning'! There won't be a street left when French students protest. When done, one shall have to completely rebuild Paris, yet again.

Sous les pavés, la plage!

Underneath the cobblestones, the beach. That is, destroy the hard and unforgiving outer layer of society, and the softness can reach the surface, and we shall walk in the sun and play on the beach. More immediately, one works towards this utopia by personally digging up the cobblestones of Paris and pelting them at the police.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Underneath the cobblestones, the beach. That is, destroy the hard and unforgiving outer layer of society, and the softness can reach the surface, and we shall walk in the sun and play on the beach. More immediately, one works towards this utopia by personally digging up the cobblestones of Paris and pelting them at the police.

I was of the impression that under the cobblestones were the corpse-filled ditches of the Champ de Mars.

[Louis VI the Fat]

I was of the impression that under the cobblestones were the corpse-filled ditches of the Champ de Mars.

You are quite right. But still it is beach, Banquo.

Do you know why the beaches in some Pacific islands are so white, so beautiful, paradise itself? Because that fine white isn't sand. It is coral reef. Fine chalkstone. The remains of crushed living beings.

Like these Islands of paradise, the streets of Paris are paved with the bones of living beings. The miserable ones, crushed in both life and death. A dreadful thought to some. Glorious to others, who use both their memory, their plight and their physical remains to stay true to them and build a paradise on earth of it.

See? All it takes is a little imagination. Which brings us nicely to another 1968 student protest slogan: l'imagination prend le pouvoir!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Banquo's Ghost]

You are quite right. But still it is beach, Banquo.

Do you know why the beaches in some Pacific islands are so white, so beautiful, paradise itself? Because that fine white isn't sand. It is coral reef. Fine chalkstone. The remains of crushed living beings.

Like these Islands of paradise, the streets of Paris are paved with the bones of living beings. The miserable ones, crushed in both life and death. A dreadful thought to some. Glorious to others, who use both their memory, their plight and their physical remains to stay true to them and build a paradise on earth of it.

See? All it takes is a little imagination. Which brings us nicely to another 1968 student protest slogan: l'imagination prend le pouvoir!

I really do admire your eloquence.

I would have given much to hear your speeches from The Mountain, citizen.

[Furunculus]

in related news the fire-extinguisher cretin has been jailed:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...inguisher.html

Hoorah!