A sign of the times I fear.

Officers injured during violent clashes in Bristol

Violence that broke out during a "Kill The Bill" protest was caused by people who "came for a fight with police", Bristol's chief constable has said.

The event was organised to protest against the government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would increase police powers to deal with non-violent demonstrations.

However, what started out peacefully on Sunday afternoon turned ugly after hundreds of protesters marched from College Green to the New Bridewell police station.

Twenty police officers were injured, two seriously, with one suffering broken bones and another with a suspected punctured lung, during violent skirmishes with masked thugs.

best i dont comment on this one ..........

we heard it all kicking off late afternoon and through the night ...it looked like bullet holes in the windows of the police station ,small holes with no damage around them some officers got trapped on both sides in a nearby street to the station whilst the station was under the mercy of the mob...they were hemmed in on both sides of the street with fireworks being thrown and misiles raining down if it were not for those brave horses who stood and took it all they would have been over run,seemed the police were told not to retaliate and thats the word going about,lucky nobody got killed atb

David wrote:

best i dont comment on this one ..........

Don't be shy now etc here David don't hold back type of thing I say      just let rip as such with what your really thinking about the whole scenario issue in Bristol at the moment .

oldstrain wrote:

we heard it all kicking off late afternoon and through the night ...it looked like bullet holes in the windows of the police station ,small holes with no damage around them some officers got trapped on both sides in a nearby street to the station whilst the station was under the mercy of the mob...they were hemmed in on both sides of the street with fireworks being thrown and misiles raining down if it were not for those brave horses who stood and took it all they would have been over run,seemed the police were told not to retaliate and thats the word going about,lucky nobody got killed atb

Saw it all on the news down here etc O/S & here I was I'm     thinking  Leeds was bad as such . & take care.

Can't believe they could do this.. no respect what so ever ...First to ask police for help though when things don't go their way ..idiots

I agree the violence was wrong but looking into this some things don't add up.

From what I saw on TV the mob was basically teenagers and young people up to about student age. Not exactly organised hardened criminals, some were even carrying there skateboards about If our police can't deal with them then we have got problems.

The purpose of the demonstration was to highlight the bill the government want to pass which will restrict group protests on the streets. Allowing the violence to escalate, have police injured and vehicles burn out all captured live on TV gives maximum effect and fuels the argument in favour of the Govenment/Police as to why they need to stop the right for protesting on the streets.

Should have been nipped in the bud but this was allowed to go on for hours even to the point of mobbing the police station for maximum effect. Like I say I don't condone the violence but there's more to this story I believe.

it would have been mainly students rounded together and activists
bristol,bath,taunton,exeter ,gloucs all banded together then you would of had the caravan/mobile home crews,then the inner city suburb trouble makers ...i guess it never shown the guys getting around dressed in black armed with weapons during the night,they already had a heads up with the statue that got pulled down last year as to how quickly things can change with a mob,they know the police aint up for it so they take the p1$$ out of them alot of young males walking around with beer cans to which makes you wonder why they were there,hardly helped the cause
of the protest has it

I think what happens is, a susject is raised for ligitimate reasons and those raising such as a demonstration in respect of their concerns do so in a ligitamate and intential peaseful manner.

However, there is at all times those intent on anachy however obtained will latch on to any such ligitimate activity and turn it into a riot.

The actual number involved in illegal activities will be a small percentage of the whole, it takes only one bad apple.

It is impossible for a small number ( compared with the whole numbers involved) of police to pick out and deal with the anarchist who will be spread out amongst the whole.

With the technology available there should be means of the police to spray or otherwise identify with a lasting identification  those causing the problems and round them up later, without confronting them when outnumbered, camera evidence should be easily obtained etc;

Then of course they can go before a court and have their hands slapped and told not to be naughty any more.

OH HAPPY DAYS.

Regards.

Many faces, apparently were filmed. So some will be appearing in court. Quite right so.
I have no love for 90% of the police. However I respect the uniform.
We can ALL point a finger. Know a bad copper, or a family member or friend has had bad experiences. True.
But on the other hand, sights they see, attend and them putting life and or limb on line has to be credited and honoured I feel.
A evil necessarily needed?! i believe so.

Those throwing stones, getting a buzz are the very cowards that enjoy the safety of the crowds who run to the police for help in any and every regard.
I think 2 years lock up minimum would be appropriate personally.

The police already know who the activists and those focussed on riots are.
Stop them travelling to any peaceful gathering and infiltrating, that's got to help.

they done the same thing with football hooligans for 20 years now, ban them from travelling to games, off to jail if they break the banning order so it can be done.

Think the demonstrators got sucked right into the Police's agenda at the weekend, albeit sadly influenced by the usual rag tag riot mob.

True of course Barnie. Proving in court means a test for a way forward.

The trouble is there is a fine line between taking a persons rights away and keeping the peace.

There are many known potential terrorists roaming our streets, you cannot arrest them unless caught in the act or proving their intent, nor can you restrict their movements.

There are good bad and indifferent coppers as in all paid for public servants from top to bottom.

Even were every copper good they would still have an almost impossible task to deal with all the present problems, many I feel we are unaware of.

I agree there are coppers who should be behind bars (not the pub kind) but that goes from top to bottom of public office.

Just look at our own sport let go to rot through the I'm Alright Jacks not caring a hoot as long as they were alright, and that is something they could have done something about.

Regards.

Daz wrote:

Many faces, apparently were filmed. So some will be appearing in court. Quite right so.
I have no love for 90% of the police. However I respect the uniform.
We can ALL point a finger. Know a bad copper, or a family member or friend has had bad experiences. True.
But on the other hand, sights they see, attend and them putting life and or limb on line has to be credited and honoured I feel.
 A evil necessarily needed?!  i believe so.

Those throwing stones, getting a buzz are the very cowards that enjoy the safety of the crowds who run to the police for help in any and every regard.
I think 2 years lock up minimum would be appropriate personally.

My kind of thinking that one etc Daz 2 years     & I would give them all only bread & dripping as a main type meal & tripe for an extra treat every day while they were there .

Well we have - nigh unnoticed by the very large majority, Marshall Law.
Just neeeds atweak now it seems.
I needed say how other countries are suffering from so called Rights.
No right gives any person a right to disrupt another person etc.
We see so much on the news now to be silly not to notice. J.M.O.

last we the public were up in arms over a serving police man kidnapping and murdering a woman, this week the public are up in arms over the police taking a beating ............problem solved .

Too many sticking chests out and looking to be important I fear.

theres a lot going on in the uk, and a lot of skullduggery behind the scenes, things arnt always what they seem.........smoke and mirrors

its all about changing public opinion .

well it all kicked off again last night with riot police called in to disperse what had become nothing more than a knees up ...more demos on friday ,expect more of the same

water cannon, job done. But they won't, instead it will get max coverage and free advertising once again this weekend. Hope I'm wrong because it must be terrible for decent folk living nearby and business owners in the City wondering if their premises are going to be looted or burnt out.

Simple. Your rights, whatever one believes doesn't give anyone the right to commit violence or damage of others property etc.

Daz wrote:

Simple. Your rights, whatever one believes doesn't give anyone the right to commit violence or damage of others property etc.

common law daz .......stick to this and we`ll be ok

David wrote:

Daz wrote:

Simple. Your rights, whatever one believes doesn't give anyone the right to commit violence or damage of others property etc.

common law daz .......stick to this and we`ll be ok

Common law means nothing these days I suggest David if it doesn't quite fit your agenda etc only got to look at what has & is happening in Bristol at the moment .

magna carta can never be revoked knackered .......the uk is a common law country

David wrote:

magna carta can never be revoked knackered .......the uk is a common law country

We must have a means of conducting our affairs and ours is by Law.

The Law is ( supposedly decided by the people) and all are subject to it.

OF THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE.

Everything depends on the fairness of the Law and who amongst the population decide to abide by it.

Those that do not abide by it must be punished and that is where there is no
real method of deciding reasonable punishment for different offences.

Should murderers be hanged, should rapists be casterated, should thieves have there hands chopped off, the list is  endless and there would never be all in agreement.

We grumble and rightly so in my opinion, but I would not want to live anywhere else.

Regards.