I used to be pro police. Now I am disgusted

[Hedger]

Until yesterday in Parliament Square you would have had to look a long way to have found somebody more pro-police, pro law and order than me. That is now changed for ever.

 

Yesterday’s demonstration was composed of angry and vocal but composed people, about twenty thousand of them. The square was full but by no means packed. The police were restricting access to the square so that there were several thousand more in the streets around who were unable to get into the square except through the north west corner. The crowd got dense in that area squashed up against a barrier and a waist high wall. As those at the front got more squashed the police told them to move back…but of course they could not due to the weight of people from behind.

Suddenly…mayhem! Fifty policemen start battoning the front rows over the head, and doing so with no regard to who they were hitting and what damage they were doing. Obviously the situation got worse, fear and panic by most people, retaliation by a very few. I saw many people with nasty head wounds, both male and females alike.

 

AT 6pm the demo ended and the crowd dispersed, to be met by literally hundreds of black clad, shield holding, helmeted and balaclavered police. Very intimidating and clearly itching for a fight. I saw elderly women being pushed about as they tried to leave the square.

 

I have never been so disgusted at the behaviour of the Police.

 

I cannot stress too much that at no time had the crowd threatened the police or been anywhere else but behind the barriers.

What were the police thinking of?

Who gave them their orders?

 

I guess the truth is that these are the consequences of have a police force that operates in its own climate of fear, one that has been imposed on them by a combination of external forces (terrorism and the debacle at Buckingham Palace) and their masters, the labour party politicians who fear their own electorate (and back benchers). The police have clearly lost their ability to differentiate between real threats and merely vocal demonstrations against the symbols of authority and the politicians who occupy them.

 

Friends, we have a duty to fight this ban.

If you don’t hunt though you must be under no illusions, this is still your fight.

They will come for shooting next, and then fishing.

[Lurch]

Preaching to the choir here my man.

 

If you saw the BBC footage you would believe that the protestors started the incident, however if you saw Sky News you would have seen a very different perspective - much more like the situation you describe.

I shouldn't be surprise or shocked, but I am.

[red_stag88]

I personally have never fox hunted. Mink, yes quite a bit, and currently theres a very large and particually nasty mink seated at No. 10 I have to hunt.

 

This is our fight.

 

We cannot lose.

[Browning]

I'll probably get shot down in flames here, but I'll state my case anyway.

 

I too went to add my support at Westminster yesterday, albeit only for three hours early afternoon, as I had customers to see before and after.

 

Unfortunately we had our fair share of "yobs" on our side of the fence, itching for a confrontation with the police, in fact whilst walking down to Westminster I came across a group of these "yobs" arguing and threatening a couple of female police officers who were well away from the main protest area of Westminster.

 

I'm not saying the police were right in all their actions, but by the same token we were not without our own troublemakers.

[Pike]

I will agree that yes, we did have our fair share of over excited people on our side of the barriers but the trouble which flared after five thirty was not instigated by pro - hunt supporters.

 

I arrived in Westminster shortly after mid -day to find a very determined but happy demonstration on parliament square and despite the seriousness of the event people were extremely well behaved.

 

The grumbles seemed to start when Westminster station and surrounding streeet were closed off, preventing us getting to the pub for a beer or to use the facilities. This meant everybody being forced up to st James' park to use toilets and grab a beer. OK it was probably a safety measure but didn't quell the feeling of the authorities trying to make life as uncomfortable as possible.

 

Although at the back of the square we were able to watch missiles being thrown around and thunderflashes going off - but who was to blame I could not tell.

 

What did suprise me was when six friends (including an elderly gentleman) walked past with head injuries, and on enquiring "what yobbo had done that" was told that the police had waded into the crowd with riot batons.

 

At the end of the day our group were ready to leave and heading home, when we were stopped by a line of police with shields and riot kit shepherding us into a very tight corner. As we tried to leave more and more riot police were piling in with batons drawn - is there any wonder then that some peacful demonstrators became boustrous. And this is the crux of it. There was a lot of shouting and pushing going on but no out and out violence. The police seemed totally unable to deal with a not violent group.

 

When we eventually got out of the square heading home we had hoped for a quick pint and a chat before heading back up the central line. The lane down to the pub was blocked with police and we were told to keep moving and go home. On explaining that our group comprised of a countrside ranger, gamekeeper, retired gentleman and nurse, one PC saw sense and agreed to let us through only to be severly reprmanded (infront of us) by his superior officer!

 

The day, until five thirty, was very pleasant and well attended. Unfortunatley one group of people turned the atmosphere extremely sour and it wasn't us or the anti's.

 

 

Pike

[Jonnyni]

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the venom in the policemens eyes as they chopped up people's heads with their battons it was ridiculous I saw women getting punched in the face heads split etc etc. I think the tapes should be looked at and policemen charged with the crimes they committed 99% of those people where holding their arms up in defence.

[Cakie174]

What can each of do to help?

 

I was disgusted

[Pike]

And we are meant to be the barbaric ones !?!

[jordan]

I probably wont be listened to as im only young un. We all realise that not all the people that were on our side were pro hunt supporters some were organised yobs that were there for a fight not to protest.

What is to say the antis or government didnt pay these people to start the violence look at the pictures and tapes the people who started the violence were not the ones who got hit they knew what they were doing and were being avoided.

some may say im being stupid but just think about it.

The one thing i know is the violence sure as hell helped labours cause.

[Lurch]

The one thing i know is the violence sure as hell helped labours cause.

This is the usual quote and reaction we see, but ask yourself if this is true.

We have seen how far being a good little group of chaps gets you, it just means that the bully boys in the government take you for chumps.

It is a disgrace that this sort of thing is necessary. I think it was Sun Tzu who said:

 

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable"

[jordan]

i understand there was going to be violence but think about what else i said the smoke bombs fireworkd nuckle dusters found thats not the work of your average pro hunter it was set up it was a scam we have been hung out to dry

[Browning]

Jordan,

 

I for one think that you are one of the "Young 'uns" on this forum that

actually have something worthwhile to contribute, and your theory about organised yobs is one I agree with.

 

My sincerest hope is that there are still country sports for you to enjoy when you

get to my age.

 

 

 

p.s. While I'm in the mood for compliments.....Reds another one

[jordan]

At least its not just me. Heres an idea lets stop this talking and do something about it lets do our part the antis think its over well im afraid to say its only the begginning we will make them rue the 15th of september i will carry on no one will stop me would they stop people believing in God and Allah etc NO so why stop us believing in and doing what we love hunting is a part of me ive been hunting since i was 4 and will not stop now.

Yours In Sport(for many more years)

jordan

[rifleman56]

yes i thought it was bad the way the police went at the crowd but they wil get away with it the goverment do not understand any think about the country side.get young blood in there.

[jordan]

Now as said earlier im only a young un but i ahve a fair few ideas whizzing round and i can put two and two together i have another theory which may meen nothing but i have heard from people that were there and have seen from pictures that the majority of police there did not have numbers on their arms as they should have and they were very violent no what if just for one minute think what if the police wernt police i have a feeling it was not the police but the army dressed in uniforms i may be getting paranoid but what a way to make us look bad.

and another thing the police knew that huntsmen were in the commons and didnt give a **** about it they wanted it to happen. It has all been rigged everything went the way the government wanted it to.

[Lurch]

I believe it is not uncommon in these situations to 'accidentally' hid your number.

Makes making a complaint more difficult you see.

[digger]

Quite laughable that we are having our freedom oppressed and the wishes of the ignorant forced upon us.and all the time tony has been cuddling up to the ira.

some would take the view that violence does pay. :yp:

i intend to become a disabled albanian lesbian who has to hunt.then when i am arrested will sue the goverment and get the act overthrown.

or can i hide behind a baton and a uniform,getting an adrenalin rush that i just dont get from emptying speed cameras and protecting sex offenders ?

bitter ? losing faith in a country i was once patriotic to the core about ? hell yes.

[lurcherboy]

It is a real eye opener being in a riot situation for the first time. I remember mine, the Hamborough Tavern, Southall. Playing a gig and then the petrol bombs through the windows. Shilling/sixpence situation.

 

I have been involved in race, football, and the best one................the poll tax riots.

 

The police have always been fair. You are warned to move, disperse, back up etc.

 

If you don't then you get battered.

 

The differerence between yesterday and the ones I have been party to was, there was a decent, law abiding group of protesters.

 

My guess is had you been in uniform you would have done the same thing.

 

Wont make you feel any better but years later you will understand what i am posting.

 

 

 

 

LB Advocate

[BIGJON]

On the 22nd of September 2002, 407,791 people marched in London and peacefully protested about the plans to abolish hunting. Still the ban is going to go through. If there are any future marches I would only hope it would be peaceful, as 407,791 angry rioting people would take some stopping. I am not suggesting we should start a riot or anything, I'm sure we are all bigger than that, but you can only push people so far when something we feel as passionate about as this is on the line. The police should think long and hard about the heavy handed way they handled this situation.

[Lurch]

Richard Malbon of the Sportsman's Association makes a good point, if instead of marching those 408k people had put there hands in their pockets to the tune of the cost of their travel etc (say £35 for the sake of argument) we could have had a fighting fund of some 14 to 15 million nicker.

Bernie Ecclestone bribed the government for just 1 million, got what he wanted and then got his money back into the bargain.

Just imagine what the forces of freedom could do with 15 million notes.