A thread about protesters

[dave_blue12]

How does your neighbour know this?

Haha Chippy will believe anything that reinforces his view of the world.

Police act violently towards protesters whilst falsely claiming to have incurred grievous injuries.

Chippy - They shouldn't have been protesting! - A completely separate argument.

1. The police should not be behaving like thugs
2. The police should not be lying about their injuries.

 

[ManCitizens.]

Very definitely a named source

Police retract claims that officers suffered broken bones at Bristol protest

Avon and Somerset force said in press release officers had broken bones and one had a punctured lung

www.theguardian.com

You can be injured without breaking a bone...

Society is so linear right now and it’s benefitting nobody.

Nine out of ten protesters were likely there for the right reasons, the rest will be hell bent on causing violence. I’d also suspect nine out of ten police officers are just everyday normal people doing a job, the rest will love the power they have over others.

Both sides can be right and wrong, both sides can be responsible for what happened. Did the police need to bring out the riot squad? I think not but when there’s police vans being set alight and fireworks thrown at them during an earlier protest I can see why that decision was made. They aren’t going to put their own officers at unnecessary risk.

At the same time journalists shouldn’t be getting whacked out of the way and it’s never nice seeing a woman knocked to the floor. However, if any sane person sees riot police moving towards them shouting ‘move back’ and decides to step forward the cynic in me thinks they got exactly what they wanted.

 

[Chippy_boy]

How does your neighbour know this?

Dunno. I guess he heard / read it somewhere. Living in Bristol we probably get more coverage of the local event than makes it to the national media.

BTW, I get it about objections regarding police brutality and the police stepping out of line. I really do. No-one wants a police force which is lawless and out of control themselves. Of course not.

But I am just really surprised at how many people on here (and it has to be said, in the main, left wing supporters) who are quick to defend the protestors engaged in illegal protests, and quick to condemn the police trying to break up an illegal protest.

The fact is the protesters should not have been there. We are in the middle of a lock down. Where's the condemnation of the illegal protests? Where's the recognition that none of the violence would have happened if either the protests had not taken place, or the protesters had gone home having made their feelings very clear for many, many hours.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Haha Chippy will believe anything that reinforces his view of the world.

Police act violently towards protesters whilst falsely claiming to have incurred grievous injuries.

Chippy - They shouldn't have been protesting! - A completely separate argument.

1. The police should not be behaving like thugs
2. The police should not be lying about their injuries.

See above.

So let's hear your condemnation of the protesters then?

And BTW, your opening line is extremely ironic and lacking in self-awareness. As to what I believe, well I am inclined to believe that my next door neighbour who is a fine upstanding individual (who incidentally goes to church every Sunday morning - more fool him, but that's another story) is not making it up.

 

[dave_blue12]

See above.

So let's hear your condemnation of the protesters then?

And BTW, your opening line is extremely ironic and lacking in self-awareness. As to what I believe, well I am inclined to believe that my next door neighbour who is a fine upstanding individual (who incidentally goes to church every Sunday morning - more fool him, but that's another story) is not making it up.

A churchgoer you say, oh okay then.

Just for the record I wholeheartedly condemn acts of violence and destruction of property by protesters.

I haven't seen your condemnation of the police violence and lies. Did I miss it ?

One of my dearest friends is an ex police officer and whilst he knows very well the pressures of the job he despairs at the actions of some officers. He understands that public respect for the police is of paramount importance and incidents such as happened recently do nothing to fortify said respect.

As for self awareness. I am not a slave to any political party, unlike your good self. I form my own opinions and will praise or condemn regardless of party. However, I have found it almost impossible to praise the current government as they are on the whole the biggest group of shysters to hold office in my lifetime. I will though give them praise for the excellent roll out of the Covid vaccine.

You, on the other hand, appear to be okay with the consistently low standards set by those who have been entrusted to serve the people of this country.

 

[Chippy_boy]

One of my dearest friends is an ex police officer and whilst he knows very well the pressures of the job he despairs at the actions of some officers.

And you believed him? ;-)

And whilst I am appreciative that you are not stalking me, were you to do so, you'd find I am plenty critical of the government. So perhaps best not to jump to assumptions?

Regards condemnation of the police, you did miss it yes. But unlike you it seems, I do not regard there to be parity between official custodians of law and order, i.e. the police and between people engaged in criminal activity. I realise that the police do actually have to use force from time to time, on members of the public. The public are NEVER justified in using similar force on the police.

If the police require people engaged in an illegal protest to move, and they do not move, then I fully support the police using force as reasonably necessary to move them. That may involve people getting injured by its very nature.

The key word is "reasonable". Did the police behave unreasonably? I have no idea. They tried "asking nicely" and it fell on deaf ears. I suggest it was always going to fall on deaf ears because I suspect a significant number of the protesters were simply trouble-makers seeking to stir up aggro.

 

[stonerblue]

Dunno. I guess he heard / read it somewhere. Living in Bristol we probably get more coverage of the local event than makes it to the national media.

BTW, I get it about objections regarding police brutality and the police stepping out of line. I really do. No-one wants a police force which is lawless and out of control themselves. Of course not.

But I am just really surprised at how many people on here (and it has to be said, in the main, left wing supporters) who are quick to defend the protestors engaged in illegal protests, and quick to condemn the police trying to break up an illegal protest.

The fact is the protesters should not have been there. We are in the middle of a lock down. Where's the condemnation of the illegal protests? Where's the recognition that none of the violence would have happened if either the protests had not taken place, or the protesters had gone home having made their feelings very clear for many, many hours.

So your assumptions of a 'rent-a-mob' being present and your 'precise' figures, written as fact, are hearsay from your neighbour?

 

[Chippy_boy]

So your assumptions of a 'rent-a-mob' being present and your 'precise' figures, written as fact, are hearsay from your neighbour?

I know you like to argue for the sake of it but you'll have to do better than that I'm afraid.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

So your assumptions of a 'rent-a-mob' being present and your 'precise' figures, written as fact, are hearsay from your neighbour?

My neighbour told me that the whole crowd was wurzel with the exception of Gina G. They go to church on a Sunday and Thursday.

Make of this what you will.

 

[stonerblue]

I know you like to argue for the sake of it but you'll have to do better than that I'm afraid.

Once again you 'know' something in your head that isn't correct.
Impressive bit of deflection though.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Police arrest violent mob all of whom *checks notes* have their hands in the air...not sure Reuters framing is living up to their photo.

Perhaps they were being ‘ironic’ :)

How can you tell from a still photo whether any of these people weren’t violent before or after the photo, or if the arrests for violence weren’t of completely different people who aren’t in that photo?

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Ah, that infamous night where the police suffered ‘terrible injuries’...

Ah, yes, because a copied screenshot from somebody’s phone notes is irrefutable proof of that being true?!

 

[Deleted member 77198]

You can be injured without breaking a bone...

Society is so linear right now and it’s benefitting nobody.

Nine out of ten protesters were likely there for the right reasons, the rest will be hell bent on causing violence. I’d also suspect nine out of ten police officers are just everyday normal people doing a job, the rest will love the power they have over others.

Both sides can be right and wrong, both sides can be responsible for what happened. Did the police need to bring out the riot squad? I think not but when there’s police vans being set alight and fireworks thrown at them during an earlier protest I can see why that decision was made. They aren’t going to put their own officers at unnecessary risk.

At the same time journalists shouldn’t be getting whacked out of the way and it’s never nice seeing a woman knocked to the floor. However, if any sane person sees riot police moving towards them shouting ‘move back’ and decides to step forward the cynic in me thinks they got exactly what they wanted.

A rare voice of reason and sanity in the politics forum.

There’s been a trend in the posting habits of many that they appear to be stuck in a maze on social media and they’re posting in a sort of way that you hear when people have got caught up in a cult (and if you don’t think that’s you but you’re in here daily, please, take a step back from here and all social media for a week or two, you don’t realise what you sound like to people who only dip in and out of here and don’t have any social media accounts!.. seriously, I fucking mean it!), so well done for being normal pal!

 

[Chippy_boy]

Ah, yes, because a copied screenshot from somebodies phone notes is irrefutable proof of that being true?!

And their neighbour told them ;-)

 

[ManCitizens.]

A rare voice of reason and sanity in the politics forum.

There’s been a trend in the posting habits of many that they appear to be stuck in a maze on social media and they’re posting in a sort of way that you hear when people have got caught up in a cult (and if you don’t think that’s you but you’re in here daily, please, take a step back from here and all social media for a week or two, you don’t realise what you sound like to people who only dip in and out of here and don’t have any social media accounts!.. seriously, I fucking mean it!), so well done for being normal pal!

I wouldn’t say normal haha

 

[inbetween]

Very definitely a named source

Police retract claims that officers suffered broken bones at Bristol protest

Avon and Somerset force said in press release officers had broken bones and one had a punctured lung

www.theguardian.com

Reading that article you'd almost think that it was a shame the claims turned out to not be true. No mention whatsoever of course of the illegal protest, or the violence caused by the protesters because that's okay it seems.

Now imagine if those protesters had been football hooligans, what a different story it would be then!

 

[BobKowalski]

Ah, yes, because a copied screenshot from somebody’s phone notes is irrefutable proof of that being true?!

Avon and Somerset Police withdrawing their claim that their officers suffered serious injuries was the clincher for me.

It‘s a pattern. Every time the police cause injuries to the public or get heavy handed they rush out a narrative that puts the blame onto the public and people fall for it because it fits their own pre conceived prejudices about protests and protestors.

The point of pushing against this narrative is to make the not unreasonable assertion that violent behaviour by the police against civilians is wrong and invariably makes the situation worse.

Quite why people are so heavily invested in the merits of police being allowed to indiscriminately crack heads with batons or batter people on the ground with shields is one of the mysteries of our time. From reading some of the posts on here, it seems people will argue themselves into knots trying to justify police violence. I mean, it’s entertaining, but weird.

 

[west didsblue]

Avon and Somerset Police withdrawing their claim that their officers suffered serious injuries was the clincher for me.

It‘s a pattern. Every time the police cause injuries to the public or get heavy handed they rush out a narrative that puts the blame onto the public and people fall for it because it fits their own pre conceived prejudices about protests and protestors.

The point of pushing against this narrative is to make the not unreasonable assertion that violent behaviour by the police against civilians is wrong and invariably makes the situation worse.

Quite why people are so heavily invested in the merits of police being allowed to indiscriminately crack heads with batons or batter people on the ground with shields is one of the mysteries of our time. From reading some of the posts on here, it seems people will argue themselves into knots trying to justify police violence. I mean, it’s entertaining, but weird.

It's a different story when we go to European away games in places like Madrid where many of us have experienced or seen unprovoked police violence against us. Do people really want our police to behave in that manner with impunity?

 

[Deleted member 77198]

It's a different story when we go to European away games in places like Madrid where many of us have experienced or seen unprovoked police violence against us. Do people really want our police to behave in that manner with impunity?

True, but they often are unprovoked twattings for no reason.

The Police watchdog have come out today and said that the Police were politely asking these protesters to move on for over an hour in some instances, with officers reporting they were being shouted at with words like “I hope you get murdered” and to female officers “I hope you get raped”.

 

[west didsblue]

True, but they often are unprovoked twattings for no reason.

The Police watchdog have come out today and said that the Police were politely asking these protesters to move on for over an hour in some instances, with officers reporting they were being shouted at with words like “I hope you get murdered” and to female officers “I hope you get raped”.

Just been on the police conduct website https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/ and can’t find anything about it. Where have you seen that?