A cynical bastard like me might suggest that when faced with protestors - essentially women, students and hippies
The police quite like to get stuck in because there's little chance of them getting hurt themselves. They stood back and let the rioters get on with it because if they had tried to intervene there was a good chance of police casualties.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 11:09, 2 replies)

Very true.

( The Mock Turtle ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 11:19, closed)

You poke a dog with a stick, you don't get to complain when it bites you.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 11:29, closed)

When the same dog rolls over to have its tummy tickled by looters and rioters
You might start to think that it's a bit of a useless dog
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 12:16, closed)

As disgust above, I reckon that was a shot over the bows to warn the govt about the cuts.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 12:18, closed)

Which of course makes it all fine
Yay for the police's deliberate incompetence
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 12:59, closed)

I'm starting to sense a "damned if they do, damned if they don't" approach here.
You can bet your horse that if they'd taken out any of the rioters that the victim would have been a promising footballer or grade A student who's career had been ruined by police brutality, if they had.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 13:30, closed)

You're exactly right
They're damned when they smash up a peaceful climate change camp with batons and riot shields and they're damned when they stand back and let looters destroy people's homes and businesses. I think they're damned because they don't even acknowledge (or recognise) a difference between the two cases and Another tragic case's invocation of the Nuremberg defence below merely serves to highlight what a sorry state the police force is in.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 14:46, closed)

I think you deliberately misinterpreted my point.
I don't think any action taken by the police will be seen as acceptable to some, as they are not interested in whether or not the police are doing a good job or not, but are more interested in criticising them for any action they perform.

A cynic might say that such are keen on being perceived by others as anti-establishment and rebellious.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 15:09, closed)

A cynic might point out that
"smash up a peaceful climate change camp with batons and riot shields" isn't really how it is.

It's usually a wall of fist flinging crusties.
(username failed moderation, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 15:33, closed)

If only we had video evidence to show what happened instead of speculating about what "usually" happens
Oh, wait, we do.

Climate camp: www.youtube.com/watch?v=t244-zEENSs
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 15:49, closed)

They're not 'peaceful' you
dipshit.

They've set up an illegal obstruction across a public road, for the sole purpose of creating a confrontation.

They're fucking *gagging* for a fight.

I have no sympathy whatsoever. This hypocrytical whining by people who start and lose these fights is very old, and rarely if ever makes any diffence.

Can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, you stinking layabouts.
(username failed moderation, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 16:36, closed)

If you can't win the argument with evidence
Call your opponent a "dipshit" and a "stinking layabout"

then you'll win for sure
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 16:52, closed)

Hah.
No, the problem is when you say things like that without adding anything else. My points are perfectly capable of being understood. More shock horror he called me a dipshit smokescreening there.

But, if you've got nothing to say, just get butthurt, maybe someone will be sympathetic.
(username failed moderation, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 16:58, closed)

Yes how rebellious and anti-establishment of me
to suggest that the guys on the planned peaceful protest with the placards and tents are in any way different to the looters stealing trainers and mobile phones and setting fire to people's homes. Evidently, suggesting that the police were too heavy-handed in their treatment of unarmed protestors and too cowardly to get involved with actual criminals is a ploy to make myself seem somehow "edgier".
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 16:03, closed)

Ooh, well done. 10 posts in and already a half-Godwin.
Top internetting, there.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 17:21, closed)

A bronze-standard Internet Debate.
Now if "confirmation bias" or "straw man" turn up as well it'll become a silver.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 7 Dec 2011, 19:20, closed)