I don't know
but my gut feeling is that in recent times, any "legitimate" protest, such as the initial Tottenham one at the weekend (or, say, the student marches or cuts marches) are accompanied by a violent, criminal element. In the other two examples the police waded straight in, breaking heads and taking names. This time, I think they were a) unprepared for the numbers involved and b) I think they initally stood off because they were scared of being seen as heavy-handed. And everything spreads so fast now that as soon as a few people get away with looting a shop the world knows about it and the cunt world joins in.

I'm only speculating on this part though.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 9 Aug 2011, 11:17, Reply)