Is This A Triumph For Law & Order?

[eyethenkyew]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16629055

The High Court has upheld a Met Police appeal over its "kettling" tactics during the G20 riots in 2009 in London.

Personally, I'm chuffed to bits because this to me reinforces the fact that the Police must be supported in difficult circumstances like the above.
Peaceful demonstration is virtually non existent at these events which are always hijacked by the great unwashed who are there for one reason only - to commit crime.

At last - a common sense ruling in accordance with the laws of the land - well done, M'Luds!

[Zeuhl]

Policing lawful demonstrations is (and always has been) difficult for the police and they largely do a good job in difficult circumstances.

However, effectively imprisoning peaceful protesters to prevent them being 'over run' by violent protesters seems to be wrong headed in that it infringes the rights of the lawful because of a perceived threat to law and order from others.

As such it is a dangerous precedent and could be used by the authorities to stifle any citizens' protest they dislike by ensuring they are confined where no one sees them and they are made to suffer from a lack of water and sanitation for however long they choose.

That may be common practice in Burma or China but shouldn't be tolerated here.

[Zeuhl]

Correction

the word used in the news link was hijacking not over run:

<Police used the kettling tactic - where demonstrators are corralled inside police cordons and prevented from leaving - against the protesters in Bishopsgate, even though they had been peaceful.

The Met said the kettling was necessary to keep violent demonstrators at the Royal Exchange from "hijacking" the more peaceful climate camp, attended by up to 5,000 people.>

[DrFilth]

eyethenkyew >> Peaceful demonstration is virtually non existent at these events <<

a million march for peace

from the bbc
>> There were a handful of arrests for minor mostly public order offences, but later
four anti-war activists were arrested after more than 20 people held a sit-down
protest at Piccadilly Circus. <<



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/2765041.stm

[rov1100]

You have to remember what happened before the police used this tactic. The rioters ran amok through the city smashing windows and creating a lot of damage and disturbances especially during the May day protests.. When these same rioters were corralled their violence stopped overnight.

[DrFilth]

so for many thousands of people having a peaceful protest march you have no problem with them being blocked into a small area with no toilets or a place to shelter or get a drink

gets more like a police state every day