TBF Dame, it has been. In fact they all seem to make a point of making sure that we all know what happened, this includes the police statement. I've been watching it for hours and it's just so obvious that there are some people who just want the trouble. The police seemed to be very restrained. I hear that they are more heavy handed now.

Sproot it was a few hundred in tens of thousand, it got very complicated by peaceful breakaway groups 

I'll bet a lot of it is drink fuelled too 

Yes.... 

That's what I mean though Dame. The quiet protesters I have no problem with, but why should others spoil it for them? 

We've become way too tolerant. They should get their batons out and give them a good seeing to there's nothing wrong with police 'brutality' when dealing with mindless animals wrecking the place.

I've just seen the Headline of tomrrow's Daily Carp: Ritzkrieg. Deary me.

I know Sprooty, but it was a few that caused it and what a bloody shame 

They will if they cover their ID numbers, beat a bloke to the ground then watch as he dies, aye.

Not that that would happen. 

They have to be though Cologne, otherwise people would claim police brutality  I don't envy the police their jobs at all 

That must be frightening for any innocent that's caught up in it

That's quite clever really. IMHO.

Me neither Sprout... 

Mayhbe it's just me being German that I feel it's being whipped up into something it wasn't.

If they are being heavy handed with the yobs that are out to just cause trouble for the hell of it I have no problem with it Col... the irritating thing is, the statement made to day to the back slappers was valid and it's been ruined yet again by yobs that just want a hell of a day out

Maybe the peaceful breakaways were just thinking .........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm how am I gonna get home?

My son travelled from Manchester - at about 3.30 he saw tube stations being closed down and then thought ey up - jumped on a tube in a tube station that was still open and managed to get a seaqt on the way home to Manchester - job done.

I agree to an extend Pam, but I'm listening to 5live and there are more and more eye witnesses coming on blaming the police for the problems over the last couple of hours. I felt they did great over the day though.

Soozy some of the breakaway groups were peaceful, it was a couple of hundred that made the sh*t hit the fan...and it's a darn shame 

The police are on our side remember...

they are public sector workers too.

Their pay and conditions are going to be affected.

They are going to lose staff.

I am fed up with the police being knocked for doing their job. What about the poor PC who got spattered with a paint bomb?

They should be heavy handed with the louts who are up there now causing trouble. The protesters have gone home.

Well, you and I are definitely on the same sheet on that one Dame.

Pots of paint and flares don't just materialise - all the people dressed in black - no coincidence.

very sad that some people are out to cause trouble on the back of a peaceful demo. It tarnishes the whole essence,

Issy, I didn't say they shouldn't, but it doesn't look good, they've been doing an excellent job all day under heavy provocation.

That's the way I think too Issy 

exactly Soozy, and do they care? they couldn't give a toss 

Me too....

Sorry Cologne

It wasn't aimed at you - just a general moan.

I suppose I am lucky I have always had really good dealings with the police and as a nurse I do tend to stick up for them as I know how much shite they have to put up with.

I suppose us beleaguered public sector workers will stick together. I am the same with fire fighters and teachers, dustmen and council workers. 

Issy I totally agree, they are in the same crap as we all are.... listening to the police earlier he had nothing but praise  for the TUC rally. 

We need to start getting heavy handed with these 'people'  but I know it will never happen 

Is that not a bit simplistic?

Not all the police mean well - clearly, just the same as not all the protestors are loons. 

Actually I am pleased to say that the main media coverage has seperated the rally and the yobs really well.

It's just the DM that lumps them together - but who cares what they think?

Today, in ,my opinion the police meant well.

The worst thing about this is the idiots behind the trouble won't actually get punished for the most part. The courts will make an example of whoever they find on CCTV. The same thing happened recently when Chelsea played Cardiff. There was trouble between rival fans outside the ground, nothing major, mostly handbags. The courts jailed several people based on 3 minutes of CCTV 'evidence'. Basically, if you were there and recognisable, you were guilty. This will be no different.

Majority of them do and those who don't should be weeded out 

ooooooooooooooooooooooooh that's a very jaded outlook IMO - personally I've never had any probs with the police. A difficult job IMO - can't do right for doing wrong. I'm sure there may well be some dodgy ones but surely they're in the very small minority or am I a bit naive?

No problem Issy.

The trouble with this sort of thing is that it just turns into a great big fight. The people making a mess of Oxford Street and Picadilly are not protesters, they're more like bad footie fans.

I'm sure the vast majority did.

But without detailed analysis of all that went on - which neither you nor I have - you can't really say tbh.  Can you?

The thing is - probably most of them weren't breaking the law. 

I was just going to post something very profound but my husband interupted my thought pattern ! I'm too tiddled to even try and remember what I was going to say. The thing is - although it was several hundred that broke ranks it was only a handful that inflicted wilful damage - you can't tar them all with the same brush IMO.

How's that jaded?  lol  There's many examples of police bad behaviour and corruption in this country in our lifetimes.  To suggest all mean well all the time is kinda negating the evidence of history.

To be sure, I agree:  the vast majority of police are probably well meaning and work in incredibly difficult circumstances.  Some aren't.

How do you explain the numbers of police covering up their numbers at the last big shindig in London?  That's against the rules and it's rather difficult to think of a reason they would have for doing it that doesn't suggest ill-doings afoot. 

As I said earlier...

The police are public sector workers. They are going through their own problems. They are hardly likely to pick on other public sector workers or people demonstrating to save their jobs.

If you think I am going to condone them for being a little heavy handed ( if they were) to the louts who tried to hi jack the day you are right.

They should have been as heavy handed as they liked,

I have spoken to people who were on  the main protest today. The police were great apparently.