Policing a demonstration in modern times needs several things. It needs sections of coppers trained to work together, it needs a stock of fireproof overalls, helmets and protective equipment for them to wear, it needs live monitoring and surveillance of the crowds and above all it needs police managers and commanders of talent and ability.
The BLM march two weeks ago was a disaster for the Met. Officers in light summer patrol dress with soft caps faced a baying, vicious and violent mob, and turned, ran and abandoned our democratic heart to vandalism and graffiti. Command was chaotic, a counter plan unapparent. The Gold commander of that farce, whether straight or gay, male or female, black or white, must be removed from duty. We cannot pretend it was anything other than gross mismanagement.
Last week's protests were better commanded, with only two major lapses - the unmanned barriers and an open footway at King Charles St in the morning, and a failure to anticipate the clashes on the South Bank after 5pm.
Then there was the assault on the PM's car following PMQs this week. A group of more than six protesters was gathered in contravention of the law. Specifically, s.7 of the The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020,
7.—(1) During the emergency period, unless paragraph (2) applies, no person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public or private place—
(a)outdoors, and consists of more than six persons
They were watched by a few bored plods who were watching the nice shiny cars coming out of the palace of Westminster rather the protesters around them. One of the mob ran at the PM's vehicle, there was an emergency stop and a collision. It could have been an Islamist with a sticky bomb. Fail.
Again tomorrow, thugs will gather in London to seek to break the law, vandalise and destroy the public realm and to create fear and disturbance. We expect nothing less from the Met than that they uphold the laws made by our Parliament, a Parliament we elected. We expect the Met to prevent and to disperse any illegal gatherings of more than 6. We expect the Met to enforce the provisions of the Public Order Act. We expect the Met to safeguard our democratic heart in SW1, and to prevent mob damage to our national monuments.
Sadiq Khan and Cressida Dick, the eyes of the entire nation are on you tomorrow. We're watching you. We're watching you very closely.
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| Unpoliced illegal gathering - Chief Dick, please note |
ReplyDeleteWe 'expect a lot' of our leadership.
Shame they repeatedly display their inability to do as they are obliged and, usually, to an end that suits a different (their) agenda.
There is such an offense as malfeasance (in public office) and I wouldn't be surprised if someone, at some time, hasn't put this to the relevant parties but with the usual response - crickets.
Which fact in and of itself leaves us with no recourse to justice since 'they' seek to police themselves and to hell with us and the law.
What do we, the law-abiding public, have to resort to to see justice served and the law (properly) upheld by ALL?
Maybe we are at that crossroad in time where TPTB finally decide they can do what they want when they want and there's no one capable of making an objection stand?
Take the left road to anarchy or the right road to freedom/justice? Time to decide.
Boom, Boris a gonner. Well, hardly any loss. People are bored, any excuse for a bit of placard waving, a bit of vicarious virtue signalling, who gives a sh*t what about. We are in limbo, dimly aware of dark days just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile the numbers speak volumes (Dido's Lament):-
UK 146/day
Sp 55
It 50
Fr 30
G 14
P <5
Air corridors, holidays, business - rather tricky.
What joy, Summer recess coming up 21/July to 8/September followed by Party Conference 17/Sept to 13/Oct. Might just lift the lockdown for their trips to Tuscany. Such vigour, such action, the Silly Season again.
After that incident there were at least 10 officers within 10m of the crowd, they could and should have immediately made arrests. They manner in which those officers on camera dithered was actually very sad, the coloured female officer clearly had NO IDEA WHATSOEVER what to do, where to go, where to stand. I DO NOT blame her in the slightest but it made a sorry sight.
ReplyDeleteKhan is a complete waste of space and nasty, snide and arrogant too. Boris often cycled to work as mayor, Khant has an armoured convoy.
C. Dick...well.
"We expect the Met to enforce the provisions of the Public Order Act. We expect the Met to safeguard our democratic heart in SW1, and to prevent mob damage to our national monuments."
ReplyDeleteNope. Not any more. Too busy bending the knee, putting on face paint and dancing about like fairies.
"Sadiq Khan and Cressida Dick, the eyes of the entire nation are on you tomorrow."
ReplyDeleteWell, no, actually. No one important anyway. Khan and Dick are protected by the influence of the people who 'selected' them. Until those people are fed up and choose someone else (who may be worse) Khan and Dick are safe... which of our current MSM are going to expose their failures?
Khan and Dick both tick the vital diversity boxes, so they're protected. Watching them is pointless.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, no more Swing Low.
ReplyDeleteAnd here was me thinking it was just an excuse for a bit of mischievous bawdy gesturing. No, it is much more ‘complicated’ than that; apparently.
Anyway, should I be offended by ‘Flower of Scotland’? Written in 1967, a profoundly anti-English dirge.
Nah, I’m too grown up to be offended.
If you screech for a an end to the rule of law when the Supreme Court declares what it is, then it looks a bit hypocritical when you demand that it be enforced on another occasion.
ReplyDeleteIt is undeniably proper that police and other privileged whites should ‘take the knee’ to BLM, but the gesture is too often merely symbolic. It is negative in that it does nothing to actually enhance the status of the deprived in society. Something more positive is needed.
ReplyDeleteWith immediate effect, all members of the BAME community should be awarded the title of Duke or Duchess, with all the entitlements and prerogatives that go with this.
Some may argue that this measure is too simplistic, but the principle offers great flexibility to atone for the injustice of the past. For example, dukedoms could be awarded only to those who can prove descent from slaves in both the male and female lines, marquisates to those of slave descent from one line only, and earldoms to BAME members without slave ancestry.
Many woke members of society are aware that not only are BAME people intolerably oppressed by White Anglo-Saxon privilege but also those of Mediterranean and Latin American origin, and that we should address this, perhaps by conferring the title Viscount to the Latin groups. Thus we could address not merely BAME groups but the whole BLAME culture.
I would suggest Baronetcies for all Welsh and Scots, and of course for women who are another minority and underprivileged.
This measure would go further than merely ‘taking the knee’ to ensure equal privilege in, for example, restaurant bookings, police arrests, internal promotions and gaining the attention of local government officials.
The Duke of 23a Garvey Terrace appeared in court today on charges of ....etc etc.
DeleteMost amusing.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
ReplyDeleteM.
The only "bent knee" members of Black Lowlife Mendicants will get off me will end at gonad level.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAndy (12:30)
If title are to be proposed please note that we already associate 'Queen' with many of the LGBT society.......
andy01 said...
ReplyDeleteIt is undeniably proper that police and other privileged whites should ‘take the knee’ to BLM,
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Fuck that. I will bend my knee only to HM. You can do subservience if you want.