Saturday, November 27, 2010

Brit Street Protest: School kids protect police van during riots?

This is an amazing photograph on a number of levels.  Taken in the midst of the noisy and self indulgent disorder during the otherwise peaceful Student demonstration on Wednesday against the massive rises in tuition fees

A group of London year 11 High School pupils (bunking off for the demo) put themselves at risk by trying to circle and protect an abandoned Police Van from the "idiots".  I am very proud that they had enough guts to make such a stand but despair that the pointless violence they experienced has now made them reluctant to go on any future protests.

This Government is vulnerable to peaceful targeted protest and demonstrations but not to dipstick hooligans and head bangers (nor those who should know better). 

The vast majority of student protesters that day of course wanted nothing at all to do with the pathetic  middle class poseurs desperately trying to earn their Citizen Smith 4th class Berets. 

Such nonsense will not change policies nor bring down the government.  They just distract from the genuine arguments we can marshall against such policies. The tiny minority of protesters out to deliberately cause trouble in such protests don't realise they are just acting as Daily Mail 5th columnists.

5 comments:

Ms Baroque said...

Hey John... it's lovely, isn't it? I hear what you're saying but I'm also interested in the level of anger that's needed just to get anybody's attention... slightly scary. I thought the policing was terrible, have written one blog post on it and have another up my sleeve for tomorrow. My reaction is pretty much that of a mum, though, on this occasion!

John Gray said...

Hi Katy

I think that what we need to concentrate upon is that these cuts are deliberate, ideological Government policices and that there are alternatives. We do not need to cut as fast and as savage.

Ms Baroque said...

No we don't!

And the councils are and are going to panic, cut too deep too fast because they're afraid of ramifications from above etc etc... Hackney apparently planning to make 40% of its office staff redundant?!

Scary events in Lewisham tonight... strange times we're in, for sure.

John Gray said...

Strange times Katy, bad times in fact. But we should never, ever forget who is blame.

Anonymous said...

great photo

also some great footage on you tube of student standing up to anachist (so called) wrecking the police van

truely inspiring


to quote Glee


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