Mass arrests 'Critical Mass' cycle ride during Olympics opening

[BluesDave]

The Police are the governments private army and they have been since the miners strike in the early 80's. The oath they make to the Queen to protect and serve her subjects is selective at best. Assaulting and pepper spraying cyclists, running people over at twice the speed limit, dragging disabled students from wheelchairs, beating people to death. The list goes on. They get away with murder. A barrel mostly full of rotten apples with a few nice bramleys scattered throughout. Would there really be anarchy without them or can the other 95% protect themselves?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I would not be a copper for any money, tied down doing pointless paperwork. Yet the communitys which want them to work magic rarely stand up and support them or provide evidence. Watching courts hand out shitty sentances to repeat offenders. must be a fun job.

In this situation you can clearly see that the police officer is attempting to arrest a woman and is attacked and assulted by more than one person. I have the right to expect to do my job without being assulted and so does the police officer imho.
The police officers job is to arrest those who break the law and assulting a member of the public or a police officer is like it or not against the law. Ask yourself what the thug in the chair was trying to do? - did he look like he was trying to uphold the law, calm the woman down, help the situation?

People who look for trouble usually find it.

 

[MacB]

Which is all well and good but also not the point, we're talking the use of physical force here. If it's someone confined to a chair, or with limited range of movement, then there can only be a level of threat if you remain in close proximity.

Then there's the broader issue of what and who can close public spaces to the public and why? It's meant to be the 'will of the people' that is supported by law not that of corporate interests.

 

[pubrunner]

The Olympics is about the privatisation of public space . . .
.

It is about (just a bit) more than that.

. . . Put simply you and I can go to less places in London than in past times. That shouldn't go unremarked.

. . . so you can go to fewer (not less !) places in London - such as ?? Which places can you no longer visit ?

Most cyclists are enterprising types; surely, given the vast network of roads in London, there is more than one way of getting from A to B ? This kind of situation happens all over the UK; years ago, people used to be able to get around on foot, but it is much harder to do so now, due to roads, railways & motorways being built . . . . . . . some call it progress.

The Olympics is only on for a couple of weeks; furthermore, it is unlikely that it will happen in the UK for very many years - few of us, will be around to see it.

Is it really such an inconvenience - for just a few weeks ?

 

[Red Light]

Which is all well and good but also not the point, we're talking the use of physical force here. If it's someone confined to a chair, or with limited range of movement, then there can only be a level of threat if you remain in close proximity.

Maybe but not relevant to the case in hand where the person in the wheelchair is clearly not confined to it and stands up, grabs the police officer from behind, swing him round and pins him on the bonnet of a car. Bit difficult to walk away from that.

 

[pubrunner]

Was the guy in the chair being an arse, did he get a bit physical with the copper? I neither know nor care

Someone gets 'a bit physical' with a policeman - as you lightly describe it; if someone did the same, to your wife/girlfriend or a member of your family - would you show no concern ? Would you expect others not to care ? A Policeman is a member of the public, same as anyone else and entitled to the same rights; I would not be happy at being treated in that manner - but if it is 'only' a Policeman, it doesn't matter ?

. . . . . . . because the option to walk away was there. By refusing that option . . .

What nonsense; you really are showing a considerable level of ignorance. That Policeman will have been 'stationed' at that point by his superiors, 'ordinary' Policemen do not have carte blanche to go wandering around as they wish, leaving the scene when things become difficult.

 

[Red Light]

Is it really such an inconvenience - for just a few weeks ?

Judging by the extremely large number of people that have turned out, including in public spaces such as the roadside today to cheer Cav on his way, the numbers who are slightly inconvenienced are minuscule compared to the number supporting and enjoying the event. But if inconvenience is the benchmark then we really should ban all football and cricket matches as well that cause major disruption of public spaces for a period before and after the game.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Was the guy in the chair being an arse, did he get a bit physical with the copper?

He assaulted a police officer; what did he expect was going to happen?
In the days when CM was marshalled by police, it was all a bit of harmless fun. As soon as the police stopped marshalling it, the thugs took over.

 

[Fredoutofbed]

As a proud policeman, I kinda resent being characterised as a 'heavy handed thug'. Police are the people who make sure, at the cost of many of their lives, that people can go about their day to day business with the best possible protection from lawlessness. A little respect, based on the history of British policing and what it has done for us all, might be in order

Jesus Christ, give me fecking stength! I'm sure the family of Ian Tomlinson would be interested to hear about your precious "resentment".

I took part in the CM on Friday night, and I'm glad I did. It was only due to the boneheaded thickness of HM's Hired Thugs that I was able to avoid arrest, no doubt due to the fact that I didn't fit their pre-conceived notions of what an 'activist', 'anarchist' or CM cyclist looked like.

A woman who cycled near me wasn't so lucky. She was pulled from her bike by one of your thuggish colleagues who didn't even have decency to admit he'd done what he did, instead saying that she "cycled into him" before arresting her on some trumped up public order offence. Filthy coward.

Those arguing that CMers should have obediently ridden around a pre-agreed route completely miss the point of CM or peaceful protest. These people are doubtless the sort of person who sagely pronounce that protests, direct action or strikes should only occur "so long as they don't inconvenience anybody"....because that's the point of a bloody protest isn't it?!

In Stratford on Friday you had the irony of an opening ceremony singing the praises of cyclists and Emiline Pankhurst, whilst 600m away you had cops pulling women from bikes....on what grounds?

Good to see some solidarity from the cycling community on cyclechat.net

 

[Cubist]

public space for private profit, socialisation of losses and privatisation of profits and the co-opting of civilian defence forces to these ends all go hand in hand.

Was the guy in the chair being an arse, did he get a bit physical with the copper? I neither know nor care because the option to walk away was there. By refusing that option and resorting to baton and spray the policeman immediately loses my support. Actually he ceases to be a policeman and becomes a bully boy thug.

No MacB, he did not have the option to walk away, he has a duty to discharge. His use of personal protective equipment is his to justify. Whether or not it was proportionate is a separate matter. However, you have chosen to swallow the context-free deception that the original posters of the edited version have chosen to sell. That you neither know nor care whether the trike rider was being an arse or getting physical demonstrates that in this instance you are not willing to let the cop even start to justify his use of force.

 

[Cubist]

Jesus Christ, give me fecking stength! I'm sure the family of Ian Tomlinson would be interested to hear about your precious "resentment".

I took part in the CM on Friday night, and I'm glad I did. It was only due to the boneheaded thickness of HM's Hired Thugs that I was able to avoid arrest, no doubt due to the fact that I didn't fit their pre-conceived notions of what an 'activist', 'anarchist' or CM cyclist looked like.

A woman who cycled near me wasn't so lucky. She was pulled from her bike by one of your thuggish colleagues who didn't even have decency to admit he'd done what he did, instead saying that she "cycled into him" before arresting her on some trumped up public order offence. Filthy coward.

Those arguing that CMers should have obediently ridden around a pre-agreed route completely miss the point of CM or peaceful protest. These people are doubtless the sort of person who sagely pronounce that protests, direct action or strikes should only occur "so long as they don't inconvenience anybody"....because that's the point of a bloody protest isn't it?!

In Stratford on Friday you had the irony of an opening ceremony singing the praises of cyclists and Emiline Pankhurst, whilst 600m away you had cops pulling women from bikes....on what grounds?

Good to see some solidarity from the cycling community on cyclechat.net

Welcome to the forum Fred. You'll find a friendly bunch here, but solidarity will, I daresay, be a bit more selective than you expect.

 

[pubrunner]

. . . There must be different levels of anarchist then. The group you describe sound as though they're the sort of anarchists who meet up over a bottle of wine and some pasta.

. . . no doubt due to the fact that I didn't fit their pre-conceived notions of what an 'activist', 'anarchist' or CM cyclist looked like.

Fred, did you meet up with your mates beforehand, over a bottle of wine and some pasta ?

 

[Tiberius Baltar]

Good to see some solidarity from the cycling community on cyclechat.net

If you want solidarity then your going about obtaining it the wrong way. To bring up the case of Ian Tomlinson is to stir up emotions and get people onto your side for the wrong reasons. Its easy to overlook all the thousands of hours of good policing that goes on unoticed. I understand there are serious issues that CM want to address however to descend on Stratford in such a manner when the route would not have normally gone that way was taken as an act of aggression and therefore became a breach of the peace and not a legitimate protest. All I saw from that protest was a bunch of people who under no circumstances were ever going to be placated and who were there for one reason only and that was to antagonise the police. Once again an established movement like Critical Mass was hijacked by people who are there for the wrong reasons. If the London cabbies can protest without incident what caused the issue with the cyclists?

Wrong time to do it, wrong place to do it and no control over the "members" participating. If I had manhandled a copper and pinned him to the bonnet of a car I would expect a severe beating in the van on the way to the station. You can't act in such a chaotic manner and expect the police to treat you decently! Thats just double standards.

Once again just to add some balance, I don't agree with the cost and upheaval caused by the olympics and I certainly don't wish to defend the police as much as I'm doing but Critical Mass messed up on this one and I can't support them.

 

[Theseus]

Those arguing that CMers should have obediently ridden around a pre-agreed route completely miss the point of CM or peaceful protest. These people are doubtless the sort of person who sagely pronounce that protests, direct action or strikes should only occur "so long as they don't inconvenience anybody"....because that's the point of a bloody protest isn't it?!

So, what exactly are you protesting about?
I have no issue with direct action or strikes, I am a union member. But without a purpose it is pointless.

 

[pubrunner]

. . . I didn't fit their pre-conceived notions of what an 'activist', 'anarchist' or CM cyclist looked like.

It seems ironic, that you mention the 'pre-conceived' notions of the Police.

With reference to your comments below . . .

. . . . . . . boneheaded thickness of HM's Hired Thugs . . .

. . . thuggish colleagues . . .

. . . 'trumped up' public order offence. . .

. . . Filthy coward . . .

You seem to have a few 'pre-conceived' notions of your own. Such 'generalised' comments, smacks of hypocrisy.