As I said, I accept that it’s tricky, but arresting people at a protest is not the same as arresting people going equipped to commit theft or burglary or other serious crime.
Prevention is better, of course, but arresting people on the basis that they might do something (I don’t really consider disrupting stuff, as long as no-one gets injured, in any way comparable to crimes like theft or burglary) seems heavy handed.
I despise authoritarianism. Just because the shitty govt of the day passed a law doesn’t mean it’s morally right. Yes I know it’s the police’s job to enforce the law as is, however shitty, but often there are grey areas and the police often seem keen to overreach (Ornpossibly are told to by their political masters).
Anyway, this is probably a wider discussion really, not specific to the coronation.
I’d accept ‘not exactly comparable’, but for ‘not remotely comparable’ I’d want the comparison to be with, say, a dog licensing offence, or drunk in charge of a bicycle.
Having something about you which, realistically, can only be associated with committing a crime, is central to knife-carrying control too.
If you consider that YOU are responsible for the safety of EVERYONE today, it’s a thankless task.
Caution will take precedence to discretion today.
The headlines have to be about success, not disruption.
If this goes off without significant incident it’s a bloody triumph of professionalism.
Well, not all crimes are the same - they have vastly different effects in the victims, so yes, if you go out carrying a knife/gun/wherever where the only possible interpretation is that you’re up to something very bad where people are likely to be injured or subject to some other serious harm is completely different to going with some padlocks so you can disrupt a pointless circus.
Starting with Bullingdon thingies, Post office, Windrush and Grenfell thingies.
Or Met thingies, some cunt even became dame for that.
I didn’t even start to think of politicians.
Move on, nothing to see here.
I don’t really disagree with any of that. I just get concerned where ‘caution’ bleeds over into heavy handedness. The police’s reputation doesn’t need any more kicking really.
This isn’t a criticism of individuals, I’m sure they do their very best with the best intentions, but collectively as an organisation the met leave a lot to be desired.
All of us are never going to agree on where the line is drawn. That’s a good thing to some extent, and shows that we are a society free to question.
Ultimately it’s a person with a policy book that is calling the shots, and they are not immune to accountability.
That last bit is the important part.
I’m now going to enjoy the spectacle and rest my fingers.
