to think the police are damned if they do, damned if they don't?

[Empusa]

Loads of people are complaining that the police aren't doing enough to stop the rioting, but god knows what else people want them to do?

If they do use violence against rioters they'd be accused of police brutality.

If they don't they get accused of not doing enough.

Right now there is violence erupting all around the city, and there is a finite number of police officers etc they can call on.

Tbh, considering how insane this all is I think they aren't coping too badly.

Anyone who blames the police for some idiot scum looting and vandalising needs to try thinking.

firefighters and ambulance staff attacking is standard procedure, I'm afraid. a. they are 'helping the enemy' and b. they wear a uniform so they must be part of the repressive state apparatus.

Interesting article about the psychology behind looting -

It's just about the buzz, excitement and possibly a bit of loot. Safety in numbers and something to do for young men who otherwise have a fairly drab life.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14463452

The police are complete idiots letting this get out of hand.

Having a high profile police incident where a black man is shot dead, in the middle of the school holidays, in a very deprived area, just after the police commissioner has resigned due to cuts to the force, not coming out of the police station to address the family of the victim except to beat up a girl (captured on video) - honestly.

Then they stand by while kids video each other looting PC World at Tottenham Hale retail park with no consequences, and post it on facebook, utube and twitter.

They should have clamped down hard on this when it first started up in Tottenham High Road. It wasn't about looting then - they spent a lot of energy trashing Aldi.

I just had a conversation with a nice man in New Delhi about my phone and he said 'I thought England was the land of the good people and the gentlemen'. Bless.

When Smiley Culture was arrested and allegedly 'stabbed himself in the kitchen' (to death), there was an organised campaign, a protest in central London but it was extremely civilised.

The only difference was Smiley Culture was killd / died suspiciously in the middle of winter.

The shooting isn't the cause of the violence. It is just being used as an excuse by people intent on theft and violence.

no mrsx it isn't the cause of the violence - that has bee nfor other reasons.

but sings' criticism of Met snr officers is largely right imo. Clumsy or deliberately controversial I don't know - but the shooting was an operational fuck up.

I went to Clapham Junction today and there was a lot of goodwill towards the police - people giving them sandwiches, tea etc.

Lots of people clapping when police, fire crews etc left/arrived in the area.

Was really nice to see

They should have clamped down on it much harder right at the beginning, they should have spoken to that family on the doorstep of the police station, put out a press release, shown that they were in control.

What they did was send out a load of excuses about the IPCC dealing with it etc and the Chief is on holiday.

Anyone with an ounce of experience of human nature would understand that no response doesn't work with a baying crowd.

Good old Clapham!