To think the police should’ve acted to stop this?

[OhhhPeee]

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/police-hundreds-gather-manchester-funeral-18150043.amp

To sum up the article, a large group of mourners gathered for the funeral of a well-known local man in Manchester. Police did not stop them, despite them breaking the rules of lockdown, because “emotions were high.” Surely that’s the case at any funeral?

Amongst the mourners, an incident occurred where shots were fired and the shooter was subsequently stabbed in the face, perhaps suggesting that these particular mourners were a volatile bunch. AIBU to think that the police were simply too scared to stop these people? And that the message is that they are above the law?

It is particularly upsetting as so many law-abiding people are being forced to miss funerals at the moment.

Deliberately letting them catch it would be fine if the NHS didn’t still have to treat them. The frontline medical staff will be the ones risking their lives if any of them tip up at MRI with the virus.

These aren't people who are sticklers for rules at the best of times. I'll assume you don't know the people involved or the area.

I was being facetious. Probably should have done an emoji.

So by that logic, the police should only break up social gatherings as long as no one has a knife or a gun.

No, they shouldn't break up a social gathering where doing so would result in a riot endangering the public.

So basically the police are happy to tell kids they can't ride their bikes and challenge women for buying an Easter egg but when it comes to big rough blokes they back off.

1forsorrow google the family. And given how many turned up at the service, imagine what would have happened if they'd all kicked off.

Go on then, I’d like to hear everyone’s plan for how the police should have broken this up? How would you have contained and dispersed such a large crowd without endangering the public?

And if you think you can do such a better job, why don’t you join the police and show them how it should be done?

If the police are all such a bunch of wet blankets, then I’m sure they’d welcome you to lead the charge from the front.

So it’s impossible to break up a gathering? What’s the point of the lockdown then? It’s not Mumsnetters’ jobs to know the precise strategies for breaking up gatherings - it’s the police’s.

If you knew the individual involved you would totally understand the hard position the police were in. Rock and hard place but there would have been a riot if they stopped it and actually they couldn't have as there aren't enough police . You have to understand the people we are talking about consider themselves above the law. The police visited the family, advised them of the guidelines and relevant law and issued press releases running up to the funeral. What are they supposed to do? In amongst all of this a man was being buried.

So it’s impossible to break up a gathering?

I assume the police did a risk assessment and decided the likely result of breaking up the funeral was worse than letting it disperse naturally.

OhhhPeee surely no one can be this naive?

If everyone at a gathering is armed with a knife and/or a gun and refuses to comply, then yes it’s bloody impossible to break up a gathering!

Do you think the police should have airdropped knock out gas on to them?

It appears that a very few people on here know who the family are. I don't but there are families similar to what you appear to be implying in every large town or city. The police would have done the same CV19 or not.
@1forsorrow I think you have stated it correctly at 18.06.49

What’s the point of the lockdown then?

The fact that there was one particular scenario where the police couldn't enforce the lockdown because of the risk of much worse consequences doesn't somehow cancel out the benefits of the lockdown as a whole.

It’s not Mumsnetters’ jobs to know the precise strategies for breaking up gatherings - it’s the police’s.

Yes, but the police can only do what they can with the resources they have. Even without the pandemic this would have taken hundreds and hundreds of officers to prevent it going ahead - with the very real risk of a riot as a result. Look at what happened with Mark Duggan's death - riots all over London.

So. Ok. I shall just rock up to my Uncles funeral with a bunch of kitchen knives and I won't get arrested then??

In real life I would love to support my Auntie but as I'm an HCA in a hospital & she's a older vulnerable cancer survivor it's just not safe. So I'm actually being a lot more sensible & considerate than the relatives at the Manchester funeral.

Of course they could break up the gathering. But not with social distancing. And bot without causing and receiving injuries when the local hospital is badly hit by C19.

I'd love to hear how MN could have handled this better.

The police also failed to act at a large wedding :-

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/24/ultra-orthodox-jewish-wedding-shut-met-emerges-father-bride/

Ok, maybe they couldn’t stop them and I’m horribly naive about police capability vs hardened criminals. So there literally are groups of people who are above the law? How scary.

Yes you are. Sensible and considerate is not what these folk are famed for locally.

Do you understand the concept of pragmatism?

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/knife-thug-clive-pinnock-jailed-10418512

Surely the same tatics used when breaking up rioting football fans should have been used?

Or when they hold anti fascist protesters back, so right wing groups can March. Likewise anti hunt/destruction of our wildlife protests get broken up.

Or how about when they storm in to move Travellers, not giving a shit that there's babies there?

These 'notorious' families carry on because the Police stand back and do nothing. Then everyone in that area suffers from the level of crime that they cause.

Speaking as someone who has lived in areas were the Police let things get to the level that it did.

They can fuck off with their fines and warnings.

So how do posters think the police could have stopped it? I’m sure they would welcome some ideas

OhhhPeee Jesus you really are naive.

Have you not noticed in the last decade-plus where police resources have been stripped to fuck all, while taking on more responsibility of mental health emergencies from the even more cash and resource strapped NHS?

And then, because of the poor state of the Criminal Justice system, even the few they manage to actually arrest waltz out of prison a day later with some sort of bullshit “community order”.

The armed riot squad can deal with these situation and the police risk assess the situation.