Riots - where is the army?

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WTF is going on!

Police officers are not empowered defend us! They fear they will end up in court like the police officer at Manchester Airport.

The UK is such a soft touch, it’s actually embarrassing! These rioters have no respect for those poor police officers lives so why do we pander to them with plastic shields rather than water cannons!

Realistically prisons are bursting at the seams and these guys will get off free. Meanwhile taxpayers and cash strapped councils will be lumbered with the repair bill.

No, you need neither a state of emergency nor martial law.

If the police want reinforcements from the military, they would need to request them and describe the task they want carrying out (for example, joint police/military cordons or buildings protection) and then a plan is put together, and finally the Home Secretary (on behalf of the police) makes a formal request to the Defence Secretary for the assets (people/kit) to carry out the tasks specified and agrees to pay deployment costs (ie specific costs of this deployment, not general capacity and payroll costs which remain with MoD)

The Army last deployed with the police in mainland UK in 2018 (? I think) when there was a specific shortage of firearms trained officers; contributing to static guarding of diplomatic premises, freeing about 50% of police assigned to that role to other duties. If they need more trained police on the ground dealing with rioters, then repeating that sort of deployment would free up police officers.

They've shot over 100 people in Bangladesh and people are still protesting. It doesn't work.

I saw a video this morning and they are now breaking into peoples homes.

They are doing what they were allowed to get away with on the high street (breaking in and looting the shops) and now they’re doing it to peoples homes.

One home was an elderly (white) woman living on her own - I can’t imagine how scary it must have been for her and everyone else affected.

Yet they’re still banging on about how this is somehow connected to immigrants and Tommy Robinson is still planning these riots whilst sunbathing in a foreign country.

No one should be living in fear.
The police can only do so much and there needs to be consequences for those who are setting fire to things and assaulting the officers.

The police are just trying to contain it.
There have no been many actual arrests.
I guess there are issues with having to put them somewhere.

I’m sure a recently closed prison like Dartmoor HMP could house them for a couple of nights, just to ease the riots and shake the little twats up a bit.

I wonder why we haven't learned from the London Riots and are still allowing rioters to cause such damage.

Is it because we don't have enough police? do we not give them enough legal rights and equipment to deal with this type of action?

They set fire to a hotel and tried to block the exits. At that point when lives are at risk it really is time to crack down hard and fast before a tragedy happens.

'@FrazzledHippy
I wouldn't object to rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons at this point. '

I agree. I think the UK is proud to have a police that does not routinely carry guns or use the above but unfortunately some groups will see that as weakness.

Look at the French CRS. There specialise in riot control and have better options to deal with scums like that.

The government will want to avoid using the army because psychologically it would like they have lost control and it makes people nervous to have army vehicles in the streets...

I was in London during the riots and also in Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots. I remember we had curfew in place in LA. I don't want to see any more riots in my lifetime!

Because the image of British soldiers on the streets firing at their own citizens isn't a good look

IF (capitals, because it's a big IF), the military were deployed, it really wouldn't be in that sort of role.

I don't think they would be patrolling, and I don't expect they would be armed (unless backfilling static diplomatic building protection as they did before)

What they might usefully do is protect other buildings, as directed by the police (and under police command) based on whatever intel police have on likely targets; or provide cordons if police want to block off certain routes, again acting wholly under police direction

Sending in the army is not the answer, it would only have the effect of escalating things much further and crossing that line shows you have lost control of the situation, TBH. Also vehemently opposed to police removing their numbers, I saw that one in action in very different circumstances and if it was wrong then, it's wrong now.

Having said this, I have a real issue with people covering their faces while engaged in any demonstration. The current rioters are being encouraged to (facial recognition tech, etc) and I think anyone doing so should immediately become a focus of interest.

Look at the French CRS. There specialise in riot control and have better options to deal with scums like that.

And yet the French still have riots ... it's not clear that their tactics lead to fewer or less severe ones.

They've shot over 100 people in Bangladesh and people are still protesting. It doesn't work.

That's there, let's try it here.

Let's not.

What a stupid response.

The French are so good at stopping riots ...

It's not just damage to buildings.. a black man was attacked by these rioters, an Asian man stabbed, another Asian man attacked and his car destroyed, Muslim girls spat at. Rumours of acid attacks.
There were checks on cars and only white people were getting let through.

I don't know how many of you posters are white but put yourselves in the shoes of minorities and immigrants. It's bloody scary and army presence would make me feel safer tbh

What part of it doesn't work isn't clear?

@RedToothBrush

Well, the French as far as I know don't have racist thugs rampaging and setting fire to hotels trying to burn immigrants alive.

My point is that having police that is specifically trained to deal with riot and have the right gear and power is a good idea.

That does not stop riots, it helps deal with them better.

That is just common sense.

( I have no idea why the site is showing the quote above my reply by the way...)

You might want to watch the news.

There's a few very nervous Jewish French due to race related riots there.

Also, once the police arrest someone that is 1 or 2 officers and a van taken away from dealing with the riots for the next couple of hours while they get them booked in to detention...assuming there are any cells left.

Of course I do and my post makes that clear.. I am talking about the soft touch that lets the current routers think they can get away with this.

The army was sent in to quell riots in Northern Ireland...that went well.

History clearly did not teach you anything. The job of the police is to de-escalate, not to deliver capital punishment without due process. For every action, there is a reaction. The killed person will not be able to appreciate the lesson that misbehaviour leads to death, his mates will be further antagonised. Kill one thug, and see the bomb go off somewhere a few days later.

In countries with water cannon this is how they're used.

They soak the people causing most ag and the snatch squads run in and grab the wet ones

I am talking about the soft touch that lets the current routers think they can get away with this.

It doesn't seem like the current rioters are doing much thinking about anything. The people whipping them up obviously don't care about what punishments they're going to face.

You'd think that, living in the UK, less people would come out with daft shit about killing rioters.

I'm not sure what you expect the police to do about a few idiots on a largely peaceful and legal march. If the pro Palestinians were burning down buildings, grabbing people out of cars and throwing bricks then I could understand your point. The difference in behaviour between the two is stark and in no way encouraged rioting.

As for the question of the army: it's a ridiculous idea for many reasons outlined here well already.

As for 2 tier policing: they're 2 tier protests. Black bloc etc tend to focus on property damage and disruption and the police are happy to let this go and then prosecute later.

"EDL" and associated footy types actively fight the police and the police have no choice but to fight back. These protesters are trying to escalate it with the police.

The police don't want to fight for obvious and sensible reasons, they get hurt, they get blamed, other people get hurt etc. It's bad visuals though, but then that's why the footy wankers are doing it

@CuttySarcasm

You guys also didn’t know how to vaccinate against COVID, but you did that! Many transferable skills!

And for all those saying it would cause an escalation, I’m sorry but some unlucky police officer is going to get killed soon! And the blame will lie solely at the government feet! They are not empowering them.

And no, I don’t think the Manchester airport officer should be taken to court, I think it’s ridiculous! Investigation - yes, disciplined- probably, further training/remediation - yes.

We live in a litigious society and people can’t actually do their jobs properly anymore.

The other day I wasn’t allowed to add loyalty points to my husbands nespresso account because of “GPPR” the UK has gone mad!

And for all those saying it would cause an escalation, I’m sorry but some unlucky police officer is going to get killed soon! And the blame will lie solely at the government feet! They are not empowering them.

They are empowering them, various extra measures are now in force.

Afaik the police aren't asking for army assistance or guns for riot control. I think the government should listen and respond to them not hyperbolic online posters.