Prince Charles and Camilla/student protests

[varicoseveined]

So who else thinks this is a bit of propaganda to decrease public support from students? It's London, there are so many possible routes but the driver HAD to drive into the thick of it?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/8193570/Prince-Charles-and-Camilla-car-attack-someone-could-have-died.html

[expatinscotland]

'The Government needs to paint the students in as bad a light as possible to take away what public support they have.'

People pissing on Churchill's statue and swinging off the Union Jack isn't really going to endear more people to the student cause, either.

[expatinscotland]

From the tape, it also looks like that street was heaving with just normal people going about their business/shopping, that sort of thing. Thursday night around Xmas, Hamley's and other shops about.

I disagree with the idea of titles and monarchy, that's patently obvious by most of my posts on here, but attacking them, desecrating statues of British leaders, swinging on the flag, stuff like that.

It's going to piss a whole lot of people off because they'll feel like it's an attack on Britain itself.

Most people are apathetic, but deep down, fiercely defensive of their country.

[bobthebuddha]

"So who else thinks this is a bit of propaganda"...? No-one with a few brain cells to speak of, no

[quaere]

I think the protesters were lucky not to have been shot. If that had been in America and the President's family's car had been attacked, security would have opened fire.

I can't believe some people (i.e. people who comment on the Guardian website) think it's OK that the car was attacked because they are members of the royal family. I feel awful for them, it must have been so scary.

[nightmarebeforechristmas]

agree with expat(except I like royalty)

[Santaclaustrophobia]

I find violence abhorrent, and unfair on the innocent people caught up in it. But then I also think a lot of the changes the coalition Government are making are abhorrent and and completely unfair too. I struggle with the whole thing really.

[exlibdemvoter]

The police kettled peaceful protesters prevetning them leaving or anywhere to go to the toilet. When they tried to leave they were hit with battons. When they complained they were charged by police weilding battons and Police on horseback.
If that happened to me I would be pretty angry and probably become a violent protester.
May of these 'violent thugs' are ordinary student - and peoples sons and daughters.
This is probably no other way to get the privilidged elite who make up our current ruling party - who's kids prospects wont be affected by student fees - to change this divisive policy.

[Guacamohohohole]

How ridiculous to even suggest that...

I think it has totally got out of hand now, the NUS needs to somehow get control of the situation, I have no problem with peaceful protesting but the level of violence that some students have descended to has astonished me. I would personally want to see any student found guilty of an act of violence on a policeman/woman, member of the public, heir to the throne kicked out of their university, and sentenced appropriately for the level if their crime.

I went to university when it was free, but I believe that with the number of people going to university now (and the number of universities there actually are) it isn't possible to fund to that level anymore. If this has been in place when I went to university I would have still gone and I'd be paying it back now because I was able to get a good job afterwards, thanks to my degree and the hard work I put into it.
Just my opinion!

[becstarlitsea]

The scenes on the news were awful - really undermined the effect that a well-attended peaceful protest could have had.

What annoys me slightly as well (and maybe IABU - I'm sure you'll let me know ) is that there are some really vulnerable groups who will be affected by other budget cuts - people living with disabilities and carers, for example - and many of these people can't afford train fare to London or physically cope with a long protest, or are too busy caring for someone to be able to go on a protest. I'm concerned that these protests are setting a dreadful precedent for the those who want to oppose other cuts, and will be getting all the focus in the media as if the only thing that was cut by this government was their right to a free university education.

There's no excuse for attacking a car with an elderly couple inside, whoever they are, and no excuse for attacking police officers.

[Meglet]

Has anyone else seen the breaking news that the student climbing the Centotaph is the son of one of Pink Floyd?

Spolit brat.

[Guacamohohohole]

I have just read expat's comment and agree with her totally...

To see students swinging from the cenotaph from our flag and pissing on a statue of Churchill enraged me: And the point of setting fire to the Trafalger Square Christmas tree was what exactly!?
The government don't need propaganda, the students are doing it all for them!

[pop1973]

I initially had support for the students going out to protest peacefully.

However, since all this has turned nasty, I have not sympathy for them at all.

To attack a car, especially royal not on. To attack the police which is what some of the students are doing, not on.

These students are meant to be the future of this country, they are just demonstrating that they really shouldn't be at University and are completely out of control.

I just wonder what they will do next !!! These students are meant to showing what highly qualified people can do, spending time trashing cars/buildings and streets in London isn't what I was expecting students to do.

[pop1973]

I initially had support for the students going out to protest peacefully.

However, since all this has turned nasty, I have not sympathy for them at all.

To attack a car, especially royal not on. To attack the police which is what some of the students are doing, not on.

These students are meant to be the future of this country, they are just demonstrating that they really shouldn't be at University and are completely out of control.

I just wonder what they will do next !!! These students are meant to showing what highly qualified people can do, spending time trashing cars/buildings and streets in London isn't what I was expecting students to do.

[EggFriedRice]

I witnessed one of the protests yesterday (not London), the police presence was heavy, the crowd were mainly youngsters around 15/16 years of age, I saw police holding their batons in readiness to hit anyone who stepped out of line. To me this appeared like heavy aggressive tactics designed to put the young people off marching, the group was relatively small, I would not want my children near those policemen, they looked seriously dangerous and from my viewpoint wanting a fight. One gets the impression that the police want the demos to turn violent in order to stop future protests and therefore make it a frightening experience for those involved.

[EggFriedRice]

As for the violence in London I do not condone this but it is hardly surprising is it, with feelings running high and heavy police intimidation trouble was bound to erupt. I blame Clegg for lying, should have stuck to his promises and we would not be having all this trouble.

[BadgersPaws]

"it is hardly surprising is it, with feelings running high and heavy police intimidation trouble was bound to erupt"

It us surprising and it wasn't bound to happen.

I've no doubt that the Police were heavy handed, I've been on the receiving end of their tactics in the past.

However that is no excuse to resort to violence.

And not only is the violence inexcusable but it's possibly fatally wounded what public support the students had. Plus from here on in the Police will probably get support to do whatever they feel like doing.

This could have been so different, but some idiots in the crowd have now probably ruined it for every student in the land and they can't blame anyone but themselves.

Well done...

[Callisto]

I blame the revolting thugs for the violence - how utterly ridiculous to blame anyone else.

I don't know anyone who is sympathetic to the students any more. And I completely agree with Expat - you want higher education you pay for it.

[AbsofCroissant]

I agree that it was a terrible thing to do - at the end of the day, they're a couple in their 60s - where's some respect?

Also, on Guardian website they have pictures of students/protestors burning benches. I mean, come on.

I do think however, that rent-a-mob has turned up, though I'm surprised some of the usual serial demonstrator groups have turned up.

[AbsofCroissant]

And, according to the NY Times "A Jaguar tailing the car and carrying a palace security detail was so battered that the police ended up using its doors as shields"

[bobthebuddha]

" blame Clegg for lying, should have stuck to his promises and we would not be having all this trouble." So you think all this is entirely Clegg's fault? Seriously??

...The Lib-Dems are a minority in a Coalition government for heaven's sake. They lost seats at the General Election against this election pledge everyone is holding against him. Blame the voters if you want who didn't vote for the Lib-Dems in numbers sufficient enough for them to be in a position to carry it out.

This would have happened under Labour if they'd won the bloody election - the Browne report was commissioned pre-election by Mandelson, 'was published on 12 October 2010 and contained controversial proposals to remove the cap on tuition fees.'

And who introduced tuition fees in 1998 after manifesto pledges not to do it? Labour.

I'm daresay the Tories would have done the same, but if you're apportioning blame you need to point the finger at Blair and Co on this one.

[Abr1de]

If this happened in the US or France those attacking the car would have been shot. No questions.

Imagine students attacking a car carrying Obama's family...

[AbsofCroissant]

There were people there with snooker balls, fireworks and flares - they were looking for trouble.

I do wonder though if this is just the start - the government are cutting a lot of services, and its going to start biting more soon.

[Abr1de]

And pissing on Churchill's statue. Perhaps they would have preferred a pm who didn't resist the Nazis. Wonder how the Gestapo would have handled a student revolt?