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

[MerrilyDefective]

Why weren't they wearing seatbelts.
Surely Diana's death taught them that.

[FellatioNelson]

Well let's face it - anyone would be terrified if that happened to them - but if you are royalty and and angry bunch of proles 'shouting off with their heads' you must see your life flash before your eyes somewhat!!

[mumintroll]

To those of you who said that if this happened in the US with Obama, someone would have been shot:

Obama actually runs the US government. Prince Charles is next in line to a figurehead position. Big difference.

[edam]

Very good point, Fellatio.

I do feel sorry for anyone in that position, especially an elderly couple. But Prince Charles has been surrounded by a bunch of appalling sycophants his whole life - meeting some actual real people who are not bowing and scraping may have broadened his outlook a little.

And at least he's not in hospital with brain injuries, like one of the student protesters.

[expatinscotland]

It's not Chuck's fault. I don't like monarchy, but that really was not on.

And comparing him to some kid who got injured in the protests? Why? It's totally different.

Over what? That they might have to pay for university. FGS.

[edam]

Because what happened to Chas wasn't nice but it's hardly on the same scale.

Of course it's not exactly his fault that he's surrounded by sycophants - although presumably he could have tried harder to avoid them or at least leaven the chaff. But it is probably good for him to be confronted by real life occasionally.

(Honestly, the people who surround him are awful creeps who act like they are jolly important, forgetting it's their boss who is - depending on your point of view. I'm not surprised he gets such a bad press given the contempt with which they treat journalists. Extremely stupid. IRL he's actually quite charming but that never comes across in the media.)

[Abr1de]

Apparently the police radios failed and that's why the royal car was in the wrong place.

[ronshar]

I think any of the "students" who were involved in smashing up the royal car should be ashamed of themselves. They have shown themselves to be infantile, thugish and most of all disrepectful to old people!

How exactly is that going to convince the government to change a policy or invite you in to number 10 to discuss it? As adults?
If you go to uni you should contribute towards your education.
If you werent at uni no one would be paying your living costs. No one would be helping you go out and get pissed up after hockey on a Wednesday.
Perhaps the governmant should take a hard look at 50% of school leavers going to uni. That is unrealistic and devalues all degrees!

That car is really old. Can you imagine how much it will cost to repair. (The tax payers to repair)

[edam]

Riven. The hypocrisy is sickening. (And I'm old enough to have had a grant first time round.)

[nymphadora]

[christmaseve]

I agree with other posters who say that this might have been a reality check for Chuck and Camilla. Maybe the may look at the news and find out why the students were so angry.

[quaere]

Yes but Riven that's just how it goes. Back then we could afford free university education, now we can't. Britain used to be a great world power, now we're not. Things change. Going to university gives you an advantage, if you pick the right place and the right course. Why should you be advantaged above others for nothing?

And I think Prince Charles watches the news . He is supposed to be Head of State one day, it's his job to know what's going on. Being privileged doesn't automatically make you a moron. The Queen is well-known for being incredibly perceptive and well-informed.

And how exactly is getting attacked by a braying mob 'real life'? I've never been attacked by a threatening mob while driving up Regent St. It's not 'real life', it's an extraordinary and horrible situation.

And Obama is the Head of State in America, just as Charles will be Head of State in Britain. There isn't actually any technical difference in their positions and I'm sure if Prince Charles had been attacked like this while visiting America their security services would have opened fire. They just have a much lower tolerance for that sort of thing.

[quaere]

Yes we probably should.

I don't know how much money that would give us, but I still think there are higher priorities than providing free higher education, such as the NHS and care for those with disabilities.

[Hulababy]

I very much doubt the idiots doing the violence are even students. I suspect they are the same crowd of mindless thugs who come out for every protest and causes criminal damage and assaults.

[Hulababy]

If you think our British police are heavy handed, then I suggest some of you observe police in other countries. Ours are meek and mild and gentlemen in comparison!

[Abr1de]

Some years ago I was in Paris and saw the riot police in action.

The 'rioters' were a mild-mannered group of lawyers in wigs. The riot police were having none of it. They were bloody frightening.

[Mumi]

Posting as someone who was there:

expatinscotland The attackers did not go there to deliberately target them. There was no way anyone could have known the convoy would take that route as presumably Clarence House knows better than to broadcast it. A group spontaneously broke away from Whitehall towards Oxford Circus via quite some time spent congregating in Trafalgar Square. The last thing anyone was expecting was a royal car halfway there.

claig - one car waiting at southbound traffic lights had a bollard stuck underneath its front bumper immobilising it a few minutes before the royal car arrived, but the only other cars set upon were in the royal convoy.

becstarlitsea - the route had definitely not been clear for longer than that before the royal car turned into Regent Street and, looking behind me when I heard sirens, I saw the police escort motorcycles weaving around people walking on the road regardless.

christmaseve - they'd wound their windows down because they'd been waving and smiling at us, laughing and joking between themselves. Their drivers then started running into the back of people and it was only then that the crowd turned on them.

[nightmarebeforechristmas]

"it was only then that the crowd turned on them"

well at least someone who was there admits it.
so they turned on a car with 2 OAP's in it.
brave..not

[expatinscotland]

You know what Mumi, it's neither here nor there that you were there or weren't (and if you were and stood there whilst people attacked a car with two strangers then you should think black burning shame of yourself).

Becoming violent, over having to fund one's how damn university education. Yep, that's right up there with essentials like shelter and clean water.

FFS.

And 'students' wonder why people have fun out of sympathy for their great cause to have free university education.

[expatinscotland]

By throwing paint at it and threatening to kill the occupants?

[LynetteScavo]

The Royal protection officers didn't do their job very well, did they!

wrong route....wrong car....(IMHO)