Robust Policing
Thomas Jones
Worried about security in London tomorrow? Maybe you should be. A month ago Lynne Owens, an assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, had this to say to the Commons Home Affairs Committee, which was hearing evidence on thepolicing of the TUC march:
we will be preparing to police any protests on the day of the royal wedding very robustly, but what we should remember is it is a different sort of event. It is a security event, which will giveus different powers under terrorism and other legislation, and we now have a much broader intelligence picture about the sort of protest activity that we can expect and we will be delivering asafe royal wedding for the royal couple and for this country.
This morning several squats across London were raided by police. A coincidence, obviously.
Comments
(One cheering sign, for me, is that i've not seen a single St. George's Cross, all the flags are Union Jacks.)
Arresting people *before* they commit a crime is the Philip K Dick world of 'pre-cogs' or of Orwell's Thought Police. If it was conspiring to cause explosions, fine, but street theatre? Are we going to equate loss of life and limb with loss of face for the ruling class?
The YouTube footage of an anthropology professor (and a rabbit) being arrested is there for all to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOli98fgBP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOli98fgBP0