Daily Archives: 10 December, 2010

Why you’re so, so wrong

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Students protesting against the coalition’s decision to up the fees and reduce the grants are all over the online versions of the British papers.

And, now, after the event, is the analysis. Obviously, the government and opposition MPs are condemning the violence that escalated after the vote had been taken; condemning the attack on the Prince of Wales’ car – calling the people ‘thugs’ or worse.

Now, don’t get me wrong in any way. I do not condone violence, in general but and it’s a very big BUT ……..

The LibDems, who undoubtedly had many votes from people under 25, including many students, had promised (and signed pledges) to say they would NOT agree to any increase in the cost of learning. They have, certainly, broken that promise. These are the same people that are only in the place of power they are in through the help of the very students out on the street. They only HAVE their power because of the people. But they lied. And, saying that it’s all ‘different now’ is not an excuse.

The police who, quite frankly, as has been proved again and again, are, in the main, not that far removed from being a government-sponsored gang of thugs. They have links with the ‘underworld’ – because that is the world to which they are most tied. There are great policemen, I am sure – there are also many who, were they not with the police would undoubtedly lead a life of crime.

The actions of the police (and you should watch the videos with a more open mind) during last night’s demonstration was, quite honestly, appalling. Nothing will be done about it. These are the government’s henchmen after all.

Some newspapers have said it is a disgrace to be so disrespectful to Churchill’s statue or the War Memorial or to property.

Well, here’s the thing. It’s only things and not people. When a statue of Churchill is more important than the future of the people of the UK, then that is where the priorities have got all mixed up. When a kid trying to get out of the ‘kettle’ is beaten with a big stick and it is not called as it is – thuggery, mindless violence, vicious attack – then there is something very seriously wrong with the mindset of the people who don’t say this.

You can condemn violence (as I do) but this was not violence for the sake of it. These are people being pushed into an impossible situation where they will pay for our leaders’ and bankers’ mistakes for the rest of their lives. And you want them to do what, exactly? Have a walk for an hour and then go back home?

I can condemn violence and, at the same time, say that is was to be expected and, given the actions of the police, well deserved. If they (the students) don’t do something, I don’t see anyone else doing anything about it.

And here, if nothing else, are some quotations from a person who was there

Violent thugs? I am a 21-year-old literature student

and more from this student:

I am a girl of five foot two, I was pushed several times in the face, dragged on the floor and laughed at by police when I told them I had asthma. This is why people get angry, because people were being trapped and wanted to get out.

All afternoon we were told people were able to leave from various places but this was just not true.

I asked a policeman were I could go to the toilet; he pointed at the floor by his feet.

Another shouted: “Move, bitch, or I’ll squash you with my horse.”

Eventually, when the protests had died down and people were desperate to go home, a group of around 1,000 protesters were finally escorted to Westminster Bridge to exit; however this was a trick. What then happened was we were held on the bridge for hours in the freezing cold. The crowd remained calm, but after hours of freezing people began to chant “let us out” and then the crowd pushed forwards. Being small I was carried by the crowd and ended up by the police line. I was tired and cold and hadn’t eaten for 12 hours or had any water.

I screamed at the police not to hurt me because I was being pushed but they still went for my face, almost pulling me to the floor. A man to my right put his arms over my face, screaming, “Leave her alone, she’s a girl, she’s not harming you,” but the police began to hit him several times on the head.

When we were finally let off the bridge it was one at a time through huge crowds of jeering officers. We were told we were being photographed in case we had damaged royal car. But how this could have happened whilst we were kettled in parliament i don’t know.

What I will say is that by this stage the anarchists had fought their way out, and just lots of women and children were left to freeze.

It makes my blood chill.  The police deserve no medals for this atrocious behaviour.  In fact they should be horse-whipped.  They deserve no sympathy.  The standard of policing is below poor and they (the police) should be treated as the criminals they are.

And people ask me why I don’t go back to the UK?

Clear and concise thinking come with a hangover from hell

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For those of you who don’t drink alcohol, I guess you’ve never had this.  That moment when you wake up, your brain seemingly turned to some sort of half mush and having grown so that it is attempting to expand your skull.  The woolliness of thought and motion as you try to grapple with even the simplest of tasks, including rising from the bed in the first place.

Ah yes, the painful joy of knowing that last night was a ‘great night, wasn’t it?’  Maybe the mixing of drinks didn’t help?

And, inevitably, there is the ‘Oh my God!  What did I say/do that for?’  An embarrassment that surely, next time, will make you stop just one glass of wine or can of beer earlier.  That ‘never again’ feeling.

Except that, on Thursday morning, at around 4 a.m., when I woke up with all these symptoms, the thoughts of guilt and shame did not stem from the night before when I did not say or do anything untoward.  No these horrors that I foisted on the rest of my associates/friends/relatives happened around 30 years ago!  Worse still, I wasn’t drunk.  at least not from alcohol.  From youth and lack of knowledge, perhaps.

And, as can only happen during the mother of all hangovers, this was particularly clear and concise thinking that led me to understand what a hopeless bastard I was at that time and that the things I did then (for this particular ‘problem’) were really juvenile to the extreme.  And it made me wonder that, if I had approached and reacted to the situation differently, would it have made any difference to my life, to the path that my life has taken?

Probably not.  And, even if I should have behaved so very badly, I still stand by the things I said and did – although maybe now I could have said things is a more meaningful way and done things slightly differently.  And I also realised that enormous sway that they held over me at that time, for I was young – too young and unable to handle anything with real maturity.

However, the effect on me of these thoughts was the same as if I had acted terribly the night before and woken up with my befuddled brain to be appalled with the antics I had carried out the previous night and filled with shame over whom I may have offended with such outrageous behaviour.

But not quite.  For, as it was 30 years ago, I cannot remember it so precisely.  And I forgive myself as, in any event, things are as they are.  One little incident would not have made such a huge difference either way.  But it would be interesting to see the parallel universe and see how things turned out by a change in my behaviour.

Don’t you think?