Arrest under section 5 during protest 25th August

Activist from Gloucestershire Animal Action goes limp for the filth during a lone demonstration outside Thomas Cook in Gloucester. For more information check out http://www.stopanimalcruelty.co.uk or our blog at http://glosanimalaction.wordpress.com

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Gloucestershire
• Animal
• Action
• Rights
• Protest
• Demo
• Foie
• Gras
• Police
• Cops
• Arrest
• Illegal
• Western
• Network

[ThrexyX]

@ThrexyX If this lad was in the right, then he'd either be released without charge or had the case thrown out in court, he wouldn't have accepted a penalty ticket or a caution because he's innocent (I assume..). If he was in the wrong, well, he'd be charged and convicted or cautioned/paid a fixed penalty notice. Funnily enough it doesn't say what action he took...

Oh and yes I agree theres laws changing, but when only 30% of the population bother to vote, does it really surprise you?

[ThrexyX]

@GMPresents The problem is there's two sides to every story. Some people (seemingly you as well) think this lad getting arrested is an act of oppression, some people would think he's genuinely disturbing the peace and not really protesting, including the business. The police have to use their most important power (discretion) when dealing with these things and will make a decision based on what they see.

[GMPresents]

@ThrexyX the police are controlled by government, so it's government that needs to be changed. But, every police officer must take responsibility for their actions, and that means questioning orders if need be. Sure, they may lose their jobs if they continue toi rock the boat, but if they're not true to themselves then how can they be true to the public whom they're charged with protecting?

[GMPresents]

@ThrexyX said But I'm sure this translates to in your extremist protester mentally as "authoritarian" or "totalitarian".

Not at all. I believe the police force have many areas that require immediate improvement and I welcome the day when they are respected as peace keepers by those, like myself, who tend to mistrust them due to their actions of late.

[ThrexyX]

@ThrexyX Anyways, just to add - the legislation you refer to was (mostly) brought out by the last Labour Government in the myst of terrornoia as I call it, backed by largely what is media support. The police have no choice but to enforce what is written on the books, you just have to trust them to use their discretion.

[ThrexyX]

@GMPresents Just look at the Miners Strike in the 1980's - they were Thatcher's lapdogs and had no qualms about kicking the shit out of the protesters and letting the army dress up as them. Individually some police officers may have been friendly chaps - which is why they're remembered so idyllic, but the police as a whole, particularly from the inside had a massive canteen culture, which today largely no longer exists because the police are held more accountable for their actions.

[ThrexyX]

@GMPresents Lol. No. The police force in the past (I assume you mean the 1960's-1980's era) was not only institionally racist back then (you were a police magnet for searches, quizzes oh and yes good kick-in too if you were black young man), but there was a lot of internal corruption and the police were really the defenders of the middle class and above, they were used as political tools to keep the working class in their place.

[GMPresents]

@ThrexyX we had a better police force in the past, one that was more in touch with the common man rather than a bootlicking lapdog of government and it's ill-conveived legistlation. I believe it's up to every individual member of the police to question the rules being placed before them. Laws concerning stop and search, anti-terrorism, forced DNA swabbing, etc, were questionable from the get-go, so if government cannot be responsible with their powers, the police damn well should be.

[ThrexyX]

@GMPresents What do you think a police force should be, though? Assuming you're not another deluded fantasist who believes a civilised society can function without one.

Our police are actually relatively calm and profession compared to the cops in the U.S.A. and continental Europe - where they carry handguns and give you a good kick-in if they want to. Is that the police force you want?

[ThrexyX]

@GMPresents I said 'assertive' - not 'aggressive'. Assertive is that silver line between being a total walk over and a violent cunt. Don't make absurd assumptions about what I do or don't favour, but one thing I do favour is a police force that is there to serve, protect and keep the peace and do their job efficiently. But I'm sure this translates to in your extremist protester mentally as "authoritarian" or "totalitarian".