Police on horseback charge at protesters

i am sure the police knew what to expect, if not they should have done - G20, the November student protests....

there are other forms of technology we can use before we have to resort to rubber bullets and water cannon :) ,this is Britain after all....

Do you know what though, I don't give a toss if there are other forms of technology as you put it.

The scum on show yesterday have no cause to complain whatever is used to control them, and I'd have been happy if the fire engines had driven over them to put out the fires.

I don't care how many of them got hurt, and that's the truth. I'm not a violent person, I support the right to peaceful protest, but once a certain line is crossed, it is just vermin control. That line was crossed yesterday.
 
skewbald-again: you do realise that most people would consider driving fire trucks over people a rather extreme view...you do don't you?:(

the watcher ; lets not descend to name calling (media/politics student indeed :mad:

it was NOT appropriate. The police could have just held the line (saxon shield wall - style).

The charge was part of efforts to progressively entrap the crowd.

vermin you might say - but a mixture of citizens, all with families, opinions and rights.

some very reprehensible - but not all, ... not until man(horse)-handled in a heavy manner.

This just builds up resentment and anger - and polarise society.
We need a better society, not civil war!

Using horse in this manner creates lingering resentment in society (which is not helpful), and can not be good for the horse either.
 
Using horse in this manner creates lingering resentment in society (which is not helpful), and can not be good for the horse either.

It has clearly built up lingering resentment in YOU, and possibly in some elements of the student population. But in society? I think not.

I know the readers of the H&H forum may not be representative of society, but in the wider media your view is a bit of a lone voice.
 
I have to say, i dont think the mounted police 'charged' the crowd as such. They seemed to be trying to re establish police lines and because the protesters were intimidated by the horses they acted as if they were under attack- thats the way i interpreted it. I am a student and i agree with the reason behind the protest and its very difficult to make a stand these days and be heard. However i do not agree with the way many of the students (if they all were that is) dealt wih it. I recieved an email from my university about a month ago saying that our uni had put on a free bus down to London, the offer of a protest and some sight seeing before we could come home. I thought this was a silly idea as many of those going to protest wont even know what they are protesting about and are just along for the ride! if you feel strongly about the protest surely you would have made your own way there?

I just wish the protesters would see that the police are not the enemy- its the government. and for the record , i hope that **** who pulled the policeman from his horse got kicked in the face!
 
elsazzo : watch this link : http://tweetmeme.com/story/33432543...-of-police-charging-protesters-with-horses-hd

the police line is clearly established (if under some pressure)

the horses are forced through the line and into the crowd at a fast trot, in a wedge formation.
there is nowhere for many of the protesters to go - they just bunch up, leaving a gap around the horses, as the mounted-police continue to push forward.
Protesters to the sides of the horses can go nowhere because they are back up against fences or buildings.
This culminates in officers becoming trapped in the crowd.
There obvious signs of distress from the horses.
The horses are then pulled back, and the same police line re-established.

no ground gained - just wellfare of persons and animals risked.

what was the need for the horse charge? - what was the potential objective?
did that objective justify potential distress to horse, and the possibility of losing control of ones mount in the middle of a crowd of people?
 
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Not quite as simple as it looks. The officers trying to hold the crowd back were all wearing hats not helmets. The crowd turned aggressive and they were not in a position to stop and don their helmets.they would have been immediately overrun if they had tried. The horses were used in a well disciplined formation and I would guess it gave the officers on foot a moments breathing space to reorganise.You will notice that they have their helmets on when their cordon reforms

gnomeking ,as I explained earlier it was to give unprotected officers on foot a chance to put on helmets. They were in danger. .
 
@Mike007 : that is a reasonable argument - i missed it somehow :o

good job those horses happened to be there!

still i don't see how using mounted officers to allow time for changes of head gear is in the end a justification (ie not generally applicable)

surely a better plan would be to organise and equip the officers properly in the first place.

in this instance there might be some justification in the reasons you gave, but surely it is concerning that horses then bear the slack for a insufficiently equipped police line?
 
gnomeking ,as I explained earlier it was to give unprotected officers on foot a chance to put on helmets. They were in danger. .

i agree, i dont believe for a second that the police were not employing a strategy. And as for those who think the police riled up the situation by donning body armour etc, ermmm would you expect a PO to go into a large crowd with normal clothing on?! i dont think so, remember these officers have families waiting at home expecting them to come home in one piece. The same would apply to officers at airports carrying guns - for the majority of folk this commands their respect. Cant say i have ever thought- right he is looking for trouble! lol
 
actually Mike007 i take all it back

i just looked closer at the clip you posted.

the police are clearly in RIOT helmets BEFORE the charge.

what then is your justification?

(i agree elaszzo, the officers should be properly prepared)
 
Many ''students'' are justifiably angry! Well I have spoken to a lot of people today and the general consensus is that most tax payers are justifiably angry at the tw*ts who think that these riots will prove there point and get the government to change there minds. It won't, they are just wasting the tax payers money in a different way, something which will not win them any sympathy!
 
Ive been watching this on the news , and really cant believe how the teenagers are behaving
I'm for one don't believe tax payees should support them
It really annoys me the fact they have just about everything paid for
Inc prescriptions etc
Why should we have to fork out anymore
The currunt climate is about as it bad as it goes at the moment
If you or family can't support fees then what u can't afford you don't have
All I see of these teenaged is a spolt selfish brats
 
Ive been watching this on the news , and really cant believe how the teenagers are behaving
I'm for one don't believe tax payees should support them
It really annoys me the fact they have just about everything paid for
Inc prescriptions etc
Why should we have to fork out anymore
The currunt climate is about as it bad as it goes at the moment
If you or family can't support fees then what u can't afford you don't have
All I see of these teenaged is a spolt selfish brats
Students pay for prescriptions, as far as I know.
 
Dont tar everyone with the same brush.

I can understand why students would be upset by the action taken by the LibDems, but i do not condone ANY violence. I disagree with putting any animal in danger (i.e this situation) Use water cannons in future!

Perhaps we will see an end to the silly degrees and have more importance placed on the proper degrees - the ologies!
 
I can't believe some of you are suggesting rubber bullets should have been used instead of horses!
At the moment there is a minority (lets face it) of horse lovers upset at the use of police horses.
Can you imagine the national uproar that would have ensued if rubber bullets had been fired into a crowd of protesting students!
 
I can't believe some of you are suggesting rubber bullets should have been used instead of horses!
At the moment there is a minority (lets face it) of horse lovers upset at the use of police horses.
Can you imagine the national uproar that would have ensued if rubber bullets had been fired into a crowd of protesting students!
Only by the guardian readers would be upset by rubber bullets :D other people would be punching the air and saying Yess make the spoilt brats have it.....
 
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Makes me so angry - I think they should carry on doing what they did before - not letting them go home, I thought that was brilliant! Watching the whiny little buggers all snivelling cause they were cold and wanted to go home...

Your principles not keeping you warm then, scrotes???
 
What complete scum bags! Throwing things at animals! (and police) I feel so sorry for those horses, they won't know why these scum bags are throwing stuff at them and they must be firghtened, yet are so brave and obey their rider.


Why don't they bring the water canons in? Give em all a blast of that!


Rubber bullets sound fine to me, if they think they're hard enough, we'll soon see won't we :D
 
I can't believe some of you are suggesting rubber bullets should have been used instead of horses!
At the moment there is a minority (lets face it) of horse lovers upset at the use of police horses.
Can you imagine the national uproar that would have ensued if rubber bullets had been fired into a crowd of protesting students!

Are you serious? If you took a show of hands down the average pub/in Tescos what do you think would win the day?

a) allow a horse to get hurt, so as not to upset the little darlings.
b) shower the workshy scumbags with rubber bullets and let them take their chances.

Someone will now pop up and go 'oh but they're *Sun Readers*' or some such. So what? Democracy is a numbers game.
 
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