Hat's Off to Those Who 'Do'!

“He is an Anarchist who openly admits to confrontation wherever he goes.
He should be treated the same as the other rioters, prosecuted jailed & the key thrown away.
I'm not saying i don't agree with Demonstrations but they nust be peaceful, unfortunately people travelled from all over the World to take part in this rioting.
I welcome the use of water cannon as the latest idea to stop the havoc caused by these lowlife.
It's you & me who are going to have to pay for all the damage & repairs.”

So qoth yet another disaffected law-abiding citizen; doubtlessly fulminating at the temerity of those who get and ‘do’ whilst he sits in proud impotence pondering on the plight his own powerlessness.

The damage caused by students on demos is of nothing compared to the damage and mayhem being caused by this Tory government; ‘tis merely a drop in an ocean of troubles.

The student protests of the past few weeks are a just a prelude; if you like, the hors d’œuvre to the main courses, the first of which will be served up in January when VAT is increased to 20%; and, when fares on public transport rise disproportionately to inflation just after Christmas.

During March scores of thousands of local authority and public services workers will lose their jobs. Similarly, thousands upon thousands of us disabled people will be stripped of our care packages as LA’s begin to dole out care on a statutory basis – that is those of us assessed to have critical care needs.

Between the vicious tactics of the police and the cavalier abandonment of the welfare state by a government hell-bent on hoovering-up the last vestiges of anything publically owned, they’ll manage to politicise hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens – and, it won’t be the polite politics of parliamentary prudence they’ll learn!

As for Message 5, how exactly does one demonstrate peacefully when those charged with policing the event turn out to be the aggressors? Are you advocating the right for police to imprison people illegally as the tactic of kettling does? Collective punishments are illegal in this country; are the police in your opinion above the law? Do you accept police brutality as has been used during these student demos and more regrettably against Ian Tomlinson in April 2009?

We’re in for a protracted period of civil unrest. Sadly, it’s the only language this gang in government understand.