Violence on Birmingham’s Streets

After trouble erupted for a second time there are serious questions to be asked by those in charge.

http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2009/09/07/call-for-inquiry-into-violence-at-birmingham-city-centre-rallies-65233-24622539/

Clearly the police were woefully underprepared despite everyone knowing what was going to happen. Both residents and visitors have been badly let down again and the saying “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me” springs to mind. Much shame is hanging around the necks of the police right now.

The Council also needs to look carefully at its role especially when it follows up with the comment “there were obviously difficulties but they never got out of hand”. After a bus is badly vandalised, one mob is barricaded in a pub with another mob outside and over 90 arrests are made it makes me wonder how far up your arse do you have to stick your head to be that blinkered?

But while the shame lies with the police the blame is with the members of the EDL and the anti-fascist movement. Two organisations who start their lying with their own names. An English Defence League that causes damage to an English city! Anti-fascists who use the fascist technique of stopping your political opponents from having a rally/meeting! Neither deserves praise and it is clear that whenever these two groups meet trouble is inevitable.

People and groups are free to hold a peaceful rally to air whatever views they like however repugnant or ignorant those opinions. However if a group (or groups) were involved in a previous rally that turned violent then it is time to stop them from meeting in crowded public areas were people should expect peace and calm.

There was one comment made last week by the police that showed their lack of proper thinking. They claimed to have no power to stop a peaceful protest from taking place but were drafting in extra riot police in preparation. If you know you need the riot police, you know its not going to be peaceful.