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David Cameron and Boris Johnson are playing a dangerous game when they say we must stop talking about the violent protesters as if they were a minority.
“I don't think we can go on saying a small minority were there,” the Prime Minister claimed on Friday. He was echoed on the news bulletins by the Mayor.
This is an attempt to criminalise and smear the opposition to the Government's austerity measures.
In fact the overwhelming majority are peaceful. To avoid violent disorder we must isolate the violent minority, not pretend that peaceable protesters are the same as them.
Unfortunately, the Government appears intent on raising the stakes, refusing to rule out water cannon in the future. Outside of the North of Ireland we didn't even see that under Margaret Thatcher.
Yet at the same time, with rising public protests, the ongoing terror threat and the security challenge of the Olympics, the Government is planning to proceed with significant cuts to spending on policing, with the biggest cuts in the first two years. That makes no sense either.
Politicians should listen to the former head of the Northern Ireland police service, Sir Hugh Orde, who warned at the weekend that the police must not be forced into being seen as “an arm of the state” who are being used to allow the Government to “impose cuts”.
Clearly there are lessons to be learned, for example about how the royal family is protected.
But it would be too easy to blame the police for what happened last week when we need much more active political leadership to help site the right context for demonstrations and protests.
The Mayor is the leading voice to communicate with the public about the issues facing the city.
Ahead of the likely May Day violence in 2001 we worked relentlessly to make sure the public understood how to demonstrate peacefully, pointing people away from those activities we thought would lead to trouble.
In the days running up to the fees vote the Mayor's job was to set out actively how the democratic right to peaceful protest could be carried out and to give clear advice about avoiding confrontation and what would happen to those who caused it.
Yet the Mayor was nowhere to be seen on this matter until the violence started. Indeed, City Hall should have pressed the different legitimate protest organisations that there should be one, unified demonstration — not several with different focuses — to help give a clear framework for policing to help avoid a risky fracturing of the protests.
The dangerous cocktail of factors that contributed to the violence around Parliament Square has to be reviewed. Why was fencing with concrete block weights left in Parliament Square, to be used in some of the most terrifying incidents on Thursday?
The experiences of peaceful demonstrators who were kettled for hours must be considered.
Reports from those caught up in the “containments” repeatedly talk of poor information, and being told they were being let go only to be kettled again late into the night.
As the full force of the austerity programme is felt, more members of the public will demonstrate. The police and the demonstrating public together need a better deal from the politicians responsible for that.
Reader views (23)
There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness.The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out. I believe everybody in the world should have guns. Citizens should have bazookas and rocket launchers too. I believe that all citizens should have their weapons of choice. However, I also believe that only I should have the ammunition. Because frankly, I wouldn't trust the rest of the goobers with anything more dangerous than string.!!!!!!
- ilyas orhanlý, manchester m16 8bq, 29/12/2010 10:55
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i was going to posty what a vile non-entity kl is but you beat me to it. dont forget tower hamlets
- terry sullivan, morden england, 27/12/2010 11:51
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I bet Ken blames Boris every time he gets a bout of constipation too.
Ken, by posting on here only makes you look even more like the hypocrite and out of touch reactionary that you are. The only supporters you have left, are Stalin sympathisers and Islamic radicals alike. That's what you get when you choose to sell your soul to the devil.
- Angelica, London, U.K, 15/12/2010 23:41
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No, we will leave the 'smearing' of people to the now defunct Liarbor Party.
- I Grumble Esquire, Inheritor of Paw Broone's Crazy Economics and Fiscal Ruinations of UK, 14/12/2010 14:51
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What a pity Boris failed to carry out improvements to Parliament Square to make this Traffic Island accessible to the majority. Who knows it might have become so popular with tourists that there would be no room for protestester or slum camps!!
Following the latest incidents this subject needs to be re-visited with a way of protecting parliament from trouble makers by installing gates that could be closed as and when needed.
I notice no mention is made by other protesters of the man in the wheelchair who was removed from it on several occasions. From TV interviews it was possible to tell he was genuine and not just someone pretending to need a wheelchair but I suppose the police did not bother to talk to him!!!!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 14/12/2010 11:54
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Ken, considering how much you hate this publication and it's concentration camp guard reporters I'm surprised you have taken their shilling.
I suppose every man has his price and obviously yours is pretty low.
- Adam, Harrow, uk, 14/12/2010 10:34
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all you get with ken is higher taxes more of your hard earned money going to some community group who then send the money out of the country its because of people like harperson and ken that we have this lazy dependant chav culture who expect the taxpayer to foot the bill for everything . most benefit claiments all have cars and sky tv ipods its a joke on all of us taxpayers
- jill tucker, london, 14/12/2010 03:34
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Milking the moment Ken?
- Rogan, Irving, 13/12/2010 22:33
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Typical Red Ken.
He will talk about anything except the fact that across ``London you are on the verge of a MAJOR TAX HIKE.
When will working people learn.?
Red Ken and the Labour party no longer represent the interests of working people.
he cares more about the people in Caracas and Cuba than he does about working people in london.
RED KEN WILL RAISE YOUR COUNCIL TAX.
Ask yourself this,do i want to give more of my hard earned to RED KEN so he can employ his wife and friends.?
All on more money than most londoners will see in a life time.
RED KEN MEANS HIGHER TAXES.
ANYONE BUT RED KEN
- The Pigeons, Muswell Hill, 13/12/2010 20:46
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"The demonisation of young Islamic men in the UK has lead to terrible terrorist outrages and we must not allow the same thing to happen with Students"
???
There I was thinking it was the radicalisation of young Islamic men by the sort of preachers that Ken embraced at City Hall that led to terrorist outrages.
What you post looks very much like the ugliest kind of blackmail John. Give in to any groups with grievances that are prepared to use violence... or else. Thank god leftists like you are no longer anywhere near government.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 13/12/2010 16:36
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John, Twickenham wrote: "The demonisation of young Islamic men in the UK has lead to terrible terrorist outrages..."
Surely you mean the manipulation of young Islamic men by their own kind?
I was warned back in the 1970s by Hindus and Sikhs what was going to happen...And this was long before the excuse of Iraq and Afghanistan gave them some sort of credence.
- Mark H, London England, 13/12/2010 16:11
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Let get this straight is Ken condemning those who use iron bars, bricks, shovels, billiard balls to demonstrate or isn't he
I use to be a republican until I suddenly realized we might get Margaret Thatcher, Blair, Brown or even red Red Ken for life. At least no one would want Milliband. Look how they vote for a politician on Strictly
- Alan ., England., 13/12/2010 16:01
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Also...
Can we please remember that it was Labour that banned protesting outside Parliament unless granted a licence by Ken. It was one of the first things the Tories removed giving back out right to protest there.
- Jock S. Trap, London, 13/12/2010 15:45
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Wow, Ken. Bit rich coming from you when smear is what you and your party do oh, so well!!
Two words from a well known saying spring to mind. 'Pot' & 'kettle'.
- Jock S. Trap, London, 13/12/2010 15:41
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Ken - shut up and get back in your box. You are so out of touch with reality it's frightening.
- Another Ken, Ex-London, 13/12/2010 15:24
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Ken is correct in pointing out how the Tories are trying to demonise an entire generation. We live in the age of the sucide bomber so all thoes who make gung-ho comments about using tear-gas and rubber bullets should think about the consequences of such lose talk on the minds of impressional young men - who have a gereivence and feel that things wont change though the democratic process. The demonisation of young Islamic men in the UK has lead to terrible terrorist outrages and we must not allow the same thing to happen with Students
- John, Twickenham, 13/12/2010 15:17
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Ooops! Just saw your face again Ken.
Remember my promise? I will donate £100 to the BNP every time I see your mush, anywhere!
I can afford to do this every time you show your face or open your gob, quite simply because your lot aren't in power any more therefore I am not haemorrhaging cash to pay for your stupid 'pet' projects.
- Daddy, Kensington, 13/12/2010 14:15
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Whilst I am non-violent Republican [ I live in a Republic] I respect your Monarchy. That is your system. To have the Heir to your Throne , and his wife, threatened, is inexcusable. How can one justify damage to private property and , more seriously. damage to people ? Anyone tring to say that is quite simply a lunatic and ought not to be tolerated in civilised Society.
Rory , Cork , Ireland.
- rory conway, cork, ireland, 13/12/2010 13:39
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I think Ken is right. The policing has seemed very heavy on these demonstrations and some direction must come from the top.
There is public anger particularly over the disproportionate effect cuts will have on London, the Mayor should be standing with Londoners angry at the treatment of their city not threatening them with dangerouse police tactics.
- Joshua Fenton-Glynn, Tufnell Park, 13/12/2010 13:30
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If I remember rightly on May Day 2001 all hell broke loose, so another bang-up job Ken. The Mayor was right that you can claim a minority hijacked a protest once, but if you then arrange exactly the same event again with the same or worse result you can't claim innocence again. No matter how good your motives.
- Mark, London, 13/12/2010 13:13
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What an obnoxious creep Livingstone really is. What activities would he have highlighted last week as those which "lead to trouble" and which of his beloved left wing thugs/anarchists would have avoided such activities? Might Charlie Gilmour, for example, have avoided walking past the cenotaph knowing that he might be "led to obscenely deface it"? Spending money trying to "educate" such scumbags is money totally wasted.
- R.F.York, Yorks,UK, 13/12/2010 12:23
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You really have lost the plot sunshine.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 13/12/2010 12:10
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"Ahead of the likely May Day violence in 2001 we worked relentlessly to make sure the public understood how to demonstrate peacefully, pointing people away from those activities we thought would lead to trouble."
I appreciate that Charlie Gilmour and his mates are not the brightest bulbs in the box but is it really necessary to explain to them that throwing things at the police, smashing property and defacing monuments are not peaceful protest?
But carry on moving to the extreme left and aligning yourself with the most dubious people you can find. Boris won't need to bother updating his CV for another few years.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 13/12/2010 11:33
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