Cuts, Cuts, Cuts.

Holy cow man, that is disturbing, and very scary. Can't believe the police did that. Also can't believe the students were able to keep from attacking the police... they showed a lot of restraint.

I have watched this video several time now, and wanted to point out a couple of things.

1. at 1.12 on the video it shows Mounted Policemen trotting (not charging) in the background.  It does not show anyone being charged at by Policemen
2. at around 1.25 on the video it shows Mounted Policemen in the crowd,  They are still not charging and in fact a few people are actually touching the horses.
3. There does not seem to have been any reports of anyone hurt by horses, which itself would seem strange as a suggested charge by a group of horses at a crowd of people would lead to severe injuries, and perhaps death.

I can't seem to get the sound working, so can't actually work out what has been said.  Some things to consider.

• The Police were doing their job.  In all likely hood Mounted Police were being used because of the violence and destruction caused by naughty protesters.  The powers that be decided to use the Mounted Policemen in response. Please note that the powers that be will never attend said demonstration and have little idea of what it would be like to be there.
• Mounted Police are there to intimidate.  That is the main focus of their role.  It is obviously a happy coincidence that occasionally Mounted Policemen can be spotted on the news in a public building exercise, but in reality they are there because huge horses walking around tend to keep the idiots in check.  This particular demonstration was obviously not viewed by the police as having the potential to create a lot of problems, because if it had, there would not be any horses.  It would be hard arse men, in riot gear and bloody big batons.  Like the Riots of the 90's in the North East of England.
• Animal handlers in the Police Force are considered as a rather strange breed by the rest of the Force.  The Metropolitan Police are regarded as an alien entity by the rest of the Police Force in the UK.
• We can remove the humanity of a Policeman by referring to the whole organisation instead.  It is fine for a woman to cry on the streets due to fear, but it would not be fine for a young police officer who has a wife and two newborns to panic.  I am not suggesting that this actually happened, but it does need considering.
• The faceless entity that created this whole scenario will be emboldened and will use the consequences to push through their changes.  The Governing Body.  The outcome of the whole saga has allowed Cameron to slate the protesters, and paint them in a bad light because of the actions of a few.  Millions of idiots across the country will be complaining about the protests due to the way in which the news has been presented to them, and any further changes to the Police Force the government wish to make, well they have one very good reason now, do they not?

The thieves and the criminals will benefit for this, mark my words, those in power and those that will profit from having a much smaller Police Profile than we currently do.  I actually took umbrage at the use of the word "Brave".  It is a word that has been used so many times in propaganda that it feels like a word that is only ever used in lies now.  For instance the headline we have all seen "Brave soldier dies for country".  The chances are any soldier dying is not dying for his country.  Long ago are the days of "Let's do it for Blighty".  A soldier dies because he or she probably had little in the choice of employment (possibly because of ridiculous government policies) and the best option was the army.  They probably joined the army for a good wage, a good education and quite possibly because the believe all that bullshit about joining the army and travelling the world.  They didn't do it for their country, they did it for their family and a wage packet.  And dying bravely?  Does anybody truly believe that anymore?  If you die because you have been injured, the chances are you are screaming, crying and covered in a mighty mess of your own body.  Bravery is a propaganda word, covering over the fact that someone either did not have a choice, had convictions that maybe slightly mental or did the only thing they knew how (whether voluntary or not).

The saddest thing in this debacle is that all of the Media coverage will probably only fuel The Coalition in their intentions.  This is a winter of Discontent, but the wrong people are being used to fight the wrong people.  I would hope that students who wish to protest think about ways thay can do this and minimise the idiots who are involved, therefore reducing the need for Policemen, who probably are actually supporting the students, as they are getting shafted by the same people, in a different way.

The Guardian article I think.