My point is the use of force was used before nationalist got involved, and where did I call a water canon a water pistol? "discharging a handful of baton rounds" now who is playing what down? If were gonna talk about things sensibly lets keep the conversation sensible.
How do you propose the police deal with the situation? Remembering one of NIs leaders is calling for the CCs head.
It's the picture you paint, trying to pass it off as something that's used all the time and saying sure it's not as bad as this, like it's trivial
Baton rounds can be targeted. The thought being they are not used indiscriminately. They aren't just using them willy nilly (due to still potential force of impact and officer accountability)
Water cannons can still be dangerous and are indescriminate in nature as is charging crowds
Anyway as I said thats besides the point, it's the perception of it all. Mass crowd control vs targeted
Just look at the images going around, you don't see any from baton rounds but the pictures of crowds being hit with water cannons and multiple charges doesn't look good
You had leaders stirring the pot re the funeral and the police which didn't help now you have the images of the police using more visible force on one side while just the day before there are images of multiple police landrovers following the bus as it was hijacked, set on fire and left to free wheel down the road
Both shit moves and only lead to heightened tensions
What are the police to do, who knows but that's not a great job. I don't have the numbers of police injuries (all unacceptable) but believe it's up to 55~ this morning. It was something like 30/50 first two night?
Obviously this was far too much to begin with but they've put themselves in a shit postion by letting it get to this point one way or another
Someone else mention it being weird that you can riot here without the risk of reprieve. While not 100% true, it still holds some truth and that has contributed heavily in my opinion. It wasn't hard to see it getting to were it is now after the comments started the other week. Police should have been better prepared and acted tougher from the go. Not force as such but taking more action to round people up or the like
This is probably what they should be doing now. All the intellegence agencies and police should be all over this and rounding those involved (act rioters and those who are responsible behind the scenes up) More so the latter perhaps then it will be easier to put an end to this
Out throwing stones at cars on the main road and shit