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hese+things+go+off+all+the+time+and+nobody+gets+stabbed%2C+nothing+ends+up+in+a+blazing+inferno+and+the+buildings+are+left+in+a+similar+state+to+the+way+in+which+they+are+found.+Only+that+particular+event+turned+into+a+circus+resulting+in+a+toppled+police+van+and+a+whole+spate+of+muggings.%0D%0A%0D%0ANormally+at+these+events%2C+they+have+their+own+door+security%2C+who+know+the+troublemakers+and+do+extensive+weapons+searches+at+the+gate+%28yes%2C+even+illegal+raves+do+that%29.+Normally%2C+they+go+off+without+a+hitch+and+everybody+has+a+great+time.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat+was+different+on+this+occaision+was+the+arrival+of+the+police.+They+immediately+prevented+the+crew+using+their+own+door+security%2C+dismantled+the+perimeters+in+place+and+insisted+the+gate+be+left+open.+They+blocked+off+the+road+leaving+crowds+to+gather+in+the+street%2C+which+then+resulted+in+the+riot+police+showing+up+along+with+the+police+helicopter.+After+that%2C+they+began+a+slow+march+with+riot+shields+to+corral+the+crowd+which+also+happened+to+include+spectators+and+anyone+who+found+themselves+unfortunate+enough+to+be+on+the+street+at+the+time.%0D%0A%0D%0AAt+this+point+I+knew+exactly+what+was+going+to+happen+so+took+my+friends+away+for+a+Chinese+in+Chinatown+until+the+trouble+died+down.+By+the+time+we+got+back%2C+there+had+been+a+small+riot%2C+a+scrap+with+the+police.+But+the+police+lost+the+fight+they+had+started.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe+official+line+was+they+switched+to+a+watching+policy+to+facilitate+the+event.+After+that%2C+there+was+no+more+trouble%2C+other+that+the+muggings+which+happened+specifically+because+the+event%27s+own+security+had+been+disbanded+and+prevented+from+operating.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow+this+is+not+to+get+into+a+debate+about+the+rights+and+wrongs+of+squat+parties.+I+know+most+of+you+will+have+your+own+views+on+such+things.+The+point+is+that%2C+by+the+time+the+police+got+wind+of+what+was+going+on%2C+they+were+too+late.+There+was+nothing+to+be+done+except+watch.+Instead+they+went+in+mob-handed%2C+and+were+presented+their+own+arses+on+a+plate.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen+we+come+to+the+Bristol+riots.+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Feureferendum.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fmore-fallout.html%22+style%3D%22color%3A+rgb%28153%2C+102%2C+0%29%3B+text-decoration%3A+none%3B+outline-style%3A+none%3B+outline-width%3A+initial%3B+outline-color%3A+initial%3B+background-color%3A+transparent%3B+%22%3EWe+said%3C%2Fa%3E+as+much+at+the+time+that+the+whole+thing+was+mishandled+by+the+police.+It+was+their+presence+that+became+the+catalyst+for+the+riot.+Something+which+was+likely+to+run+its+course%2C+with+no+more+damage+than+an+average+Saturday+night+on+any+high+street%2C+ended+up+in+hundreds+of+thousands+of+pounds-worth+of+damage+and+as+much+in+police+resources.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen+we+come+to+this+weekend%27s+events.+We+have+not+as+yet+had+time+to+review+the+evidence+in+such+detail+but+here+is+a+punt.+It+has+been+put+to+me+that+this+has+been+planned+by+particular+individuals+for+some+time.+But+riots+are+not+planned.+They+are+spontaneous.+They+are+simply+an+outbreak+of+criminal+activity+by+those+inclined+to+exploit+the+loss+of+order.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor+there+to+be+a+riot%2C+order+has+first+to+be+lost.+Both+in+the+case+of+the+London+rave+and+the+Bristol+riots%2C+that+was+not+lost+until+the+police+turned+up+mob-handed%2C+behaving+like+a+bull+in+the+proverbial+china+shop.+Thus+the+police+have+become+the+catalyst+of+disorder.+If+this+was+planned%2C+it+was+an+ambush%2C+in+the+expectation+that+the+police+would+resort+to+tactics+that+have+proved+time+and+again+to+fail.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo+while+we+do+have+to+blame+criminals+for+criminal+activity%2C+to+say+the+riot+was+the+fault+of+rioters+is+to+put+the+cart+before+the+horse.+There+is+no+smoke+without+fire%2C+and+you+can+always+count+on+the+police+to+find+a+fire+and+pour+petrol+on+it.+And+if+the+locals+are+pissed+off+enough%2C+and+I+can+see+why+they+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Feureferendum.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fworld-of-grey.html%22+style%3D%22color%3A+rgb%28153%2C+102%2C+0%29%3B+text-decoration%3A+none%3B+outline-style%3A+none%3B+outline-width%3A+initial%3B+outline-color%3A+initial%3B+background-color%3A+transparent%3B+%22%3Emight+be%3C%2Fa%3E%2C+this+utter+farce+was+predictable+and+preventable.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fumbrellog.com%2Fforum3%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ff%3D20%26amp%3Bt%3D1009586%22+target%3D%22_blank%22+style%3D%22color%3A+rgb%28153%2C+102%2C+0%29%3B+text-decoration%3A+none%3B+outline-style%3A+none%3B+outline-width%3A+initial%3B+outline-color%3A+initial%3B+background-color%3A+transparent%3B+%22%3ECOMMENT+THREAD%3C%2Fa%3E%3Cp+style%3D%22margin-top%3A+5px%3B+margin-right%3A+5px%3B+margin-bottom%3A+5px%3B+margin-left%3A+5px%3B+padding-top%3A+0px%3B+padding-right%3A+0px%3B+padding-bottom%3A+0px%3B+padding-left%3A+0px%3B+font-family%3A+Tahoma%2C+%27century+gothic%27%2C+Arial%2C+verdana%2C+sans-serif%3B+font-size%3A+13px%3B+%22%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E%3Cp+style%3D%22margin-top%3A+5px%3B+margin-right%3A+5px%3B+margin-bottom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