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In the aftermath of yesterday's protests, the Metropolitan Police is once again facing questions about its ability to handle demonstrations in London.
As MPs voted narrowly in favour of raising tuition fees, demonstrators in Parliament Square started fires and smashed windows at the Treasury and the Supreme Court.
And in an incident that appeared to represent a capital city in chaos, protestors on Regent Street attacked a car containing the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Police protecting Parliament in Westminster deployed the controversial "kettling" containment technique against demonstrators, but Tory MP Mark Pritchard has questioned the effectiveness of the tactic.
He told the BBC: "We've got 'kettling' that is supposed to confine people in an area to stop violence spilling out to other areas, and clearly it has not worked.
"Therefore, the planning and control and the senior management decisions by the Metropolitan Police over this whole incident need to be looked at."
David Cameron has condemned the violence and said those responsible will "face the full force of the law".
"We want to learn the lessons from that but, above all, we want to make sure that the people who behaved in these appalling ways feel the full force of the law of the land," he said.
"It is not acceptable, it is against the law to smash property, to behave in that way, to attack police officers, and I want to make sure that they feel the full force of the law."
"It's no good to say this was a very small minority. It wasn't," he said. "There were quite a number of people who clearly were there wanting to pursue violence and destroy property.
Police said 12 officers and 43 protesters were injured, while at least 26 arrests were made.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson described many of those involved in yesterday's protests as "thugs" and defended the actions of his officers protecting the Royal couple.
"I think what you have to remember is the unpredictability of those, I was going to call them demonstrators, but these thugs, in the way in which they were moving around London" he said.
"I do think that the officers who were protecting their Royal Highnesses showed very real restraint - some of those officers were armed."
He told the BBC that around 2,800 police officers were deployed yesterday across London in response to the anti-government demo.
"We did everything we could to facilitate peaceful protest, everything we could to keep that calm and the police lines were attacked," he said.
And he indicated there would be a "full and thorough investigation" into both the behaviour of protesters and complaints against police.
Article Comments
I find both the preceeding commons by Len and Anarchist strange to say the least.
Anarchist is wrong when he effectively infers the 'Protestors' were without weapons - we all saw the rocks, bricks and metal poles, in addition to the use of fire.
Len blaming of police tactics for the violence is bizarre. There are things in life that many of us do not like, but in response the vast majority of us do not take to starting fires and smashing buildings, etc, in opposition to them.
In reality there were a minority who went to London intent on having physical confrontation, no matter what. Some of my evidence for the latter is overhearing 2 people on the tube discussing their tactics for the day to that very effect.
Big Ears
11th Dec 2010 at 3:00 pm
The cost of all the damage must be reimbursed from the funding for university education. All those who can be identified excluded from any further education.
AND the disgusting woman on the Cenotaph pulling down the Union Jack, executed for treason.
Ray Alley
10th Dec 2010 at 5:47 pm
Although there were some moments were things got out of hand, most of the blame should lie with the police tactics.
Lot of the demonstrators were forced to stay kettled on the square, no way to get out or use toilets or get food or drink. Tempers flarred, it's not surprise. I have been resident of Parliament Square for 5 and a half months now, campaigning for fathers and children’s rights after divorce and for exposing the criminals who operate through 'family' courts and although there were few moments of worry, students did protect my tent from destruction and many I have talked to were very angry at being treated as enemy of the state.
I fully support their effort, if their future gets screwed domino effect will blight all our futures.
It is high time that sheeple of this country wake up to the facts that we are being dragged down to the times when only rich will be able to afford education and the rest of us will once again become serfs.
Len Miskulin, Live Beat Dads UK
10th Dec 2010 at 4:59 pm
Although there were some moments were things got out of hand, most of the blame should lie with the police tactics. Lot of the demonstrators were forced to stay kettled on the square, no way to get out or use toilets or get food or drink. Tempers flarred, it's not surprise. I have been resident of Parliament Square for 5 and a half months now, campaigning for fathers and children's rights after divorce and for exposing the criminals who operate through "family" courts and although there were few moments of worry, students did protect my tent from destruction and many I have talked to were very angry at being treated as enemy of the state.
I fully support their effort, if their future gets screwed domino effect will blight all our futures.
It is high time that sheeple of this country wake up to the facts that we are being dragged down to the times when only rich will be able to afford education and the rest of us will once again become serfs.
Len Miskulin, Live Beat Dads UK
10th Dec 2010 at 4:41 pm
"Police said 12 officers and 43 protesters were injured, while at least 26 arrests were made"
Well that just shows that the police were the thugs, just randomly battering the protesters. Remember the police are armoured, on horses, etc the protesters weren't (prehaps we should be prepared in future!?)!!
Anarchist
10th Dec 2010 at 12:42 pm
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