Armed police were moments from drawing their guns when a protester jabbed a stick through the open window of a royal limousine and attacked the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Duchess was visibly shaken when she was prodded in the ribs as she tried to close the window of the Rolls-Royce in which she and the Prince of Wales were travelling on Thursday.
The royal couple's car was pelted with paintballs and other missiles, had a window cracked and was repeatedly kicked by demonstrators in Regent Street shouting "Off with their heads" and "Scum".
As I watched the day's events live on Thursday I would not have even comprehended this scene and would have said to anyone suggesting that it could happen, that they were being fanciful. As the Editor writes in today's Times, in other less liberal regimes those thugs would have been shot.
It came home to me this afternoon when meeting for a coffee in the Walker Art Gallery, a friend commented, 'You know, if the police had shot someone or more in that particular incident it would have been entirely justified and it would be no good the parents complaining of over the top responses from the police. This is after all the future Head of State.'
Can one imagine what would have happened in the USA if the President's Motorcade was similarly attacked? It does not bare thinking about.
For my part, I will say this to all those who wish to argue about the savagery of the tuition fees, and particularly to the students. You have lost ground and you have brought upon yourselves the very considerable anger of the British People. All of us recognise that many protesters pleaded with the thugs to stop their violence. But what hits home today is the refusal of the leaders of the Students, despite vigorous questioning on BBC News, even offering an apology for the appalling behaviour.
So I stand four square with the Editor of The Times in stating that in the future violent demonstrations that we know we are going to face, that 'the police must be far more ruthless and efficient'.
It will be a long time before I am prepared to listen to students. We have five universities here in Liverpool and an enormous student population. I suggest that this group of discredited young people get themselves back onside with the British People, stop belly-aching and prove that you are at University to learn and to enrich this Nation, something which, sadly, many students throughout this country do not do.
Let us hope that with the Government's policy will come the weeding out of stupid and meaningless degrees; that students, when they decide to embark upon a university education, will think seriously about the task.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister has set the tone clearly and decisively; that no stone will be left unturned in bringing those thugs and anarchists who undermined the very purpose of the genuine protesters, to justice.
I am rightly very angry, for the young people whose cause I have always championed, have let me down personally.
Ian Bradley Marshall
LIVERPOOL
11 December 2010
www.ianbradleymarshall.com
No comments:
Post a Comment