More Videos from London

http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/news/96-education/8655-student-protest-evidence-of-police-violence-continues-to-emerge


Videos from youtube on the Counterfire website. These videos clearly show a lot of violence between protestors and police, but do, if you look out for it, show some police officers putting up thier visors and communicating with the protestors. These men and women who chose to talk to the crowd instead of ignoring them are to be honoured and thanked. Whatever our views on what happened that day, there is no denying that there was violence triggered by both police and protestors, and there were law abiding people trying to communicate on both sides. It is a shame that in all the fury of the day, these people who chose words over action were overwhelmed by the anger and violence that made the headlines.
I would urge our readers never to hastily condemn the police as a whole, as we ourselves despise being condemned as violent protestors. There are always those who trigger violence among us and there always will be. The only thing we can be certain of is our own actions. That is the one thing for which we are solely responsible. When it comes to it, remember that there were people who spoke to the crowd, there WERE police who tried to work with people. It is, once again the system as a whole that has failed us. And it is at the system we must direct our anger and our energy.

If someone treats you with respect, treat them also with respect, if someone talks to you, do not ignore them. If someone ignores you, do not give up talking. If someone beats you, defend yourself, but do not attack back. There is a right to self defence but it is our responsibility to make sure we do not then behave in an aggressive manner.

It is our individual choice when the heat of the moment takes us, whether to attack someone or not, whether to strike back or whether to take the blow. It is that decision that defines us. And at the end of the day, it is ourselves we have to live with.
Whatever you do in that moment is entirely your decision, but when you make it, be sure you will not regret it.