http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17925477

10 000 of them? 😯 the 700 they had OK (maybe ) but 10 000? something corrupt going on there

you only get shot if your an idiot ….

therefore this does not concern me !

Water cannon FTW, always fun to watch.

you only get shot if your an idiot ….

therefore this does not concern me !

I beg to differ.

😆

yeah water cannon might be a little less reactive, but makes for great tv.
probably get a deal for the rights with a slightly dodgy broadcaster…

There’d be more furniture and real estate available in Clapham if they’d been used last time around.

“It’s like being hit with a ten-pound hammer”, moron. Don’t even think about it….

“You got a gatt, I got a gatt so we’re stuck with that…”

Yeah and the water cannon could have put out the fires too, or at least sprayed a few rioters into the flames.

Good, give the little ****s something to worry about when they are throwing fire extinguishers, petrol bombs and the rest.

Given the high risk of injury or death with plastic bullets, all Met occifers should have it drilled into their thuggish/racist/distorted minds that these firearms are not advisable for general use on civilians by somewhat following the yank Tazer training system.

I suggest any occifer wishing to get his jollies going equipped must bring their (unarmoured) wife and kids along to training, line them up in the range and have another occifer shoot them to qualify. They are safe to use after all.

Good, give the little ****s something to worry about when they are throwing fire extinguishers, petrol bombs and the rest.

@tarquin: Did you just mix up a stoopid student at a demo with criminal gangs? Interesting mindset there. I presume the “rest” means the bankers who tore this country apart, metaphorically burnt down our cozy existence and so untouchable no one is able to get them?

rubber bullets, pah.

look what this bloke found outside his flat;

http://yfrog.com/0z1azz

That is some massive stockpiling for a weapon never used on Britain

It is not good news

Oh noes! Where will it all end?

Given the high risk of injury or death with plastic bullets

0.0136% – is that really a high risk?

a weapon never used on Britain

Between 2002 and 2004 50 baton rounds were fired in England and Wales, in 37 separate incident, (no deaths or serious injuries), so “never” is a bit weak.

What about stockpiling real weapons for when we need them…

was that the Somerset riots?

you only get shot if your an idiot ….

Erm… from the article:

“Stephen McConomy was killed by a rubber bullet after being shot in the head by a soldier at a demonstration in 1982 at the age of 11.
The man who pulled the trigger claimed to have fired by accident and was never prosecuted.”
..
Photographer Tony Murray was accidentally hit on the leg by a modern baton round while covering a demonstration for a local newspaper in Belfast last July.

So no. Not just idiots.

all Met occifers should have it drilled into their thuggish/racist/distorted minds

Wow. Negatively-stereotyped officers should know better than to negatively-stereotype?

🙄

bring their (unarmoured) wife and kids along to training, line them up in the range and have another occifer shoot them to qualify. They are safe to use after all.

Again, from the article:

“Any use of force against a person can prove lethal – whether it’s a truncheon, whether it’s a baton round, even physical force from a police officer.” — Former Met Commander Roy Ramm

I doubt many officers would happily bring their kids along to be truncheoned or sprayed with CS either.

Rubber bullets are not safe. That is acknowledged. They are safer than being shot with real bullets though.

0.0136% – is that really a high risk?

Source – not saying you are wrong just interested

Zulu-Eleven: is that Traffic Warden hoping to join the Rubber Bandits?

So one person, thirty years ago was involved in an accident with them, so they are unsafe to use.

Better stop the police driving then, car accidents involving the police kill many more people.

All for it as a deterent measure, perhaps morons will think twice before rioting, rather than thinking that they will get away with it/have a soft touch warning/their lawyer will get them off.

Few shots in the air should be enough for them to get the idea, if they carry on and get shot then it’s their own fault. I would rather rioters got shot with rubber bullets and handcuffed than have the police risk their lives against armed gangs of thugs. One group chose to be there, hint, it’s not the police.

I’d have no problem with future rioters being dealt with firmly and decisively. It would have stopped very quickly and not escalated if the police had taken a firmer and more proactive approach instead of the Met standing back and watching.

I would prefer the use of water cannon but baton rounds are more mobile.

Few shots in the air should be enough for them to get the idea

Great idea – rather than shoot at targets you can see, just shoot randomly into the air and hope the rounds don’t land on an innocent bystander or car windscreen.

Rubber bullets are not safe. That is acknowledged rather the point of them. They are safer than being shot with real bullets though.

FTFY.

id rather see rubber bullets used on bankers tbh

they cost the country far more to clean up after the financial crash than the rioters did

Source

Jane’s Police Products Review oct 2007

ca. 125,000 baton rounds fired in NI over 35 years, 17 deaths This works out at an average of ten rounds per day and one death every two years, or a death rate of 0.0136%.

Baton round has been changed in design twice since the last death in 89, to reduce its weight and give it a head that deforms if it hits a hard object such as head or breast bone, reducing beak impact force by up to 50%.

So, you’d take it from that that its likley to be even safer than the 35 year figures.

you only get shot if your an idiot ….

That´s not true. A 28 yr old died from a rubber bullet shot straight at him after a football match here in Spain. His crime – being a fan of his local team.
I personally know another guy here who lost an eye after a rubber bullet (correctly) aimed at the ground, hit him. This was during the passing of a political demonstration in which he was not involved.

Since 1990, 23 people (in the Basque Country) have lost an eye due to these “non lethal” weapons.
Granted, some were disturbing the peace or illegally demonstrating but the risk of bystanders being hit and lack of control by the police is too high.

Only the police in France and Spain use these bullets, welcome to the club.

Former Met Commander Roy Ramm said: “I don’t think there is any doubt their use can be justified, but the circumstances have to be right.

“At the end of the day it’s a matter for the guy actually holding the gun to make that decision.

“Any use of force against a person can prove lethal – whether it’s a truncheon, whether it’s a baton round, even physical force from a police officer.”

Anyone else read that last line and think of Ian Tomlinson?

Great idea – rather than shoot at targets you can see, just shoot randomly into the air and hope the rounds don’t land on an innocent bystander or car windscreen.

Or just carry on as before and the car with a broken windscreen from a rubber bullet will be overturned and torched instead along with half of Birmingham and London.

No big loss ill admit, but I can’t imagine people were happy about it.

What would you suggest?

Hit them hard and fast with a major, I mean a major leaflet campaign?

What would you suggest?
Hit them hard and fast with a major, I mean a major leaflet campaign?

If you read what I wrote you’ll see I’m happy for the police to have access to and use rubber bullets – provided they are used in a proportionate, justified and responsible manner – which doesn’t include shooting them into the air at random.

It’s a great idea -no more “did he fall over, was it excessive restraint”.

“I was proceeding along the road when I assumed he was guilty so shot him in the face. Reloaded and shot him again to ensure he was pacified”.

“Yes he did say ‘Please help me I want to go home.'”

I assumed he was a terrorist.

richc – yes.

eat the rich

Would tear gas not be a better next step?
I would think with the sentences handed out most rioters will think twice.

*applauds Z11 for a great couple of posts using facts and accurate figures to make his point*

Rubber bullets are not safe. That is acknowledged rather the point of them. They are safer than being shot with real bullets though.

FTFY

What a load of tosh.

If the “point of them” was to be unsafe, they would just use normal bullets 🙄

The whole idea of the continued development of rubber bullets has been to make them as safe as possible.

I’d love to seee the footage of the first rioter’s “look of surprise” when they took a baton round UTA…

….C’mon let’s be honest, the rioters are just out for a free for all rather than expressing any coherent protest , and the endless dreary rent-a-mobbers on the city streets are just doing it for shitz’n’giggles.
I couldn’t personally care less what happens to them, as long as I can watch it on You Tube later 😆

mrdestructo – Member
all Met occifers should have it drilled into their thuggish/racist/distorted minds

I’m a met officer and I’m none of those. Nice stereotyping though……….

Tory government are expecting it to kick off. I wonder why that could be, it’s not like there are over a million young people getting totally f**ked over or anything is it?

Buy rubber bullets and water cannon, thats the answer.

What happened to the video footage of undercover police infiltrating a protest and trying to escalate it by attacking people?

Saw it on here a while ago, anyone have a link to it?