Police State ?

[clapham_gull]

Slightly provocative headline, but I'd like a response from a the boys in blue on here to something I witnessed in the West End last week.

I was queing for a gig in Leicester Square when a couple of black guys (one British, one from Detroit) were stopped and questioned by two policeman for a good 15 minutes.

Their supposed reasoning to do so ?

They were stopped and questioned under the terrorism act because they had a camera.

Yep - a couple of blokes site seeng in London with a camera.

And that's it....

There were asked at length why they were taking pictures in er.. the centre of London.

I was with a solicitor friend (from outside London) who was absolutely shocked.

As I was standing there - I asked the policeman myself why they had been stopped and he was obviously very embarressed by the whole thing, especially when the bloke from Detriot opened his mouth.

The policeman when asked by the American whether in all honestly he looked like an Islamic terrorist, offered back "well you never know what they look like..."

The Detriot bloke was absolutely livid and suggested to me that it was the sort of thing he would expect in Nazi Germany.

The policeman to give them credit, were extremely embarressed and agreed with me that being made to approach a couple of blokes in the west end with a camera was a complete waste of their time.

 

[Gully]

One can only assume that the cops were sent there by someone who had watched the two blokes with the camera on CCTV, perhaps something they were doing aroused suspicion, or their appearance was similar to other people the police had been looking for. Don't think that we live in a police state, far from it, but the bobby on the beat may be asked sometimes to do something that he/she thinks is a little crazy but at the direction of someone who is looking at a bigger picture (like the CCTV control room operator).

 

[Da Man Clay]

The policeman when asked by the American whether in all honestly he looked like an Islamic terrorist, offered back "well you never know what they look like..."

That is a fair point though.

 

[readingstockport]

Slightly provocative headline, but I'd like a response from a the boys in blue on here to something I witnessed in the West End last week.

I was queing for a gig in Leicester Square when a couple of black guys (one British, one from Detroit) were stopped and questioned by two policeman for a good 15 minutes.

Their supposed reasoning to do so ?

They were stopped and questioned under the terrorism act because they had a camera.

Yep - a couple of blokes site seeng in London with a camera.

And that's it....

There were asked at length why they were taking pictures in er.. the centre of London.

I was with a solicitor friend (from outside London) who was absolutely shocked.

As I was standing there - I asked the policeman myself why they had been stopped and he was obviously very embarressed by the whole thing, especially when the bloke from Detriot opened his mouth.

The policeman when asked by the American whether in all honestly he looked like an Islamic terrorist, offered back "well you never know what they look like..."

The Detriot bloke was absolutely livid and suggested to me that it was the sort of thing he would expect in Nazi Germany.

The policeman to give them credit, were extremely embarressed and agreed with me that being made to approach a couple of blokes in the west end with a camera was a complete waste of their time.

Compared to the treatment that anyone foreign looking, especially arab looking, can expect from the Americans he should be sodding glad he got stopped in the UK and not in the US. Illegal rendition, totture and Guantanamo Bay anyone?

And yes, this country is drifting towards becoming an overly authoritarian state.

 

[keaton]

That is a fair point though.

Exactly, what has what he looks like got to do with it? i'm glad they stopped the racist yank!

 

[Les Biehn]

But surely all black people should be questioned?

 

[Peteinblack]

Given the number of chavs and yobs terrorising our streets, and making people's lives a misery, I wish there were a lot more police on the beat. Our house is on a busy street, and yet only once in the last four years have I seen a copper walking about.

I'm far more concerned about the 'rights' and 'liberties' of ordinary people to live their lives free from criminal scum who have absolutely no respect for life or property.

I say this as an otherwise 'liberal' Guardian reader.

 

[Les Biehn]

Surely this thread should be titled 'PC gone mad'.

 

[unnameable]

I would be happy to live in a police state. Most people can't be trusted with freedom.

 

[Simon Morgan]

Surely this thread should be titled 'PC gone mad'.

But whats the People's Charter got to do with it?

 

[crasher]

I would be happy to live in a police state. Most people can't be trusted with freedom.

For someone in Oxford you're not very bright.

 

[unnameable]

For someone in Oxford you're not very bright.

I have 10 O levels, 4 A levels, 2 degrees and have had three books (fiction) published. So you're right. I'm a bit thick.

 

[crasher]

I have 10 O levels, 4 A levels, 2 degrees and have had three books (fiction) published. So you're right. I'm a bit thick.

I don't care if you've won the Nobel fecking prize five times.

If you think a police state is fine then all your education has taught you nothing.

 

[Double Hard Bastard]

In today's climate I find it reassuring that the police have the powers to stop & search, if your not doing anything wrong then you've nothing to worry about! Although this was an embarrassing episode for the police in question obviously there is the threat of groups monitoring targets in London, the Police have to be extremely vigilant! 999 out of 1000 it will end in a embarrassed looking copper, but that one time could possibly save numerous amounts of lives!

 

[unnameable]

I don't care if you've won the Nobel fecking prize five times.

If you think a police state is fine then all your education has taught you nothing.

Mine is an informed opinion, Crasher. So, I would imagine, is yours.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I have 10 O levels, 4 A levels, 2 degrees and have had three books (fiction) published. So you're right. I'm a bit thick.

what are your books called? Are they available for purchase?

 

[unnameable]

what are your books called? Are they available for purchase?

Look at the Deunant Books website. It is being upgraded at the moment; so it may not be working properly.

Even Theists Pray
Tomorrow's Almost Over
The Golden Age

I'm about to finish The Middle Way.

 

[Les Biehn]

Look at the Deunant Books website. It is being upgraded at the moment; so it may not be working properly.

Even Theists Pray
Tomorrow's Almost Over
The Golden Age

I'm about to finish The Middle Way.

What they about?

 

[crasher]

Mine is an informed opinion, Crasher. So, I would imagine, is yours.

Well look, I don't want to be rude. But which police state did you have in mind as a model - East Germany? 1970s Argentina? Uganda under Amin?

Doesn't all the evidence suggest police states lead to people being harrassed, spied on, refused freedom to move, tortured and sometimes murdered? Or do you think there's such a thing as a benign police state?

 

[bailey]

I would be happy to live in a police state. Most people can't be trusted with freedom.

You'd happily live in a police state until you fell foul of it.

I lived in Singapore for a while and on the one hand it's great that you can stumble out of bar or club at 4am, walk home, and be completely safe but on the other hand you couldn't do anything like rent a flat, get a mobile phone, etc. without them seeing your ID card and recording your Foreigner Identification Number. The Singaporean Government knows everything that goes on and holds a file on everyone.