For those of you that have not seen the news on this, on Thursday night (21st April 2011) a riot took place on the streets of Bristol in the Stokes Croft area.
The trouble came as a result of a police raid (or eviction in their terms) of squatters in the famous ‘Telepathic Heights’. The police have said that they received intelligence of a plan to petrol bomb the new – and highly opposed – Tesco store opposite the building, and that members of the public had seen petrol bombs being taken into the graffiti adorned house.
So, here is my opinion on the events of Thursday night – Friday morning. As I said, just my opinion…. We are all entitled to one, and I refuse to be attacked for sharing mine. I do welcome constructive criticism, and lively discussion though….
Many have questioned why the police decided to ‘raid’ the property on a busy Friday night at the start of a bank holiday weekend when the area was full of alcohol fueled partygoers, and I have to say I agree. This already – to the average man on the street – seems like a recipe for disaster.
If the police did fully believe that an attack on the Tesco store was imminent, then I understand that action needed to be taken to protect the lives of innocent people in the area. BUT, and it’s a big but, why did they have to show such force to arrest 4 people? There are reports of a lot of riot vans (possibly up to 160 police in riot gear) arriving, and shutting off the busy Cheltenham Road before entering Telepathic Heights.
This is obviously going to attract attention in such a busy area. People are definitely going to want to find out what is happening on their doorstep, and this is exactly what happened according to reports.
Up to 200-300 people gradually turned up, the majority of which were leaving pubs and clubs eager to find out what all the commotion was about.
The police reportedly then formed a line of defense restricting these people from approaching Telepathic Heights. At this point people were still merely trying to find out what was happening.
Somehow, and it’s unclear at this time how it happened, the mood started turning more sour. Bricks and bottles were being thrown at the police, and they armed themselves with full riot gear – however, not necessarily in that order. This is some information that desperately needs to be cleared up. If the police armed themselves BEFORE any trouble, then there needs to be someone fired for making that decision.
If it was the case that items were thrown first, then I understand that the police needed to protect themselves. However, in my opinion, they still almost asked for this situation by racing into town looking like they were ready for battle.
Stokes Croft was already a very tense area after the Tesco store that was unwanted opened a week or so ago.
I am not anti-Tesco. I shop there so I couldn’t possibly say that I am. But, I support the residents of Stokes Croft that have fought tirelessly for two years to prevent the store from opening. Unfortunately, we live in an era where big businesses – and more specifically money – rule. We as civilians appear to no longer have a say in what happens in our towns and cities. Councillors desperately attempt to ‘pretend’ we can have our say, but ultimately they will make their own decision – and that decision will be based on money.
I don’t live in Stokes Croft, but it is about a 5 minute walk away. It is an amazing, diverse, and alternative area of Bristol. It almost feels like you are not in Bristol anymore when you walk through it. It is a wonderful place, with a quirky atmosphere that can only be a good thing.
But, Tesco and the council have continued in their quest to open the 33rd store in the Bristol area.
According to reports, 93% of residents opposed the opening…. But – and this is a difficult one – the store has been busy since it opened. So, where are these shoppers coming from if such a high percentage were opposed? Please can someone answer that one for me?
Anyway, as the night progressed the police – as they did in London recently during the students protest(s) – became very heavy-handed. Please note, that I did not see it with my own eyes as I was lying in bed being kept awake by the police helicopter over my house for 6 hours!
I have read many firsthand accounts on Twitter, and blogs. In fact, even Labour MP Kerry McCarthy has said the way police reacted was uncalled for as she got shoved out of the way for no reason.
I understand that it must be difficult being a police officer in this situation. You have a job to do, and are following orders from your superiors. A small minority are throwing objects at you (apparently a breeze block was thrown from a roof at one point, which I find completely unacceptable. Police officers have families too, and this action could have killed someone).
In this scenario, adrenaline will take over, it’s a natural human reaction when you are under threat. But, your reaction still needs to be controlled, and hitting and pushing innocent bystanders is unjust and should be fully investigated.
On the other hand, any person who threw anything at the police, or caused damage to other people’s possessions, should be ashamed of themselves. Simple as that. I completely condemn any violent acts – whether it’s a police officer or a civilian.
I believe that a riot that makes the news like this does nothing to win support, and therefore a few mindless idiots have stained the reputation of the area. However, I also believe that the police have a lot to answer for.
One more important point. In an interview with the BBC, Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen said something along the lines of;
‘If the group moved away after we had made the arrests, then the incident would not have escalated to such a degree’
Huh? Seriously?! What about if – maybe – the police had moved out after they had made the arrests they were looking for? Maybe 160 officers in riot gear on the streets was what incited the group to escalate the situation…
Either way, there needs to be serious and thorough investigation into the actions of the police and how they handled the situation as it developed. I for one, do not believe that the majority of people there that night were looking for trouble. In fact, I have seen many videos on YouTube that show various people pleading with police to let them through to allow them to get home………….
What are your thoughts on the events? Particularly interested to hear the opinions of those that were in the thick of it.
