Head-bashing, G20-style

Britain is still being rocked by the G20 demonstrations of a few weeks ago. It is all a bit 1970s with police brutality at the core. A man died of a heart attack sometime after being pushed over by a policeman; in another case a young, small woman was roughed up. All this has been captured on film via mobile phone etc. In that sense, I suppose, it is not very 1970s at all.

Is recession-hit, unemployed Britain about to see the return of thuggish, Thatcherite-style policing? Short answer, no. For one thing, Britain is a changed nation and would not put up with it. More importantly, however, the police are different. The police perpetrators of the G20 incidents are clearly outliers, acting suddenly and without the support of their colleagues around them. Bit like bouncers who lose it on a Saturday night and go over the top.

Not that this excuses anything. There is also a big question of discipline. Why did these types get into the force in the first place. And why did sergeants and the like allow some police officers to cover their identification numbers.

All stuff for the government and police authorities to deal with. But not a sign of the good-old-head-bashing days returning. YouTube wouldn't let it happen, anyway.