I did consider taking part in the march on Saturday but then decided against. As it went that march was very peaceful. I was shocked by the scenes last night shown on TV and just couldn't believe this sort of thing was happening in my City. It is obvious the ones who were causing the trouble were just there with the intent to do just that and it didn't help when the local yobs just couldn't keep away. The police will no doubt be in for a hard time and people will say they handled it all wrong, but from what I saw on the TV they were left with no alternative but to go heavy handed. Who do these people think they are, they turn up wanting to cause trouble and then get miffed when the Police take action.

It seems so unfair that cities are ripped apart everytime the GB summit takes place. Why can't they just erect some big tent in the middle of the Sahara or somewhere extremely remote and have it there? Edinburgh like all the other cities that have had to cope with the voilence is now left with a hefty bill and massive clear-up.

I am not saying that Edinburgh is the most peaceful City in the world but there are demonstration marches every week here and this is the first time anything like this has happened.

I was watching the news last night B and i was shocked too. I commented to Mr.B that we cant seem to protest peacefully anymore as there is always some gang out to spoil things.

This morning a reporter on GMTV said he was there - and it looked to him like certain yobs from the pub, when totally tanked up got stuck in and caused the majority of the fighting. They just threw everything they could get there hands on, including a lovely garden bench !!

I was thinking of you Bella...unfortunately there is always a handful of idiots who want to spoil the event....

I have taken part in demonstrations before with up to 50,000 people and the Police have always commented on how well behaved we all were. These were localised protests which didn't receive the same amount of publicity of Live 8 so in light of that no idiots turned up to ruin the event and I feel that if they did the Police would have been supported by the rest of us and the trouble makers would have been decked and booted out before they knew it...

Saddly I feared that butt heads would try and ruin the event in Edinburgh but I hope and pray that the majority who are there for the right reasons will make the small handful feel stupid and ashamed of their actions.....either that or the goodies could open up the drain covers and drop the sh!tes down them as they misbehave! :boxing:

They just threw everything they could get there hands on, including a lovely garden bench !!

Oo right that's it I am going up there myself to give em a darn good slapping...some things I can just about tolerate but assualt on a lovely bench is not one of them.......are you with me Bon! :gunsmilie:

Oo right that's it I am going up there myself to give em a darn good slapping...some things I can just about tolerate but assualt on a lovely bench is not one of them.......are you with me Bon! :gunsmilie:

The thing is though Coastie, like in most towns & cities a lot of the benches are dedicated to people who have died by their families. And I have no doubt that a lot of the yobs were Edinburgh youths just waiting to get a piece of the action. It was shameful behaviour from all those who were there for the wrong reasons. This was why I stayed well away from the City Centre, but a lot of innocent people were caught up in it like workers and tourists. And they reckon there could be more disputes today when the yobs are taken to court.

Oo right that's it I am going up there myself to give em a darn good slapping...some things I can just about tolerate but assualt on a lovely bench is not one of them.......are you with me Bon! :gunsmilie:

I most certainly am because, as Bella pointed out, these benches could have been in memory of loved ones ..... and so they deserve to get the full on Coastie and Bonnie treatment :angry: Put them in the stocks i say, and lets pelt them with rotten tomatoes.

I am a big fan of the giant hose pipe method used in other countries...... :fireman:

Seriously though it pees me off that people think its clever to destroy property that isn't theirs.....I think that anyone who trashes the place ought to have their own homes trashed to see how they like it! :angry:

Its really kicking off now :mad2:

Its really kicking off now :mad2:

Yeah, they have moved their interest to Gleneagles and Stirling now. Aucheterarder does not deserve this invasion, it is a lovely wee town, I feel so sorry for the locals.

:ranting: And for the record I am sick of these people who insist the police were heavy-haned, if the police had not been heavy-handed they would have been accused of being too soft and not being prepared! They done a great job and should be congratulated for it!

Yeah, they have moved their interest to Gleneagles and Stirling now. Aucheterarder does not deserve this invasion, it is a lovely wee town, I feel so sorry for the locals.

:ranting: And for the record I am sick of these people who insist the police were heavy-haned, if the police had not been heavy-handed they would have been accused of being too soft and not being prepared! They done a great job and should be congratulated for it!

My thoughts exactly. The police are working so very hard, all leave has been canceled, rest days canceled, 12-14hr shifts, police pulled in from all over the Britain. They are working hard. Why should they take the blame for people that have come up here intent on causing as much disruption as possible. I am currently up in Perth, with police helicopters flying over every few minutes and warnings on the local radio not to travel unless its vital. I hate to think what its like down in auchterarder now. Most of you would class it as a village.

Can't they all meet by video conferencing? or just not tell anyone where they are meeting.

Hear hear Bella......I get fed up with liberty groups and the such as good as saying that:

'If the general public want to throw bricks and assault a Police officer, the Police officer should take it with a smile and then ask very politely if the person would stop doing it. If this fails then the officer should step back and say 'okay you go ahead and trash the place because I do not want to touch you for fear I may cause you to be even remotely fearful of me''.

The idiots are there for violence and shouldn't start whimpering and pleading police brutality when the police have to use reasonable force to stop them behaving so pathetically! In fact they should be ruddy thank-full that the Police in this country are so professional and restrained...in many other countries dick-heads like those in Edinburgh would be shot!

Hear hear Bella......I get fed up with liberty groups.

The idiots are there for violence and shouldn't start whimpering and pleading police brutality when the police have to use reasonable force to stop them behaving so pathetically! In fact they should be ruddy thank-full that the Police in this country are so professional and restrained...in many other countries dick-heads like those in Edinburgh would be shot!


Well said Coastie............................. :thumbsup:

I think that people (idiots) react that way to the police because a. police are statistically likely to be male and b. they are in a uniform. It does something to the human brain that men in uniforms must be oppressive objects of the regime and of course aggressive.