Next time, rioters in United Kingdom could get a real bullet in the head rather than a rubber one. The British Government now wants its police authorized to fire live ammo and British Army available to replace police in logistical positions "to free police officers for public order duties."It seems that rubber bullets and water cannons are ineffective in controlling UK rioters. Since UK does not have
suffocating machine as a crowd-control weapon available, they plan to resort to firing live ammo as the Final Solution.
Ever since Bloody Sunday massacre in 1972, British Army was rarely used to control the protests and riots. On 30 January 1972, soldiers of the British Army shot twenty-six unarmed civil-rights protesters and bystanders. Lord Saville of Newdigate determined after twelve years of inquiry and research that all of those shot were unarmed, and that the killings were both "
unjustified and unjustifiable." Deploying army against civilians can never end any other way.
When Gaddafi allowed his army to shoot the rioters in the streets of Tripoli, we bombed the heck out of the country and allowed those same rioters to execute him as soon as he was captured. Well, is US going to bomb London if British Army does the same thing to British rioters? Somehow, I doubt it...
It seems that a period of honoring liberal and civil values is ending in United Kingdom. Fortunately, UK government managed first to establish tight gun control so there is no fear of retribution by law-abiding citizens. I have to wonder if these new rules of engagement in situations of public violence are not simply a solution that allows government to prevent any organized opposition by the common people.
It is clear that rioters should not be allowed to loot and torch buildings. Still, shouldn't police be already equipped to deal with such situations? Does firing upon unarmed rioters constitute a clear violation of human rights? There are simply too many possibilities for abuse and too many questions without answer here.
Welcome to the UK of 21st century...