Why Had There Been No Arrests?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3287917/Battle-St-Pancras-Demonstrators-demanding-relaxation-borders-storm-London-Eurostar-terminal-clash-police-highlight-migrants-struggle.html

/// 'Around this time a number of other individuals arrived at the station causing disorder, and missiles, including smoke bombs were thrown at police officers. This group were dispersed by police and officers remained at the station. ///

/// A Met Police police spokesman said there had been no arrests. ///

[bazwillrun]

Exactly what i was thinking when I first read the story...

if i threw anything at a copper Id be arrested on the spot...

[VHG]

I wonder how these idiot protesters would feel if the went to hospital and found 500 refugees in the queue before them.

NO country can just keep taking people in, simple logic tells you that.

[Gromit]

From the linked to story...

// Today police confirmed two people, a man and a woman, were arrested after the pro-refugee protesters clashed with police outside St Pancras station. //

[-Talbot-]

An not an EDL member in sight!

Has anyone warned us about the rise in the far left?

[retrocop]

No arrests. This is a regular but not new problem. The Met police realised in the 70s/80s that when policing marches to do with the troubles in N.I the tactics were counter effective.I recall an almost annual march from The Crown P.H. Cricklewood to 10 Downing Street where officers would start arresting violent demonstrators in Whitehall. It would take two or three officers to get one struggling violent demonstrator to the awaiting police transport or frog marched across the road to Cannon Row Police Station.
The thin blue line becomes thinner. The demonstration becomes unmanageable because there are also quite a few officers waiting in line to be treated for missile strikes to the head at St Thomas's Hospital nearby.
The tactic one year was at the pre demo briefing arrests were to be kept to the minimum even though it was known it would definitely kick off at Whitehall. The protestors wanted to carry a coffin from The Crown and burn it outside No 10.That was a non starter as far as the police were concerned.When they tried to enter Downing St to set light the coffin they were stopped. As soon as it started to become violent and missiles were thrown the Commander A Division gave the almost unheard of command,"Draw your sticks and clear this scum from Whitehall" There were running battles for a while but few police casualties and the demo was dispersed. Good result but will never happen like that again as long as the thin blue line gets thinner. Why.We are not allowed to use water cannon to disperse this detritus from the streets.
Welcome to anarchy courtesy of Theresa May.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

// From the linked to story... //

// Today police confirmed two people, a man and a woman, were arrested after the pro-refugee protesters clashed with police outside St Pancras station. //

Thanks for that Gromit, apparently the article was updated at 11.49.

But even so, only two people?

[Gromit]

AOG
Demonstrating is not a crime in itself. Difficult to tell from a still photograph what laws are being broken. Pushing over a barrier would not be an arrestable offence.
Perhaps there should have been more arrests, or even none, who can tell?

[retrocop]

Criminal Damage is arrestable.

[THECORBYLOON]

Perhaps more arrests will be made if those who committed offences can be identified from photos or video evidence.

[youngmafbog]

Well there will be quite a few familiar faces to the Old Bill I would have thought so probably easier to make few arrests at the protest but round them up at 4:30 am on the following days. Mind you Plod could probably have the same effect by arresting at 11:30 as I doubt many of the scum turning the peaceful protest into violence work for a living.

[bazwillrun]

"quite a few familiar faces to the Old Bill"

once they get the hoods and scarves off of them.....

[retrocop]

Baz
Quite right. Makes me laugh when they say,"" We were only exercising our right to show solidarity in a peaceful demonstration" and they pitch up looking like an audition for the invisible man! Why if they say it is peaceful and lawful? Row locks!!

[TTG]

They will probably look at cctv or body cams to id suspects and make arrests later. It's better that way as it does not weaken the police numbers already at the scene.

[Peaspeculiars]

I was there lastnight before it began, during and after waiting for my train back oop north. We knew something was going to happen with the amount of riot vans outside and police gathering.
The actual 'demonstration' arrived so quickly and with such sudden noise that the police further down towards the eurostar entrance rushed forward to help the main entrance team, it took them a minute to realise that the group of people whom were rushing towards them from near the entrance (including myself) where actually people trying to get away from the gas canisters being thrown into the main entrance and not protesters.
I must say, the police were very well prepared, calm and did a great job of trying to keep the peace and the people who weren't part of the demonstration safe and clear of everything kicking off.
It was very scary though as an onlooker from inside St Pancras, particularly for families with younger children whom were clearly upset by it all.