The day before May 1st. the government sanctioned the use of rubber bullets (unprecedented on the mainland) on a crowd who turned out to be a wide cross-section of the community from youngsters to the elderly. Presumably rubber bullets were intended to be for self-defence from the 'raging mob, wielding samurai swords' or was it for target practice once the 'anarchists' were confined in the Oxford St. pen surrounded by gun toting servants of Satan on all sides?

Certainly NOT unprecented, when, in the 80's, the youth of Brixton, Bristol, Toxteth, Moss Side and other cities expressed their displeaseure in the dis-enfranchisement they were suffering, in the only way that the establishment understood - attacking Capital and the businesses, successive Home Secretaries agreed and approved the use of 'Plastic' / 'Rubber' bullets / 'Baton Rounds' whatever was seen as the most media friendly term.

But at least the youth of those cities had a goal, a target to aim for (to remove, to a large extent - although the gains they made have to a large extent been slowly eroded - the constant suffocating police harassment). What do you lot aim for? Just a day out having fun? smash up a couple of shops for a couple of hours every year?

Really affective, NOT.

AND why use the 'establishments' distinction of 'the mainland' either the 'other place' is part of the UK and laws, police practices, no army on the streets, etc should be normalised either in England/Wales/Scotland or vice versa. OR, and here's a shock maybe it shouldn't be part of the UK!

Plastic bullets were issued for use at the Tottenham riots in 1985, but they weren't used. So it's true to say that their use in Britain is unprecedented (though of course they were commonly used in the north of Ireland until recently).

Plastic bullets are different from rubber bullets (er... they're made from different materials). But both are known as "baton rounds".

There are no circumstances (mainland or anywhere else) that rubber bullets fired at citizens can be acceptable. Which is exactly the type of oppression we ARE fighting against.

just a suggestion alfredo: before you make dumb allegations like the idea that we don't know what we want, try doing a little research ... the internet is one place to start... try schnews, squall, campaign against arms trade, world development movement, znet and the million other sites that these places will take you if you open your mind enough to realise that you are not the only person with a brain and heart out here... thank you

"I Predict" in the first comment said it was unprecented that the use of the baton rounds was sanctioned!

My comment was (in a ham fisted way) to point out it is NOT unprecedented. The actual 'deployment' / use of these killers (check how many children in the occupied 6 counties have been killed by 'normal' and doctored baton rounds) may be unprecedented on the 'mainland' but "I Predict" didn't say that.

No-body suggests that the use of baton rounds can EVER be justified against the population. However, I do take issue that you lot are upset about the police getting the go-ahead and yet where were you when they were being used indiscriminately on an hourly basis in an area claimed to be part of the state - Northern Ireland.

The 'Colonies' have always been used by the state oppressors as a testing ground for new methods. So, don't be surprised when you get regular fully armed police on the corner of your town.