Water Cannon

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 18 May 2009.

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Photo of Vernon Coaker Vernon Coaker Minister of State (Home Office) (Policing, Crime & Security) 2:30, 18 May 2009

I absolutely agree, and I think that anybody would. Part of a protest is the individual demonstrator's being able to demonstrate and to say and do what they want, within reason. Alongside that, the police, while facilitating the protest, have a responsibility to try to ensure, as far as possible, that traffic keeps moving and that people who are not interested in the demonstration can go about their business. The only point that I was making was that the police are doing a very good job with what is happening in Parliament square at present. To go back to the original question about the use of water cannon and other such equipment, it is encouraging to see our police policing such a demonstration in normal uniform, by and large.

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Neale Upstone
Posted on 19 May 2009 11:38 pm (Report this annotation)

"it is encouraging to see our police policing such a demonstration in normal uniform, by and large."

Have they finally learned to distinguish between terrorists and protestors? Bravo!