POLICE, CAMERA, ACTION, amazing police patrol boat @ G8 Protest

None, but the point being it could have turned out very badly for all concerned, ramming a small boat with a patrol boat at speed is a recipe for disaster, crickey me even the Chinese didn't try and run over that student protester in Tiananmen square with a tank (although others did do worse later), these guys would have probably flattened him to mince meat!.
 
The difference was that the protester in China wasn't in charge of a high-powered craft.

What do you think would've happened if the Patrol boat hadn't stopped the Rib? Would the protesters stop? Not likely ... they would've got a close as possible to their target.... so how are they supposed to stop them - and at what point - had the Rib already gone past a critical point and therefore needed to be stopped at all costs?
 
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it would be inconceivable that the authorities were not aware long before the incident what was the RIB's intent.

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By what means? ESP? Must be a great world where the intelligence services are all-knowing.....

If nothing else was learned by 9/11 it should be that innovation in the means of attack can defeat any defenses. Military doctrine is to NEVER assume the actions of the other side are solely due to the factors you know about as you intelligence is bound to be incomplete....

Warning shots??? Ever considered where they land??? At least the actions of the police boat were absolutely limited to the area no further than 20m or so from their vessel, no firearm useful in that situation could boast such a limit.

Everybody spot the jack-in-the-box guys coming out of the midships hatch and disappearing back down it as soon as boarding seemed inappropriate???
 
Great fun sat in an armchair pontificating with no firm information in your hand and talking about proportionality, such force as is necessary,etc etc. People should be pleased there are officers of all nations willing to shoulder the burden of taking decisive action and willing to have it torn to pieces with hindsight of 'experts' in courts and worse still this sort of guess work with some of the replies. We dont know the circumstances, the intelligence or the intentions of this. At best four harmless protestors, at worst a platform for a more determined attack.
On face value if that vessel had to be stopped then it was done with minimum force. If it didnt then they may as well have sent an invitation!
The guy driving was no senior officer or politician and I applaud his skills and his guts to make a decision and do his job without bitching about it. The guy driving the rib could have stopped at any time!!!!!!!
There is a real world outside this cosy forum and we should be grateful someone on the publics side has a sense of duty and honestly held belief in what he is doing is right. Mistakes may be made but for hopefully for the very best of reasons.
For the fun side, what a machine!!! Quicker than a RIB more manouverable,can stop on a sixpence and carry a payload. Anyone know what it is?
 
Italian built jobbie, can't find the link at the minute, will try and find it, twin Cat C32's on KaMeWa jets.

Nothing post this incident indicates that these people were anything more than protesters trying to make a point, if the German authorities didn't know who they were from the start, well Lord help us their security services must be rubbish. I fully agree take them out by any means possible if there is imminant danger or threat but who the heck are we kidding here, no one was about to die as a result of these guys hairing around in a RIB well away from any big wigs or targets, the only people at risk of death were they themselves from an over zelous enforcement agency. There have been other RIBs further away that the authorities have just clean run over them and smashed the rib to bits, from what I have seen and learnt, protesters lives seem to be of no significance, get out of the way or we will kill you!.

Thank heavens there are people even those misguided ones willing to put their lives on the line to bring awareness of the injustices and down right explotation of the third world because you can be damn sure without these spectacular images and media coverage no one would give a fiddlers.
 
Yopu are obviously privvy to information that the rest of us are denied. If not go and stand in a check point around Baghdad or in the Gaza strip and try to pick out the bad ones with explosives tied to their waists with your life on the line. I agree with free speech and the right to protest. These people know the risks in the current climate and the security services can be given some credit for being positive.
Your idea of intelligence gathering and the capability of dealing with the unknown seems to come from some works of fiction I have had the pleasure to read in my own time. Dont let it colour your view of the real world! Protest by all means but to bait and confront armed protection vessels and officers is just trying to cause the excited reaction it has caused in people such as yourself. I do not necessarily disagree with their cause but on the balance of things unless they are suicidal they are idiots and the helmsman of the RIB would be the one facing the manslaughter charge if his passengers were killed.IMHO! No offence intended to anyone within this thread who holds other opinions as this is what debate is about. All we have seen is a bit of video. Without corroborated background information none of us can know the threat level, policy and orders to the security services on the ground( or on the water in this instance). If you know different then share it so we can all come up with an informed opinion instead of guessing.
 
Tell you what as a man of obvious principles, why dont you take your 52ft HT and take on the authorities for the cause. It would be a much more interesting challenge and the opportunity to use gunfire may satisfy the other forumites! Your politics and your lifestyle seem to be in contradiction of one another.
 
You seem to be missing the point, I said wipe em out if there is imminent threat to anyone, but how on earth could this incident and the actions so far seen both visual and reported be claimed as an imminent and clear intention to maim or kill anyone in the vicinity by the RIB.

Do you do everything and abide by everything your political leaders tell you or enforce on you, if they tell you to stay in your house and never come outside and pay 90% tax or we will shoot you are you going to abide by it or take what ever action you can to bring about a change. The legitimate protesters are trying to raise awareness of whats happening else where in the world where you will be shot or imprisoned for the most minor of offense's and G8 can do something about it but not if we all sit around quietly standing behind fences three miles away. Sometimes you have to go out on a limb and take risks on behalf of those who have no voice or no way of protesting.

I make no excuses if these guys posed a clear and imminent danger to life.........take em out full stop but I find it very hard to see who exactly was about to die in the proceeding minutes with this rib running cat and mouse with a patrol boat miles from any target but the authorities had no problem in taking action that could have killed these people who are human beings just like you and me.

The thugs throwing petrol bombs , setting fire to vehicles and destroying property, no problem lock them up or punch their lights out but this was a different scenario. 9/11 horrific as it was has been used and hijacked by political leaders as an excuse to clamp down on legitimate protesters.

Look at the way the Met handled the Chinese premier's visit, shameful and a disgrace and all done in your name and I am sure you feel comfortable about the whole sorry affair cus it doesn't concern you, unfortunately it does, every time our authorities step over the mark we behave just like those we are trying to stop, not perhaps in the same fashion but in principle. Tearing down flags and parking police vans to block protesters being seen by the Premier so as not to embarrass him was an absolute disgrace and showed the world what we are really willing to do to cover up what is happening elsewhere.
 
It was quite clear to anyone with half a brain that these were Greenpeace protesters. I think the interceptions were pretty reckless, three people ended up in hospital, when there was no real threat to anyone.

I think that one of the problems with foreign police forces is that when they have the green light to use excessive force they will use it.
 
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I went in at 30+knts out of mist with visibility down to under half a mile.

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I did the sensible thing

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30+knts--- vis UNDER half mile ??

Thats the definition of sensible is it?
 
Silly comment maybe but obviously touched a nerve. A lot of things are easier said than done and I hope you contribute with your business flair and charity to your causes as you do to your pleasure and this forum. Not guessing any more it is pointless and not getting in to politics. Tough job. He did it. I reckon it can be defended under .E.C.H.R. which is probably what he will have to do. Protestor had duty of care to his passengers regardless of their common belief and left himself open to criticism. I f he wanted to be a martyr thats his concern. Lot of whinging crap spoken afterwards! If you were criminally under threat, your personal safety your property or your family you would be the first to demand help from the authorities. Thats the same people you want to lynch here for all the worlds ills.
 
No nerves were damaged in the making of my response.

you obviously have an agenda here and good luck to you chum, but your not going to lambaste me just because I wont capitulate to your views.

Where on earth did I say the authorities were responsible for all the worlds ills, culpable maybe in some circumstances but in general certainly our UK authorities do a good and fair handed job providing they are left to do their job and not capitualte to political pressure. However, they are not here to take carte blanche measures over the populous as they see fit.

When did the law enforcement community suddenly decide they could pick and choose who they protected, they don't and should never and indeed should those protesters need their help they should be the first ones there. I think what people have forgotten is that law enforcement authorities and those that take on the mantel of responsibility as such are 'Public Servants' they work for you and me not the other way round. I work hard and I pay my taxes and expect irrespective of my principles or morality they will protect my civil liberties and safety should the need arise, that is what they are there for 'to serve and to protect', I don't exist to be subservient to those I entrust to protect myself and family neither am I here to sit dumb and not speak up when I (IMHO) see they over react or take unnecessary risks with either theirs or other peoples lives without exceptional reason for doing so.

Yes its a tough job and a fine line particularly in these days of uncertainty but that doesn't mean you throw the rule book out the window and allow anything and everything to take place. As in all walks of life there needs to be balance.....reasonable force not ultimate force in the majority of circumstances, ultimate force is the last resort where there is 'clear and immanent danger to life' not ......there could be, might be, possibly.........well,... lets ram them anyway!.
 
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Came across this pic on the Guardian website:

boats372ready.jpg


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I saw the video of that either on BBC America or CNN, and the police boat ran right over the protesters RIB. I'm surprised no-one was badly injured. If it's any consolation, they were lucky they were not protesting in US waters........
 
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