She would have loved it

I'm a die hard Brit.  As an ex guardsman I took part in plenty of ceremonial events, but to be honest, when you are serving, they are a pain in the arse.  They are something that gets in the way of going on the piss the night before.  That was years ago though, now I love watching.  There is a great sense of national pride when watching our forces do their stuff.  This was summed up by the kind lady from the British Association of Journalists who let me shoot the funeral procession from the windows of her office in Fleet Street.  The Scots Guards were marching into position to do the street-lining when she remarked "You know, no one does it as good as us Brits, do they?"

No One does it like the Brits, do they?

I had heard gossip that the protesters were going to gather at Ludgate Circus on the funeral procession route.  As it happens, my pre arranged vantage point was about 200 yards away from them.  The crowds began lining the route in earnest around 1000hrs.  In some places on Fleet St, they were 6 or 7 deep.  The Old Bill were in their best dress uniforms, including white gloves and medals, nice to see instead of the high vis stuff we have become used to.

The gun carriage carrying the coffin was due at 1050.  Looking down at the crowds on the pavement opposite me, there were young, old, black, white, all sorts.  The protesters were kept at Ludgate Circus.  As the sound of the band which was leading the cortege approached, there was a noticeable silence fell over the crowd.  The protesters were still chanting their bile, but by now a line of cops in 'normal uniform' were lined up in front of them, just in case.

As the gun carriage and coffin passed by, there was a real 'hairs on the back of your neck stand up' moment.  The crowd were clapping, they carried on clapping as the coffin passed and managed to drown out the protesters.

The most emotional moment for me was when after the service in St Pauls ended, the gun carriage and escort of Royal Horse Artillery came past again,  where as before, the carriage carried the coffin, draped in the Union Flag, this time, the gun carriage was empty.  There was a finality to that moment!

F*ck Bobby Sands, he's dead!

A last word on the protesters.  99% of the placards I saw were carrying the logo of the Socialist Worker.  For those that don't know, this is a publication put out by The Socialist Workers Party.  At every protest I have covered, and there have been many, they have a trestle table set up well before the event, to try to flog this rag. They also supply hundreds of placards which no-one ever uses.  Those manning the table are usually elderly, well dressed folk sporting a cheeky wee line in zip up knitwear or plastic kaguls.  Whether it is a demo by the Congolese complaining about the west plundering the resources of the DRC, or a protest  by trans-gender Big Issue sellers claiming equal rights to  maternity pay, the SWP are there with copies of their papers to sell.  They have aways struck me as a sort of relatively harmless distant relative with Parkinsons disease, who would only be dangerous if he took to playing with power tools while unsupervised.  Today I learnt this is not the case.  The placards they had handed out referred to support for the miners (ok, fair point I suppose), The Falklands, and slimmer of the year 1981, Bobby Sands.  It seems that the SWP are upping the ante!  Time will tell.

Last Journey

Finally, Today will go down in history as the day we buried one of our greatest ever politicians. I am proud to have served as a soldier during her terms in office, and I am proud to have been there today to see her get the send off she  deserved.  R.I. P. Baroness Thatcher.

More photos on www.mitchell-images.com

It's been a long time since there has been anything to post about on here.  There have been the regular protests by the mentally unstable members of UK Uncut, but to be honest, they are boring and the papers are not interested in them any more.  "We are the 99%" they chant - Really?  Sorry, no, you are not.  Likewise there have been protests by the usual groups of assorted foreign nations who live here,  but hate us, blaming us for all that is wrong in their own country.  Photos of them don't sell either, and to be honest,  watching them is not very good for my blood pressure.

The sad death of Baroness Thatcher was always going to bring the nutters out.  I'll put my cards on the table right away.  I did not agree with everything MT did.  However, she is exactly what the country needs right now.  A PM who has backbone, a  PM who has the best interests of the UK at heart.  Not some lily livered, pie faced, rich boy like the one we have now.   She defeated the IRA, she defeated the Argies and destroyed the stranglehold the left wing unions had on the country.  Sadly,  it will be a long time before we see anyone with her qualities in Govt again!

On to the 'Death Party' then.  It was hammering down in London and when I arrived at Trafalgar Square it was empty.  There were cops and a lot of private security, but no protesters.  I met up with a pal of mine who was standing next to some punks/anarchists, and one or two guys who were wee bit too well dressed to be part of the protest  group!!!  They all seemed to be getting on, so it seemed ok.  There were a few cops watching them.  This was under the arched canopy outside Waterstones bookshop just off Trafalgar Square for those who know the area.  They were a group of appx 25, all drinking and most seemed pissed up.

Scene of the bottle attack

Just as I was considering going home, one of the protesters came scurrying up to some cops who were standing nearby "They are arguing along there" she said, as though the police were supposed to wade in and put the put those involved on the naughty step.  I had a look, and just as I got there, one weasly looking kid had blood running from a cut around his eye, and was involved in a shouting match with another.  Suddenly, 'crash', the one who was already bleeding was smashed over the head with a bottle, which actually broke with the force of the swing.  The cops were on them in a flash and nicked a few.  On seeing the blood, the rest of the rough, tough anarchists decided they had no stomach for violence and headed away.

It was still pissing down but a crowd was beginning to gather in the square.  As reported in the MSM most of them were far too young to have been alive when MT was in office.  There were quite a few IRA supporters there with placards about the hunger strikers and the army.  Clearly being beaten by Maggie still upsets them - well the ones who are still alive anyway.  There was a manky looking thing with an Argentinian flag - you can always count on the left to support lost causes!  All in all, the crowd were just what I expected - a collection of the 'best' the far left could put on the streets -  a pathetic mix of poor little rich kids, slumming it on a day away from mummy and daddy, the dirty  unwashed squat dwellers who exist on methadone prescriptions and out of date food, lifted from supermarket skips, along with a large proportion of London's rough sleepers, who were drawn to the event like moths to a flame, dribbling at  the prospect of rich kids with free flowing alcohol. The best estimate I have seen is that at it's peak there were at most 1700 present.  When you consider that high profile events attended by normal people such as the Jubilee or Royal Wedding attract crowds that number in the hundreds of thousands, it is clear just how little support for left wing causes there is.  Nowdays, being left wing seems to be a lifestyle choice for the offspring of those who made their money when MT was running the country.  The 'Blac Bloc' is a prime example of this.  It is made up of a gaggle of kids who relish the chance to wear face coverings.  It must come as a respite from people staring at the raging acne  which covers their youthful faces.

Police close St Martins Lane

As darkness fell it was still raining and most of the bemused tourists who had made up a large portion of the crowd, had gone away. By now the gathering had thinned to around 600.  There were around 300 in front of the National Gallery and the remainder were down on Trafalgar Square.  As expected, this was when the violence started.  The crowd in front of the National Gallery were intent on having a party and I saw no violence from them.  The crowd in the Square however, used the cover of darkness to start throwing bottles at the police lines.  As the police line closed in, I saw one cop punched in the face.  There was no arrest at the time for this.  Still the occasional bottle flew at the cops.  Unusually, the police had no protective gear with them.  No helmets or shields. Despite being the targets for violence, they never even had their batons drawn! I asked a sergeant why this was and he replied with a wry smile that it was not his decision.  Who would be a cop in London when your bosses make decisions like that?

I stayed until 10:30pm.  It was still raining.  The scare-mongering that 100's of Millwall fans were going to arrive and  attack the lefties proved to be just that - a load of bollocks, although to be fair, one or two did turn up, but were quickly moved on by the police.

Several protesters I spoke to put the poor turnout down to people staying away in order to avoid arrest before the funeral on Wednesday.  It has to be said that a lot of the usual suspects at these events were missing - whether they were saving themselves for the funeral, or,  have just grown up and taken their fathers offer of a job in the City, remains to be seen.  If there is trouble during the funeral, I hope those who sit in luxury offices in New Scotland Yard allow the cops who do the real work, to do their job and make arrests - not stand back in the hope there is enough CCTV evidence to make arrests at a later date.  The public want to see these people arrested at the time - not listen to some spin from some office dwelling senior ranks after the event.  If the police are not seen to deal with these protesters, while I don't condone it, it would be difficult to  blame pro MT supporters for taking the law into their own hands.  The world's media will once again be watching, let the police do their jobs.  Don't make the country a laughing stock again.

The only certainty regarding MT's death is that the vile abuse directed at what is after all, the death of an old lady, a mother, and grandmother has only marginalised the looney left even more.

More photographs on www.mitchell-images.com

OT, I am still looking for a ghost writer for my book on Portugal.  If you know anyone who may be interested, please pass on my details.

'STAND BACK' I'm a legal observer

This time last year the Congolese living in the UK staged a number of protests in London.  They are convinced the the UK are behind just about all things that are wrong with life in the Congo.  Last year we were told we were responsible for the rigging of elections in the DRC.  The main  reason for this election fraud was to enable the UK to continue to plunder the natural resources that are so plentiful in the DRC.  Targets for their fury last year included the Apple store in Oxford St, Downing St and the police and press.

During the protests they caused chaos in London.  They closed Whitehall several times by sitting in the road and starting fires.  They fought with police, caused Oxford Circus tube station to be closed for hours during the evening rush hour, by fighting amongst themselves and generally behaved like savages.

Well, they are at it again.  This time the reason for their protests is their belief that the UK are supplying weapons and munitions to the Rwandans who are engaged in fighting in the DRC.

Last year they turned out in big numbers for the protests.  This time around they only managed to field appx 100.  Apparently after the trouble last year, the church which most of them belong to advised that the protests stop.  Clearly most of them heeded this advice.

The plan for yesterday was to march from their own embassy in Gt Portland St, to the Rwandan Embassy, and then on to Downing St.  Even before they had left Gt  Portland St things were going tits up.  At one point they had two cops cut off from the rest of those on duty, surrounded by an angry mob.  They turned on a photographer, threatening him.  Once the cops calmed things down, the march moved off.  The thing about the Congolese is they don't talk - they shout.  They shout, get in your face, and wave their arms about. They try very hard to intimidate anyone who poses a problem for them.

The journey to the Rwandan Embassy was uneventful.  However, once they got there, things changed.  The Rwandan Embassy is housed in a five story building  situated in  a residential area, just off the Edgware Rd.  There were around 12 cops on duty outside the building.

The crowd, many with their faces covered, were put in a pen opposite the embassy building.  Soon they were throwing eggs at the windows.  Then the eggs were replaced by batteries.  Luckily their aim was rubbish and the windows remained intact.  The crowd by now were whipped up into a frenzy.  As some of them tried to leave the pen and reach the embassy, the cops had to push them back.  This led to a few scuffles.  They managed to get a cops long baton during the struggles and this was thrown at the cops.

There looked to be a chance that things were about to get out of control as there didn't seem to be enough police to keep the crowd contained in the pen.  The cops never backed down an inch.  One of the police really stuck out.  She was about 5,4" blonde, and a good looking bird.  At one point she was surrounded by around 6/7 of the protesters.  Fair play to her, out came her baton and she beat them away.  Some of these were  big guys as well.

Not long after, the TSG arrived.  The Congolese know who they are and it's fair to say they don't like them!  Their arrival was greeted with loud boo's and jeering.  However, within minutes the crowd had gone from noisy and threatening to meek and mild.  A few of the protesters tried their luck by pushing some of the  TSG and shouting at them.   They soon realised there was no milage in this and went back to shouting at the building opposite.

Most protest groups realise that they need press coverage to get their message across.  Not the Congolese.  They hate us.  "DOAN YA TAK MA PEECHA, A SMASHA YA KAMRA".  We got it all.  At one point an inspector from the TSG came over to me and a colleague and warned us that the mob were very angry at us for photographing them.  He explained he was telling us as he had a duty of care towards us.  I get mightily pissed off when this happens.  This is a free country and to be issued with what amounts to threats, via the police, that a bunch of protesters who are behaving like savages, don't want me to do my job as they don't like it, send my blood pressure soaring!  Not long after the warning from the TSG, a girl wearing a hi-viz vest came marching up to us.  Notebook and pen poised she demanded "Who do you work for"?"Why" I asked.  "I want to know" came her reply.  She was a 'Legal Observer'  I told her to fuck off.  I hate these  troublemaking legal wannabes.  She accused me of being violent for telling her to fuck off.  Clearly that sort of language is only suitable in her world, when aimed at the police!  Who do they think they are?

I could feel the red mist starting to descend and made the decision to leave the protest. I know it comes with the territory but, there are times when you just have to step away for your own sanity.

I went to a job at Downing St and the Congolese arrived in Whitehall around 5.30.  They were shepherded into the protest pens.  They climbed all over the statues of various military leaders, all under the watchful eye of the cops.  This should not have been allowed.  The police should have got them off the statues.  There were plenty of cops, including TSG.  There protesters were still less than 100. With protests, there must come a time when the balance between the police standing back to avoid creating a confrontation, and upholding the law, tips in favour of upholding the law.  For Christ's sake, they weren't even asked to get down from the statues!

Some photographs from the event are here - http://mitchell-images.photoshelter.com

It's been quite some time since the students protested in London.  The rise in tuition fees has happened and there will be no going back on that. It was not clear what this protest was about, apart from whinging about how hard they have it.

Regional media outlets around the country have  recently carried stories claiming that most students were put off from attending due to the fact that they expected the march to turn violent.

The pre-demo estimate of 50,00 marchers was as most expected, way off the mark.  I would put the number who attended closer to 5,000 maximum.  There had been plenty of wailing and gnashing of adolescent  teeth regarding the choice of route for the march.  Rather than the main march heading along The Strand and down Whitehall as in the past, this time the route took them along the Embankment, over Westminster Bridge and into Sarf Landan to have a meeting in a council park, next to the kids playground. Perhaps playing on the swings and roundabout would keep them out of mischief. Clearly this was designed to avoid any repeat of a few years when they trashed Westminster.  Even so, the cops took no chances and reinforced barriers were sited at strategic venues.

Not all marchers played ball with the cops regarding the route.  The usual suspects decided that they would  have a feeder march from ULU at Mallet St, and they would head for Westminster.  I decided that I would accompany them on their attempt to reach Westminster.

I found the march in Holborn.  There were perhaps 300 of them.  The cops were taking no chances and there was an escort surrounding them, as well as plenty of reinforcements along the route.  As  usual with the students, it was a game of give and take with the cops. The cops let them keep their silly masks and face-coverings on, while the bulk of the feeder march respected the route and behaved themselves.

As the feeder march reached Surrey St, which would filter them down to the Embankment, and on to the back of the main march, half dozen or so marchers in masks tried to break through the police line and head towards The Strand.  This really was a comedy moment.  The few who tried to break the lines were simply pushed back into the march.  They tried again, this time urging their fellow marchers to join them.  Again they wee simply pushed back into the crowd.  Their fellow marchers seemed to ignore  them and carried on past.  When I stopped laughing I saw a posh boy, his puny fists all balled up, crying in sheer indignation, his tears streaming down his face into the black, handwoven alpaca scarf which covered the part of his lower face where his chin would have been.  No doubt he will get his fag to deal with those who refused to help him.

So with the feeder march containing any potential troublemakers neatly tacked on to the back of the legitimate march, the cops knew where to focus their resources.  Clearly non of the leaders of the feeder march have much knowledge of  tactics.

As the march made it's way along the Embankment, the same group again tried to break away, again they urged their fellow marchers to join them, and again they were easily pushed back into the crowd and ignored.  This was fun.  I love seeing the smug, self-righteous tossers getting upset.

Before long, the back of the march was approaching Westminster Bridge.  Now, two things could happen here, They could follow the march over the bridge, and go and play on the swings in the park, or, they could as they had promised, take their protest to Parliament.  The cops were four ranks thick in the parliament side of the bridge.  No way was anyone getting through that lot.  The posh kids sat in road for a bit, arguing amongst themselves, while the sky turned a strange colour of puce and it pissed  down.  I had to chuckle at them as I sipped my nice warm coffee from my sheltered viewpoint.  Posh kids don't like rain. It's something mater and pater cant control.

From what I saw of the main march it went well.  The only potential for trouble came from the small group in the feeder march, and they were quickly dealt with.

The only good thing to come from the protest march was that it showed once and for all that the troublemakers in the student movement are a tiny minority who the majority now ignore and treat with the contempt they deserve.

Some shots from the march are on my new website here - http://mitchell-images.photoshelter.com

Your not the 99%, you're an arse

 This is the time of the year when all the Left Wing protest groups in the UK start to hatch their cunning  plans for 'Bringing down the govt', and installing God knows who, or what for that matter, as leader of the republic of the  UK.  Yup, in squats and hovels ( when I say squats and hovels, I really mean bedrooms at home ) all over the country, plans had been hatched.  In between sporadic bouts of homework, discussions had taken place regarding daring deeds on Sat 20th Oct.

Last year, the mentalists of the far left managed to hijack the TUC demonstration in London, and if truth be told, caused a fair old bit of damage, injury and general inconvenience to London and its inhabitants.  Would this year be any different?

Before dealing with Sat 20th, I will go back to Sat14th as it involves the same groups.  This was some sort of anniversary for those halfwits who pitched their tents outside St Pauls Cathedral last year.  No one can forget the filth and and squaller they created and lived in.  Crapping in the pews of the Cathedral, urinating in public, as horrified  tourists looked on - I could go on.  For this anniversary, they had arranged a 'Global Day of Noise'.   The plan was , funnily enough, was for hundreds of them  to bang some pots and pans together, ( Can you imagine the headlines? - Cameron steps down due to people banging pots and pans.  Numbskulls !), before storming off to an undisclosed location to 'occupy' somewhere, - Poland perhaps?  In the end, a few dozen walked about a bit, followed by a token police escort, before going home for tea and medals (made from recycled bankers Bentleys no doubt).  A complete lack of leadership on their part, coupled with the  work carried out by the police intelligence teams ensured the day was a disaster.  Would Oct 20th be any different?

There was always going to be a massive turn out for the TUC march on the 20th.  The whole country is sick of the behaviour of our elected politicians, and the mess they are making of running the country.  As usual, the social networks were alive with the plans of the anarchists and the usual suspects.

Cameron knows!

I headed down to Whitehall from Covent Garden and the first thing that struck me was the absence of any barriers around Trafalgar Square.  Last year there was a ring of metal barriers erected to keep the protest on route.   This year there was a heavy police presence but not over the top.  I made my way down Whitehall.  This is where things changed.  There was a line of cops that stretched from the Cabinet Office, all the way down the the far end of the Treasury Building, with the gates to Downing St especially well guarded.  In addition to this, the pavement in front of these buildings was closed off with barriers.  I have never seen a level of security like that around Govt buildings for years.  Clearly, Cameron and his cronies are well aware of the level of discontent in the country at the moment!

Like last year, the TUC march went well.  I saw no trouble, no arrests.  The marchers were colourful and noisy.  There were families, groups of disabled people, in fact there was a real cross section of normal society.  Everyone, irrespective of political leanings were united in the same mindset - that the current system of govt is not working.  The main comments that came from speaking to the marchers were about the 'Them and us' situation that has become clear thanks to Andrew Mitchell and George Osborne, and the fresh expenses scandal that is bubbling away just under the surface.  The coalition has succeeded in alienating just about all walks of life, save for the mega rich.

The various wee groups who laughingly call themselves anarchists had proudly stated they were going to shut down the workfare scheme.  From past experience this normally involves running around the west end being chased by cops.  This was no exception.  At the advertised time of 2.30, a few dishevelled youths arrived at Oxford Circus and sat in the middle of the road.  Before long their numbers had swelled to around 400, most of whom were wearing hoods or face coverings. They walked down Oxford St and then headed into the side streets.  It was the same old plan.  They tried, sometimes successfully to get into shops.  The cops chased them around.  Some got arrested.  But there was no 'designed for maximum publicity' stunt like last year when they destroyed the front of the Ritz Hotel or sat about for a while in Fortnum and Masons.

What was different this year then? The country is in a worse state now than it was then.  The govt have been exposed for being the 'posh boys looking down their noses at the rest of us' that they have long been suspected of.

It's simple really.  Last year some got nicked.  Some thought that they could hit cops and throw things at them, only to be shocked to the core when the cops fought back.  They thought they could smash up other peoples property and cried when they got arrested.  These are not the feral kids from inner city estates we are talking about here.  These are intelligent kids who have for the most part had the benefit of a good education and privileged upbringing.  Even the most 'right on'  parents get a tad scratchy when young Jocasta or Tarquin gets jailed.

Their leaders have gone as well.  In the past groups such as 'The Love Police' led by the nutter that is Charlie Vietch have been a rallying point for those who were prepared to get nicked for what they believed in.  For Gods sake,  even Jody McIntyre has turned his attentions away from the UK.  He now whinges about life in Venezuela - don't ask cos I don't know!

These kids are funny to watch.  Its clearly a fashion thing.  It is still trendy to be lefty.  Take away the  face coverings, and most are not even man enough to have reason to shave.  As for the rhetoric - the common chant of "we are the 99%".  Can they really believe this?  Are they so arrogant that they think they speak for everyone?  My take on who the 99% are is this - The 99% are the millions of normal people who during the last year, turned out to watch the Jubilee celebrations, went to the Olympics, people, who up and down the length of the country, go to work, school, college, and those who are unemployed or unable to work. Yes, we moan about the govt and it's crap policies, and, if there was a way to change things in the short term, we would. What we don't do is indulge in infantile, self-indulgent  behaviour, damaging other peoples businesses, and interfering with other peoples right to work, whether its on a govt scheme or not.

 These kids cant seem to understand why no-one respects what they do.  They cant accept that some people are actually happy  to have a workfare scheme, as it gets them out the house and gives them a bit of self worth.  I have more respect for  an alcoholic who is down on his luck and sleeping rough than I do for these hobbyist protesters.  Most alcoholics are victims of circumstances and addiction.  These so called anarchists act as though they are hard done by.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  One look at the expensive mobiles, clothing, laptops etc tells you everything you need to know.  What right does some gang of spoiled, spotty, kids have to interfere with other peoples lives?  Try to engage with them and when the argument goes against them, they behave like the petulant kids they are.

Finally, their wander around the West End did have it's casualties.  A woman who was leaving Starbucks with a medium latte takeaway, was treated for burns by the police after the mob who were rushing in to 'occupy' the shop bumped into her spilling her boiling drink all over her.  Kids were terrified.  A day out in London with mum and dad will never hold the same thrill after seeing  grown ups running amok.  Tourists will think twice before coming back.

I wish they would grow up.  Some of last years protesters are doing really well working in the city.  Still, it's like a rite of passage eh Tarquin?

More photos are here - http://mitchell-images.photoshelter.com

Bash a burglar? - welcome to the grey area

So, it seems that we are now being told that we are in a position where if some poor misguided promising footballer/musician or socially deprived substance abuser, etc, burgles our house, and we protect ourselves, we might not be prosecuted.  Like I need permission !  I am I a hard case ? No, Do sleep with a baseball bat under the bed? No.  If it ever happened, I could end up getting a kicking.  But, like everyone else, I would do what it takes to protect my family.  That's just normal, isn't it?

Of course we all know the real reason the great and good are giving us a wee bit more leeway when it comes to the grey area between what amounts to reasonable force, because that's what it will boil down to, the same as it always has, whether the amount of force used was reasonable.  The real reason is this - they are crippling our justice system, cutting the police numbers, leaving those who are still serving working in an atmosphere where moral is at rock bottom, populating the benches of our court systems with people who are not fit to judge a village flower show, let alone dish out punishments where they are needed.

This is nothing more than a cynical  ploy to deflect public attention from the ever growing problems in the justice system.  What next, will they be issuing handcuffs and pepper spray along with our supply of environmentally friendly bin bags?

Of course, what if the scum who break into houses decide that they are going to have to be prepared to defend themselves from the nasty homeowner.   Will the burglars now start carrying more dangerous weapons?  Yes, they will.

Of course, the people have decided this, don't have to worry about burglars do they? They are protected by armed plebs!  (sorry cops)

Abu Hamza and the one way ticket

I had been looking forward to this day for a long time.  Abu Hamza and the other terror suspects seemed certain to fail in their last attempt to avoid extradition to the states.  Like all other normal thinking UK citizens, I had looked on in utter disbelief as time after time, this evil old terrorist had wriggled and squirmed his way from appeal to appeal in an attempt to avoid the one way flight to the good ol 'US of A'   This last appeal was based on the claim that he was ill and needed medical treatment.

I had a personal interest in this case.  Having been the subject of an extradition attempt by Portugal, for a murder I didn't commit,  while the 'victim' is still alive, and,  having already been cleared of 18 years ago, I remember asking my brief about the appeal process, should the Magistrates Court agree to the extradition request.  I too could have appealed to the ECoHR and ended up with a lengthy appeal process.  There but for the grace of God go I?  No, I was innocent.  Just as the courts found Hamza guilty,  18 years ago the courts found me not guilty.  The Portuguese withdrew their extradition request in the end and I was left to try and get on with life.  Even now as I write this post, I wonder if my appeal would have taken as long as these terror suspects has taken.

2nd class citizens or women?

I was late arriving at the RCoJ.  I was not surprised to find only 100 or so protesters present.  They were split into two camps.  Those led by Anjem Choudary supported Hamza, while the other camp supported Baba Ahmed.  Choudary's mob were the usual faces.  Those claiming to be female - impossible to tell as they all wore full length coverings, were as usual separated from the men like second class citizens. Lets be honest here, I'm 23 stone, bald, and if my kids are be believed, none too pretty, but if I were to put on some eye make-up and a full length burkha with only my eyes showing, I could pass for one of them.  The fact that these burkha wearing folk wear eye make up, just like a western girl, kind of makes a mockery of their 'strict adherence to the Koran'.

Those who supported Baba Ahmed were a mixed bunch of white and Asian protesters.  They were more approachable and the sexes were mixing freely.  They were protesting about Baba Ahmed, while all Choudary's mob were doing was shouting about how much they hate the west!

In a break from whoring himself to the nasty western mainstream media, I managed to speak to Choudary and asked how he expected things to go.  He maintained that Hamza had little chance.  He apportioned a large part of the blame for Hamza's plight on the supporters of Baba Ahmed, claiming that the Baba Ahmed camp included members of the Muslim Council of Great Britain and other  Muslim groups, who, from the beginning had supported the extradition of Hamza.  I tried to get him to expand on this, but bizarrely, like some overgrown playground bully, he was more interested in gloating about the EDL not turning up for a promised counter protest.   He laughed at  the EDL's failure to turn up for the past two of his protests, claiming they were running scared of his group.

Scared of Choudary or not, the EDL are a spent force.  Any lingering public support they had disappeared after their latest demo in Walsall where they attacked the police.

confused.com

 Like most people I know, I would like to see terrorists punished for their crimes in the same manner they would be in their homeland - stoned to death, or perhaps decapitated with a rusty knife. Perhaps the deed could be carried out  by the winner of an 'Execute a Terrorist  Lottery' run by the CIA.  "And tonight's bonus ball is 14, the lucky winner gets to travel to Afghanistan and execute the latest captured Taliban terrorist"  However, we will have to make do with long prison sentences.  As I have just said, I don't think prison is the answer for them, but, in a civilised society such as ours, while it might not sit well with most,  it's what separates us from the savages.

 As someone who has covered most extremist Muslim protests in the past six years, it is clear to me that the extremist element of Muslim society is tiny. It is minuscule.  Are they dangerous? yes.  Are they distasteful and ignorant? yes.  But, they number at most, in the low hundreds.  They are being dealt with, by their own society as well as the security services.  Mainstream Muslim society are sick to death of extremists.  They are ashamed.  They have my sympathy!

As for Choudary, he is clearly flouting the ruling made by the Home Secretary regarding him and his mob continuing the activities of his previously banned groups, under a new name.  One of the charges which has led to several of these terrorists being deported is that of 'Promoting acts of terrorism by calling for violent jihad'.  Choudary and his mob do this at every demo they organise.  Indeed during the minutes silence on the anniversary of 9/11 they spent the minute chanting for jihad. No-one was arrested for that.  While he may think he is being clever, some of the Baba Ahmed camp at the RCoJ voiced their suspicions that Choudary is a mole for the security services.  This is not the first time this has been suggested. During the protest at the RCoJ there was a single white pro extradition protester.  He carried a placard which stated "if you want Hamza gone beep your horn".  He may or may not have been a member of the EDL.  Some thought he was others thought not.  His placard was grabbed by one of Choudary's mob.  This led to a scuffle which saw one of Choudary's people grab a cop by the throat.  The fact that they were not nicked just fuels the fire of thought regarding him being a mole.  It has to be said that if it were a member of the EDL who assaulted the cop, his feet would not have touched the ground.  Incidentally, most of the time there was a cacophony of noise as passing drivers blew their horns!

The families of some of the terrorists

Choudary and his few fellow extremists didn't even stay to hear the verdict.  They were gone long before it came out.  Before they left, Chowdary was asked if he any plans for a 'poppy protest' this year. It was announced that they have.  As usual, it wont be on Remembrance Sunday when any attempt to protest and burn poppies by them would lead to members of the public taking the law into their own hands and beating them senseless, it will probably be on the Friday afternoon before Remembrance  Sunday.  It will be hidden away from any chance of large scale protests against them by the public, somewhere where only the press and  the EDL will turn up.  A large scale police operation will ensure these vile, extremists get to abuse the right of free speech, so bravely fought for by the very men and women whose memories they seek to tarnish.

 As 2.30pm approached, and anticipating a promised statement after the verdict, the media started setting up at the gates to the court. I was in the front row.  Reporters were tweeting from inside the court, and soon the news came that the appeals were lost.  Personally I was pleased, but these cases have had so many appeals I half expected Hamza to collapse in prison in order to avoid the flight. Thankfully, the extraditions went ahead.  The terrorists are no longer a drain on our taxes.  Will they get tortured in the States - who knows, and lets be honest, apart from the usual left wing hand wringers, who cares.

More photographs of the event can be found here - http://mitchell-images.500px.com/abu_hamza_appeal/

The Innocence of Muslims

Police and protesters

I had been watching the developing backlash against this movie gaining momentum in the Middle East, and  suspected it was only a matter of time before it materalised in the UK in one form or another.  The target was always going to be the American Embassy.  The only question was whether any protest was going to involve thousands of Muslims like the turnout for the anti Operation Cast Lead demos of four years ago, or whether it would be a handful of the usual suspects.

It became clear that while all Muslims seemed to be upset about the movie, abroad, it was being used as a vehicle for those in positions of authority to get bodies on the street to cause mayhem.  I doubted that London based Muslims would emulate their Middle Eastern brothers, and take to the streets in their thousands to attack the American Embassy.  I've said before that the vast majority of Muslims in London are just normal folk who get on with their lives like anyone else.  I can't pretend to understand their beliefs, but as long as they don't step outside the law, I can live with that.  They probably can't understand mine either.

The march nears the USA Embassy

Scanning the social media sites, and speaking to people on the streets, it seemed on the face of  it, that if there was to be a demo, it was going to be a small affair, led by Evil Anjem.  Yes, the man who has led more failed organisations  than Tony Blair, was at it again.  His site had mentioned the name of the new organisation but it has now gone, clearly an attempt to avoid adding another banned group to his list.  Credit must go to the Imams of London Mosques who spoke against this protest.

His site called for all Muslims, individuals and groups to attend the demo.  There was mention elsewhere of Hitz Ut Tahrir attending, but apart from that, support seemed non existent.

The scene at the embassy was all too familiar.  Police vans parked up, cops on the ground and the police helicopter overhead.  As always there was a big press presence, including a couple of MSM outside broadcast units.

Evil Anjem and his band of nutters

Off in the distance flashing blue lights were coming into view.  I walked towards the lights and reached the march.  There were perhaps 100 at most.  As usual, the women were treated as second class citizens and made to walk behind the men.   So much for Choudary's call out to all Muslims!  A quick scan of the faces and it was soon clear that this was the same group of hateful scum who have masqueraded under many different names in the past.  I'm sure when The Home Secretary banned the last manifestation, (Muslims against the crusades), she included a clause that if police had reasonable suspicion that members of the same group were acting together in a manner which had led to the proscription of the first group, they would be liable to arrest.  The police FIT teams are always present at these demos so the cops would have been aware that this group were nothing more than Muslims Against the Crusades without the name tags.  Why weren't they nicked?  Well, if they had been, Choudary would have been elevated to martyr status and this would have led to more protests.  I reckon he was hoping to be nicked.  I  hope that when the publicity over the movie dies down, he will get a knock on the door, by big men wearing body armour, and men with big scary dogs.

They did their best to get nicked,  issuing death threats to everyone not Muslim, calls for world - wide jihad, blah blah, blah.  All very frustrating for any normal person.  Watching Choudary being interviewed by Press TV was funny.  He is like a baddie in a James Bond film.  It is impossible to take him seriously.  He speaks as though he is some self appointed  king of all Muslims.  In reality he stands there with what looks like food stains down the front of his jacket, surrounded by the handful of nutters he has managed to subvert over the years, babbling nonsense that is so hard to follow I gave up years ago.  He really does live in his own personal cloud cukoo-land.  He is even a laughing stock to other Muslims.  During the protest a group of four street 'yoots' walked past Stopping briefly, they asked what all the fuss was.  I told them it was Anjem Choudary and they laughed and said 'Oh man, da geezers a pwoppa nuttta'.  One of them said that Choudary had been banned from their Mosque years ago.  Another said "Bruv e ain't even a pwoppa Muslim".  What is it they say - out of the mouths of babes?

The protest itself was loud, there was not one banner or placard to do with the movie, strange when you consider that what Choudary said the protest was about!  They dispersed after an hour or so and went back to wherever they come from.  As they were leaving the cops pulled one youth aside to have a word with him.  Within seconds the cops were faced with a group  calling them racists, saying they were being treated like terrorists, etc.  The atmosphere was tense for a few moments then the group drifted away to join their pals.

Anti-extremist protesters

There was a small presence from the EDL who tried to shout down Evil Anjem and his band of disciples, but they were quickly led away by the cops.  Hitz Ut Tahrir did not attend.

The end result of the protest was that no one, not the American tourists who walked past, not the American diplomats in the embassy, nor any other passers by, paid them the slightest bit of attention, save to look on in amusement.   He was laughed at.  He was ridiculed.  He is a clown and yesterday he was treated like one.  Time to hang up your megaphone Anjem, either that or bugger off to somewhere where you are welcome!

Put down the pen and step away from the country Ms May

Why has the anger over the G4s fiasco gone away?  Has it just died a natural death they way of all British scandals?  There was national outrage when it emerged that the company charged with providing security for the  Olympic Games could not deliver on the multi million pound contract they had been awarded.

So, why were a company who did not have the manpower at the time the contract was awarded, given the contract in the first place?  Well, Dr John Reid joined the company as a group consultant in 2008.  I understand he is now on the board of the company.  Lord Reid, a diehard Glasgow Celtic fan who even back in 2008 had strong links to the club, made one of his first tasks for G4s the acquisition of Rocksteady Security - a firm who at the time supplied security to among other things, Scottish football clubs. Just one of the acquisitions that I would like to examine closely. I wonder how much the deal was worth?  His govt career involved a starring role in  the NI peace process, spending many hours in the company of the IRA high heid yins.  I would love to have been a fly on the wall of those meetings!  Lord Reid is  allegedly well known for his Irish Republican sympathies.  Allegedly there were several video clips of him at Celtic fans functions singing IRA songs which glorified the murdering of security forces personnel, and the late Lord Mountbatten.  Of course, these vanished   He is credited by non other than George ' I'm a pussy' Galloway for teaching a generation of  labour  activists the contents of the IRA songbook.   He was responsible for ordering the demolition of security forces bases and the supposedly 'phased' withdrawal of troops.   He has served as chairman of Glasgow Celtic, a club who have a reputation for sections of their support glorifying Irish republican terrorism along with a quite unexplainable level of support for Palestinian militias such as Hamas.  This is not a dig at Celtic fans, most Celtic fans I know are thoroughly embarrassed by this connection to terrorism.   However, it cant be denied that the West of Scotland in particular has long been home to a good number of wannabe terrorists, most of whom have no ties with Ireland, north or south.  They are simply keen to jump on the apparently trendy bandwagon of supporting left wing causes.  It's a bit like the students protesters who wore Arab style headress around their pencil necks.  I blame the schools.   This is were Dr Reid grew up.   Some readers will already know this but for those who don't - I am a massive Rangers fan.  Like most Rangers fans, I have friends who are Celtic fans. I have friends who are catholic.  I served in the army with friends who were both. This is not about football or religion, its about politics, not just left wing politics either.  Despite his, at times, high level govt positions ( remember, it was under the stewardship of Tony B lair), he comes across as a thoroughly untrustworthy individual.

Given that New Labour are a thing of the past, why did the current govt award the contract to G4s?  The whole thing stinks of the 'old boys network'.  His involvement proves the theory that party politics come a poor second to the massive greed for cold hard cash.   Well, old boys network or not, the security contract went tits up.  Troops and police are being used to provide the security at the games.  The Home Sec allegedly knew of the manpower shortfall yet did nothing.

The Argylls - covering the govts arse since 1881

Some of the troops searching spectators bags at Olympic events were until the call to save the govt arses came, part of an airborne quick reaction force, properly trained and ready to deploy anywhere in the world when they were needed.  Around 700 of those guarding the games had a few weeks earlier received the news that their Regt was no longer needed and many of them were being made redundant.   Not satisfied with that, the Olympic job meant that their summer leave was cancelled. These are the same men who have put their life on the line many times in defence of our country.  This is the thanks they got.

As for the cops, well, they too are being caned by the current govt.  Like the armed forces, they too have had their summer leave cancelled.  Pensions cut,  manpower cut to the point where they are forced to cover huge areas, often single crewed in cars or vans dealing with societies often violent dregs, at great personal danger. Along with this, they are also  expected to deal with everyday policing tasks - you know,  things like telling a relative that a loved one has been killed in a car accident.   That kind of thing! They work in a climate of fear, where failure to meet bizarre targets for dealing with increasingly management driven arrest figures, have resulted in plumeting moral.  Like them or loath them, everyone needs cops.  Everyone needs cops that are not afraid to do their job for fear of internal disciplinary actions, public humiliation, or worse, criminal proceedings.  They also need job security, like anyone else!

Having leave cancelled seems like a mere inconvenience when we see or hear it in the media.  What we have to remember is that in the case of the forces and to an extent in the police as well, annual leave is precious family time.  Often families have been without the man of the house, due to him being serving away from home for 9 months out of 12.  Children have been born, fathers have not been able to form relationships with newborns, schools have changed/started, all the normal points of family life that we civvies take for granted, and our seviceman00

What would happen if this happened again?

So we have police from many forces around the country and the armed forces providing security for the Olympics.  The thing is, these are finite resources.  Never has this been clearer.  Last weekend saw the 1st anniversary of the worst public disorder the UK had seen in a generation.  What went completely unmentioned by the MSM is the fact that on Sunday, a crowd estimated to be in the region of 8000 descended on the streets of Brixton to celebrate Jamaican Independence day.  There were stabbings, reports of gunshots and gang fighting.  Police reinforcements were called in, as at one point it was feared the violence of last year in Brixton was about to be repeated.  Thankfully it wasn't.  This was due in no small part to the  Afro Caribbean community who turned on the gangs at one point, telling them exactly what they thought of the damage they were doing to their culture.  In reality if the 8000 crowd had decided to riot again, they could have.

What should be the final nail in the coffin of Theresa May is the initial police response to the case of the missing New Addington girl, Tia Sharp.  After being missing for five days, this afternoon Commander Neil Basu admitted during a press conference that he had recalled 100 men from Olympic duties to boost the manpower on the case.  Those 100 officers should have been there from the start.  They would have been were it not for the G4s cock up.  This is a kid who has been missing for 5 days we are talking about.  You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to know that resources are needed at the start of a job like this.

To sum up, Theresa May  left the country in a position where we could not cope.  Take the worst case scenario -  a terror threat at an Olympic venue, rioting in the streets of Brixton and Tottenham, and an urgent overseas deployment for the armed forces.   All of them distinct possibilities.  What contingencies are in place? The TA? Give me strength.  She should step down and there should be a completely transparent public enquiry into the dealings between G4s, the govt, and  Dr (Death) Reid.  So far we have had G4s boss Nick (I won't) Buckle up before a Home Affairs Select Committee.  Lets be honest, Mr Buckle has fall guy written all over him.  I'll bet he wears clown shoes, big fuck off red and yellow clown shoes!