I guess the saying that 'when there's a hero without a villain we shall witness the hero become a villain' is not out place.

Police brutality, gotta love it.

Funny thing is, I've never seen the police actually beat down on large crowds like they do on those single people or small groups. Most of the time it's one or 2 dudes, usually unarmed, getting the shit kicked out of them on the ground. A week ago there was a nation-wide strike here, and I live right next to the dock worker HQ here in Antwerp. They were making a huge fire in the middle of the public road (in a residential neighbourhood), which burned pretty much all day long. I've seen them throw car and truck tires on there, as well as just about anything they could find a block or two away (trash bags, trash cans, road signs, furniture from bars nearby, pressurized spraycans), so yeah very safe and healthy. Lasted from 7.30 AM to 10 PM. Haven't seen one cop all day.

They were patrolling around the neighbourhood to make sure things wouldn't get out of hand, but didn't have the balls to come in here and take care of the fire and the protesters. Not that I blame them per se - you don't want to deal with a crowd of 200 + angry dock workers - but it goes to show again how selective they are in their show of power. Kicking the crap outta some kids? Fuck yes! Trying to pwn 200 bad ass grown men? Uhm yeah...no thanks.

(also should note that I got a warning for riding my bike on the sidewalk 2 streets away on that very same day, from one of the police cars patrolling the perimeter. Had to restrain myself not to ask why they wouldn't take care of the really dangerous stuff going on 2 streets down for like, all day already. Fucking pigs.)

Because beating down two-to-five people is the officers decision, taking down 200 people is a political decision.

True. Also, they can't take down 200 dock workers.

Sure they can, but its a messy thing with very high risk of casualties. There is whole theory of how to take down such a mob and it is totally doable, includes water cannons and dividing the crowd, isolating them and taking them down with tear gas and shit.

Yeah, but you have to take into account that these guys were on their turf (either small streets with plenty of bars that are only frequented by them, or large open port areas with hangars), with easy access to all sorts of heavy machinery and other tools. Hell, they were throwing flashbangs and shooting flare guns all day. That's a step up from the usual worst threats (hooligans or regular strike protests, or youths in the street). After all this isn't Colombia or some shit, where the army is used to invading ghettoes and fighting it out with armed gangs.

Once the adrenaline kicks in, the mob is just that, a mob. With no training to counter-act the adrenaline none of those advantages truly work. Actually this no army stuff, riot training is part of the police school training.

pretty shocking video but i wonder how much of an issue is really is. For sure those cops caught on camera acting like that got prison time... At least i hope.

200 dudes throwing toys out the pram? Sure the police can take em, but i guess with superior numbers and that might not be easy to plan quickly. I dont know how it works but im kinda surprised they werent dealt with. Maybe the fact they were static and not a thread to residential or commercial property meant its not worth dispersing them. Plus yeah.... Dockworkers make you think twice. If ity was students im sure its not as tricky.

If i was the police chief i woldnt have pussied out of a ding dong. I woulda called in 300 riot police and surprise attacked them with a pincer move then used cavalry to charge the rear and set loose dogs to chase down anyone that flees.

Oh wait thats rome total war

As I said, dispersing that big a crowd is a political decision, probably on internal affairs ministry level. During the April riots here in 2007 the police side took injuries where some people had to go on a medical leave. So dispersing a crowd that big has consequences well outside the visible sphere. I was stationed at the holding area and we had like 50 60 police staff and 200 300 detainees of which most were peaceful thank god. The violent once were quickly pacified and isolated.

I think it all depends on the situation - the layout, how many people, what kind of people. If there's enough of them in a large enough area, the police may stop the worst from happening, but that's really it. Take the London riots last year. Hundreds, maybe thousands of yobs all over the city, that's uncontrollable.

I should clarify that when I said "tools and machinery" I was also talking about big JCB's and stuff. I actually saw them drive one here -into a city residential area- from the port area, its front full off wood for the fires they were making. That's something no normal police force is prepared for, hell it's bigger than most of their riot vehicles. It's almost the equivalent of driving a tank into a city. Together with all the things I already mentioned, you can see why they (police) were just patrolling around the area and hoping things didn't get out of hand. Shouldn't underestimate the dock worker mentality either....there's 6500 certified of them in total, and it's a very particular trade where they watch each other's backs. It's hard to get into the trade and once you're in, you're one of them. If a few of them get in deep shit with the police, the others won't be far behind.

well, ultimately the police are there to protect the people from... other people. usually a small number of criminals and assholes. When you've got 300 people or whatever, that's no longer a small number of criminals. That's a neighborhood or a citizenry or something. At that point, imo, the police should step back and just try to make sure people don't get hurt too much.

Lol, that's pretty hilarious.

I had a chat with my cousin who's part of the police force here in Antwerp (special intervention) about the thing I talked about earlier - the dock workers striker and how they started fires and shit without the police intervening at all. He pretty much confirmed what I said: that they were ordered to stay out until things got completely out of hand, because they were afraid that a confrontation might have really incensed the dock workers and lead to an even much bigger problem they couldn't possibly control without assistance from the army and federal troops. Too many people, too much heavy machinery, and too many small streets to fight in/innocent bystanders to take into account.

Sure sucks for the people like me who are caught in the middle of the dockworkers' little rage party, though. "A couple hundred of big guys are building a 3-meter high fire in front of your house sir? Well, good luck with that. We'll come in once the house catches fire."