More austerity coming to UK this summer? Requests for water cannon from Boris and police
While Oxfam reports that the 85 richest people in the world are as wealthy as the poorest half of the world - http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017170945 - the Association of Chief Police Officers and London's mayor are busy requesting water cannon in anticipation of summer unrest. And the police are directly linking the request to austerity measures.
Hmm - as the rich get richer, are they afraid the poor are getting the picture? Especially since austerity measures have shown a negative rather than a positive outcome (well, except for the already wealthy becoming ever wealthier).
Police to ask home secretary to approve use of water cannon across country
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/22/police-home-secretary-approve-use-water-cannon-austerity-protest
Chief constables are shortly to press the home secretary, Theresa May, to authorise the use of water cannon by any police force across England and Wales to deal with anticipated street protests.
The Association of Chief Police Officers says that the need to control continued protests "from ongoing and potential future austerity measures" justifies the introduction of water cannon across Britain for the first time.
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The report says there is no intelligence to suggest there is an increased likelihood of serious riots within England and Wales, but states "it would be fair to assume that the ongoing and potential future austerity measures are likely to lead to continued protest".
More on Boris requesting water cannon:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/08/met-police-water-cannon-britain
and
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cartoon/2014/jan/08/steve-bell-boris-johnson-water-cannon
