Where the blame lies

The behaviour of the police at the demonstration which led to the death of the innocent newspaper seller on his way home from work is to be investigated thoroughly

Until they report, the rest of us should not take sides.

On the face of it the police seem to have been heavy handed, to judge from accusations by protesters. Perhaps they were heavy handed, and perhaps late in the day they went in too strongly on the unfortunate man who died.

It will not absolve the police involved, but the question is why the protest was allowed. There was every chance that extremists would take over and cause violence, and by the end of the day many of the police had spent hours being spat at, and being pushed and shoved.

If the organisers of such protests are unable to guarantee a peaceful protest, then the protest should not be allowed. It's all very well accommodating the rights of some to protest, but what about the rights of workers in the area and their companies, owners of trashed property and the police themselves? Above all any protester caught wearing a mask is obviously considering breaking the law and should be detained as soon as possible.