Yes, this is England. But it will happen here:
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.
The London mayor, Boris Johnson, has already announced a consultation on the introduction of water cannon onto the streets of London ready for use by this summer.
The world’s richest and most powerful people (mostly men) are meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week to plot our economic and political futures. 85….85 of those attending the meeting own as much wealth as 3.5 billion of the world’s poorest people. Those 85 people own $110 trillion dollars or 46% of the world’s total wealth. There won’t be any democratic elections held in Davos. Is this any way to run planet earth? Obviously the 1% thinks so. Which is why they’re going to need those water cannons.
And what about the environmental impact of so much potable water being used for hoi polloi control?
Like the One Percenters give a damn….
Water cannon will be the least of it when it comes. But it’s humane, like tasers. Nothing so crude as Kent State, Jackson State, Tlatelolco, etc.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/this-pain-inducing-acoustic-device-used-to-control-crowds-in-azerbaijan-might-be-us-made/274036/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/13/us-military-heat-ray-weapon_n_1343092.html
And those are just some of what they’re telling us about. USA, freedom, yeah.
They can always use fracking wastewater!
A water cannon can actually do great damage. Consider the 66 year old retired engineer in Germany who was blinded in an environmental protest this past September:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1338445/Tuition-fees-protests-The-devastating-effects-water-cannons-revealed.html
excerpt – “…Mr Wagner, a retired engineer, was injured during the Stuttgart protest in September as he tried to help others who were caught in the powerful jet of water.
At least 116 people were injured when police turned water cannons, pepper spray and batons on the crowd, who were protesting against the cutting down of trees to make way for a rail extension.
Mr Wagner said he had raised his arms and waved at police to indicate to them they should stop. But he was hit directly in the face with such force that he lost consciousness.
His eyelids were torn, the lenses of his eyes were damaged and part of his orbital bone – which encases the eye – was fractured…”
When you are threatened by attack from your enemies; recruit, organize, develop a strategy (always knowing that some of your number are traitors) and turn their violence against them a thousand fold.
County law enforcement h-yeah in my neck of the woods has a GD tank or two – courtesy of the U.S. Military.