I have made these posts below to provide a perspective on this story which is difficult to find in the mass media reports – eyewitness statements claims that the police provoked much of the violence themselves. I find that the video material I have seen from the scene very much tells the same story.

I want to add that I do not like or condone any kind of violence, if its not used as a last resort in a self-defence situation (even as a last resort, the use of violence can be discussed, but that is a whole other issue). I do think that some of the students who were at Parliament Square in London on the 10th of December 2010 really experienced that they did not have any other way out than to use violence. Still, most of them didn’t use violence, not even after being beaten by the police. Many say that the majority of violent acts against humans came from the police, and that the violent acts from students was mainly aimed at trashing government property (some windows, a statue, the car of Prince Charles…).

All in all, I must say that I do understand that young people cannot control themselves after standing in the cold for up to 8 hours without food, water or access to toilettes – being told, they still cannot get out…

Judge for yourselves.