Police over reaction at end of today's game

[LupoldMox]

Last year at Arsenal I posted a video of us having a great party under the stand at Arsenal. The video I took today was less fun. It shows how many members of Metropolitan Police's finest it takes to arrest a Villa fan for smoking. Massive over reaction from the authorities. They don't like being filmed, do they? I hope the guy got home alright.

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[Ad@m]

I can see what you're trying to do but how much sympathy do you expect when you post a video of the police dealing with someone breaking the law?

[brian green]

The law Adam sates absolutely clearly in black and white that the police may only use PROPORTIONATE force to make an arrest.   I hope you never find yourself in the position that young man was today.   I don't suppose you will because obviously you never break any law.

[villajk]

Wouldn't some of those numerous stewards/police have been better deployed elsewhere.

[Risso]

There certainly seems to be a lot of police there, but it's hard to see what exactly is going on in the video.  What force was used, and was it excessive?

[saunders_heroes]

What are the police accused of doing? Yes there seems to be a lot of them but they don't seem to be physically abusing him.

[LupoldMox]

Smoking a cigarette may be breaking the law - but it doesn't warrant 10 coppers and 20 stewards piling in - they gave him a right pasting and there were little kids sitting nearby who were terrified.

[LupoldMox]

The video only shows the aftermath - in the 2 or 3 minutes leading up to this it was pandemonium. All someone needed to do was say "you can't smoke in here - put it out".

[villajk]

Did this happen in block 20 and was that why it took so long to get out?

[brian green]

It only went calm like that when they saw we were filming them.   They gave him a right pasting.   He called to me.  "I can't go with them they are all pulling me in different directions".   It was absolutely disgraceful.   I am not anti police I AM totally anti football fans being treated like scum with no rights or protection from those charged with upholding the law.

[brian green]

Yes i was Block 20

[Greg N'Ash]

to be fair smoking is now on a par with peadophillia with the PC brigade.Even the supermarkets have now boarded up the displays like they're selling hardcore porn or something. The guy was probably lucky he wasn't taken outside the ground and shot the way things are going.

[villajk]

Looks like total overreaction.  The guy was wrong but no need for that and the potential danger it caused to others.

[Dave Clark Five]

If smoking in the ground is such a big deal, why don't they act consistently? They know that people smoke in the bogs and do nothing about it. Then they charge in like lunatics on this occasion.

[TimTheVillain]

Give a 'man' a uniform ...

The word 'PROPORTIONATE' would be lost on them Brian, 'PROPORTIONATE' is probably 6 coppers holding him down , 4 frisking him for offensive 'weapons' - cigarettes in this case - and another 6 beating him to a pulp for offending a Stadium Rule.

Mad days.