The culture of violenece !

The APEC summit to be held in Sydney this September brings with it the promise of sharply escalated violence. Police are warning that demonstrators are likely to use a device first seen in overseas demonstrations. This is a small, cheaply produced metal pyramid that presents a sharp spike capable of penetrating the sole of an officers boot - and that would be particularly deadly against police dogs and police horses.
This is likely to join a range of other offensive material such as " Molotov " cocktails - bottles of petrol thrown at police, marbles thrown under police horses and an array of missiles from bricks and cobble stones to metal spikes.
This raises the question of what constitutes a reasonable police response to such tactics. At present, there seems to be a degree of timidity. Despite intense provocation - and in some cases casualties - police are expected to refrain from responding with overwhelming force. They are expected to maintain a defensive stance and cop the full front of the attack - with only the use of batons as a last resort if the demonstrators are likely to break through containment lines.
Under this policy, the degree of violence has been steadily increasing.
A Molotov cocktail is a deadly weapon. Other missiles thrown at defending police are capable of causing death - and maybe the time is approaching when a new set of rules should apply.
Demonstrators are adopting methods of disguise. The ringleaders wear identical hooded garments with their face masked to avoid identification by CCTV cameras. They carry out their attacks and foment the surrounding crowd to violence - and then melt away.
The time has come to arm the police with weapons like .410 shotguns loaded with bird shot. If it is made clear that throwing a missile such as a Molotov cocktail is regarded as attempted murder then the person throwing can legitimately be shot in the legs to prevent the attack - and create the scenario for an arrest and appearance before a court on a serious charge.
Even if fellow demonstrators carry away the wounded before the police can make an arrest bird shot does not deliver a fatal wound, but the wounded would need treatment by a doctor or a hospital - and both have an obligation to report a gunshot wound.
Demonstrations are escalating in violence and the time has come to ramp up the police response. The hard core behind these incidents have no compunction in torching cars belonging to innocent Australian citizens - and torching McDonald's restaurants. That does nothing to hurt the American McDonalds chain - but it likely to financially ruin an Australian family who have taken out a franchise to operate one of these popular restaurants. Apart from the safety of the police controlling demonstrations the public have the right to have their property and livelihood protected from an element that is hell bent on anarchy !