Thomas Hobbes famously described what it would mean to live in a state of nature. In such a world there would be:
“No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”
It’s hard to really disagree with this assessment, very few of us would want to experience The Lord of the Flies with grown-ups. This being the case, as well as laws, there needs to be some enforcement mechanism in place. In a twenty-first century context, in practical terms, this necessitates having a police force. Of course, as the physical incarnation of the coercive power of the State, police forces need to be accountable. The Courts, Parliament and the Executive all have a role in monitoring their activities. Furthermore, citizens can and should have direct routes to challenge abuses, for example making a complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, or even suing in tort. Demanding appropriate investigation and redress in cases of inappropriate use of police powers is entirely rational and fair.
However, the kind of scenes witnessed at the “Kill the Bill” protest in Bristol on Sunday 21st March and subsequent days were something else entirely. Attacking the men, women, dogs and horses who are trying to keep communities safe is completely unjustifiable. It is senselessly cruel and fundamentally incompatible with any sort of belief in the Rule of Law. Whether or not the provisions contained within the Police and Crime Bill are desirable, nobody deserves to come to work to help people, and go home with broken bones or a punctured lung.
Anyone who constructs a worldview which conceives of the police as the enemy has waved goodbye to any belief in justice and security. This isn’t to say that there aren’t serious systemic challenges which require urgent attention. There are societal level issues which the United Kingdom needs to address, including racial injustice, misogyny, and class prejudice. Inevitably, police forces are going to experience the same problems and bias as wider society, and these urgently need to be tackled, but throwing fireworks in the street is not a means to make positive progress, especially when the targets are emergency workers.
It is worth remembering that police officers were not the only people in jeopardy whilst trying to deal with this unrest. What about the consequences for people who needed the police whilst so many personnel and vehicles were tied up? Police are the first responders for victims of domestic violence or burglary, and are often the ones to attend a suicidal person standing on a motorway bridge, or the bank of a fast-flowing river. The actions of those taking part in the riot had a huge impact on innocent third parties in desperate need, and potentially at great risk.
The bottom line is that whatever part of the political spectrum you inhabit, if you believe in the Rule of Law, violent attacks are police forces need to be condemned. Ultimately, whoever we are, we rely on their services. Anyone could find themselves involved in a road traffic accident, or have an elderly loved one with dementia get lost on a shopping trip. Do you really want the same people who might be holding your hand as you lie injured and frightened on the tarmac, or out searching to bring your grandmother home safe, to be the ones injured just for turning up to do their job?
Related Articles
Bristol riot: violent clashes with the police “shameful” BBC News (22/03/21)
Bristol police attacked as “Kill the Bill” demo turns violent BBC News (21/03/21)
