Rioters are using weapons that can kill or maim and police have a right to defend themselves, Capt Bu Najma said in an exclusive interview with the GDN.
Reaction by the security forces was ‘mild’ in comparison with the violence used by the rioters, he said.
“They (rioters) have used Molotov cocktails, sharp sticks, sling shots and even golf balls, which can kill,” said Capt Bu Najma.
“The tyres they burn are dangerous as well and produce noxious gases that can harm.
“In turn, the police use tear gas that is an internationally-accepted tool to deal with violent protests.”
He denied that police used ‘rubber bullets’, saying they were “only rubber” and “not bullets”.
“They are used by trained hands who know where to shoot and from what distance.”
Ahhhh, this drink is SO refreshing! Can I have some more please?
Comments
Rubber bullets can kill aswell… I remember some case from Northern Ireland, where rubber bullets left a kid dead.
But the police should always be peaceful – even when the rioters are violent.
Simon Columbus,
We have also lost a young man a few years ago due to being hit with a rubber bullet in the head. His name was Mohammed Jum’a if i recall correctly.
Golf balls can kill eh?
This is the most pathetic interview ever. You can only get this from the governments’ No.1 ass kissing newspaper, the GDN.
OOOh please…. why dont u talk about what you do in roits salman instead of kissing newspaper guys ass and on the other hand mahmood have found a new way to make his site popular , He himself just wants to make it the talk of the day ,a logo with a no sunni and a no shia is just for display.. And I think now you know why that guy’s eye was swallon , and why dont you put the roits picture which is in gdn instead of this old pic with new topics…
i totally agree with the police here … they have been very very mild in the last couple of years ….. they are not even using rubber bullets … they are using paint ball rubber like thingy …
simon …
But the police should always be peaceful – even when the rioters are violent.
well .. let this rioters burn ur house, car and make ur neighborhood a red zone where u cant go out and ppl don’t want to visit u ….. let them kill or badly harm any of ur friends or family member .. and then try to make sense of what u wrote ..
In the interest of balanced reporting, I tought the following passage, appearing in the same gdn article, needed to have been highlighted too.
The question thus is: does it mean that all government has to do is to send ‘riot” police to turn even any bone fide peaceful demo into a violent one? where does the buck stop? chicken and egg?
The buck stop by respecting human rights and the constitution of course. Having a public official who is charged with “serving and protecting” the people coming up with neophyte excuses to using force to subjugate human freedoms as in assembly and speech is reprehensible.
But then some of the comments above excuse the police to do what they do. Unless we start respecting each other and standing against the gross abuse of human rights and just simplify matters as “them and us” and “shi’a and sunna” we deserve the police we have.
Can you just think of any excuse for you (those who are against the opinion) to go out and demonstrate in the street? Think of a cause, any cause, and then put yourselves in this situation. Will you then still think of “them and us” mentality, or would you rather start thinking now of the respect that must be demonstrated for basic human rights?
Seems to be quite a bit of “blame the public” lately. Makes me think the government are getting anxious. 😕
More power to the police, I got caught driving through one of these peacefull rallies f-ckin jaffer broke my windshield, peace bullshit these punk ass kids will never have any respect they are pure garbage, fact they will flood this place with more cheap labor which will only compound the problem. I would never hire a lazy ass bahraini kid what for so all he could do is take Ijazza and smoke cigs all day pathetic there is no work ethic here, granted indians are not the most bright slaves in the world but at least they are obedient slaves and work like niggers.
Azgetic – Wow! I do not know what else to say to you.
azgetic = ass get it
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6724531.stm FYI.
Any solution f. all Winston Smiths?
64b58d6
Apparently this guy doesn’t remember what happened before when non-riot police would come. It would end up with their jeep burnt by molotov cocktail thrown at it.
This reminds me of the incident with the British soldiers filmed beating Iraqi kids for throwing stones and cans. At first sight it seemed cruel and vicious and unneccessary, but then someone pointed out that from the soldier’s point of view it was impossible to tell the difference between someone throwing a bottle and someone throwing a grenade, or molotov cocktail. We can’t expect people to simply stand in line and face such risks, so in that context the administering of an arse-kicking as a deterrent seems appropriate. Soldiers and policemen have a right to defend themselves.
What i do in riots? Were you the guy i threw a big slab of cement onto two years ago from the roof of my grandparents house? If it was you, then i must sincerely apologize. My intentions were that the slab would fall onto the floor, and break into little pieces, and then the other guys could use throw them at you, they were running out, and asked me for a reload. I really didn’t mean to hit you and crack your skull open and have your brain fall out and leave you without one now 🙄 ever so sorry. I hope you can forgive me?
Oh, and by the way, I think my friend took it to the FilFila sandwich shop and had it fried and served in sandwiches. I know, cannibalism, but hey, must have taste nice! A goat is not so smart, and its brain tastes lovely. So, i think the smarter the person is, the tastier the brain. But yours needed a lot of seasoning, it had a bad odor of “hatred” to it.
Hey, wanna make history? You can now be the first guy to have a brain transplant!
12 anon …
remember this
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/7104/dmpiu0.jpg
it seems that many ppl have no problem with it …. and always write the story one sided … let the world know the other …!!
Yeah I remember that incident. I think that hypermarket in Dana mall is still closed.
While violence on any side should not be condoned, and I most certainly do not, the issue at hand is not a “he did and she did” but rather the gross absence for the respect of basic human rights by the government which should be the side that protects and propagate it.
People’s emotions will always fly, especially in crowd situations, so if the government were to respond to every one the way they so far have, then we can expect trouble every time we gather.
It is incumbent on the government to maintain and promote peace, not propagate violence.
Blewyn, You give me headache!
First, re Iraq you pose an impossible dichotomy, answering it is outside the subject while ignoring it leaves such important stupidity as finding false excuses for the brutal and uncivilized acts of British soldiers in Iraq, ignoring such basic facts as even their presence in Iraq being both illegal and unjustifiable.
As to the rest of your ill-conceived notions, I think you needed to have read Mahmood’s words, especially in 6 and 17 above.
I would add to them only that: the swaying force to side on basis of is “who is at fault, such that the other party is justified or at least excused in using reasonable force to resist?”
Finally, note that only reasonable force is called for. If one side used golf balls, the other party cannot be said to be justified in using rubber bullets. I would not mind both sides using golf balls against each other (at worst), tennis balls being best than all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6xICN14PQc
Is that what he (Capt Bu Rajama/Bu Najmah) had in mind when he said:
Yasser, it’s exactly the same situation ! If you’re under attack from people throwing things at you, you don’t care about the legality of anything, you just care about your own safety. The kids in Iraq were lucky they weren’t mistaken for a real grenade attack, and shot there and then.
I agree with you that both sides should seek to avoid violence, but once a policeman is on the street he has no choice but to make his own safety his first priority.
Doesn’t it matter at all (to you at least) whether or not he is on the right or wrong side?
If, without any qualifications, each one, including a policeman, is to wear a ‘my safety first’ mind, then doesn’t it follow that there would be no place for responsibility at all. Doesn’t it also mean that it’s ok to use excessive force, including killing, as a prelude arising from ‘my saftey first’ attitude?
Who in the first place says that the job of policeman should be a safe or a safer job in any economy or society? Why should this job be any safer than, say, the jobs of construction workers or fishermen, or firepersons, or workers on hospital labs?
Protests are good. People should take up positions and let the
community know what they are protesting about.
Rioting is wrong! Only property gets damaged and people hurt.
We need to differentiate between protesting and rioting.
Police are there to provide civil protection. They too, need to be
‘policed’ to make sure they don’t go beyond their authority.
You’re very right F. Thank you for that contribution which puts things into perspective.
Yasser, it’s true police can be abused by the powers-that-be to oppress people, but that doesn’t alter the fact that individual policemen under attack can’t be reasonably expected to do anything other than protect themselves. Attacking police is not the way to effect change !