more from cardiff's fees demos

[atthe_algonquin]

Students are apparently (ETA: maybe?  I've read both yes and no.)  being kettled on Queen St, at a demonstration by the Aneurin Bevan statue.  I am not sure if I regret not going, or I'm happy I stayed in and worked/did laundry.

It is bitterly cold out, incidentally.

(twitter tag #cdfdemo, for those interested.)

The Welsh Assembly Government's vote

Comments

[lee_rowan]

"Kettled" suggests to me the old cartoons about cannibal dinner parties; translation, plz?

[atthe_algonquin]

oops, sorry -- you're actually not a million miles off. It's when police essentially encircle a group of protesters, forcing them to stand very tightly together. It's a physical and psychological control method.

[lee_rowan]

They should get border collies. Same effect, less tension.

[atthe_algonquin]

Ah-- but you assume that the point is to decrease tension. There have been accusations that police use kettling to ramp up emotion, and make protesters look bad. It's also an intimidation tactic -- from what I've heard, it's really quite scary and claustrophobic.