Plastic bullets available to police for Wednesday's student protests

[malaise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/07/plastic-bullets-available-student-protests
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Scotland Yard says officers are free to use baton rounds in extreme cases but critics say tactic is 'appalling and un-British'

Baton rounds of plastic bullets will be available to police chiefs in an attempt to prevent disorder from breaking out in the capital during the latest round of student fees protests.

Trained officers will be free to use baton rounds for "extreme" measures as 10,000 protesters march through London on Wednesday to voice their anger over tuition fees and cuts. Scotland Yard commander Simon Pountain said about 4,000 officers will be on duty to police the event amid fears the march could be hijacked by anarchists.

Extra police are being deployed to help prevent a repeat of the scenes in November and December last year, when hundreds of arrests were made during protests over student fees.

"We certainly don't see it as inevitable that we will witness a repeat of last year's scenes of violence and criminal damage," Pountain said. "However, it would be negligent if we did not plan a response to the small minority who may be intent on disruption and may not intend to be peaceful. We have put in place a detailed policing plan covering not just the area of the march but London as a whole, which naturally takes prominent buildings into consideration.
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Fuck you Cameron!