I Spoke Too Soon...

When considering the possibility of street violence in Ireland, I was not thinking clearly about the number of people who actually enjoy a good scrap and take any opportunity to vent their spleen in any society. Thinking about who pays for damage and, more importantly, who might get hurt, does not seem to occur to them.
Last evening the news showed footage that seems to be straight out of Paris in 1968... except that it was short and quickly dispersed. Everybody thinks now that 1968 was a glorious delight all round. In fact, I know so much about it because I was studying it with a very personal interest. If the riots had not stopped, I would not have been allowed to go to France. I have had a horror of riot police ever since that time. And having been on a peaceful march in Dublin which ended with the burning of the British embassy, I have no time for violence of any kind. In fact, that was the last time I walked in a street protest.

Kyle Tunney has some very humourous photos on his blog of the 3 November, 2010 students' march, which was peaceful and good humoured up to the point where it was upstaged by outsiders. The most amazing is an image of old fogeys like myself in a large glass fronted building looking down, like God in Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde", upon the folly of the mortals below.
"What next? Freedom of Speech?" was printed on a drummer's sweatshirt.
Ah yes, the wit of the Irish...