Washing Away Protest - Damian Thompson, Neo-Fascist Christian

The Toffocracy's Event of the Year approaches, and with it demands for the 'exhilarating sight' of 'anarchists being blasted out of their pigsties by water cannon.' Or the right to free speech blasted away in the interests of tidiness and sadism. The 'anarchist' in question being the lovely Brian Haw and his epic anti-war camp outside Westminster Abbey. The squalid little fascist calling for this crime being one 'Damian Thompson', who is some kind of overpaid apologist for God, apparently. And they talk about waste in the NHS. From the delirious rambles on his blog, it is obvious that here is Father Seamus Fitzpatrick made flesh. Or 'incarnate', as he would prefer. 
From the Queen's point of view, of course, nothing could be less British than the use of force against unarmed innocent protestors. In fact, the presence of Brian Haw's peace tableaux will be the crowning glory of the day, as far as the image of Britain abroad is concerned. And the only worry for Haw himself might be that his protest is actually exploited by the government to endorse the intervention in Libya on behalf of the same rights Haw is demanding.
Either way, the best photographic angle will be the one which includes both Haw and the wedding coach leaving the abbey, if it goes that route.
Perhaps someone should ask Kate Middlebrow and Prince Whatsisname whether they would like their bridal path to be cleansed of legendary British tolerance by an act of cynical brutality, and whether this is the omen they want to invoke at the start of their Journey Together Through Life. That when someone disagrees with you, you just say "Free speech be damned" and blast them away. Might is Right.

Symbol Of Brown The Terrible Destroyed

2 weeks in, and the new Lovely Cuddly Condems are bulldozing a protest which stood throughout the reign of Gordon The Terrible, and has arrested the dissenter on unspecified charges. Free at Last! Free at Last!
Apparently, people thought it looked terrible in a place that so many overseas visitors come to. They naturally agree we need the right to peaceful protest but the tents and signs were just ridiculous. If they have to be so tiresome, why can't they go and be ugly somewhere just as ugly and leave respectable people to ignore everything as they always do. Protesting against war is just too inconvenient and too untidy to be allowed. And then there are the property values to consider.
The sensitivities of the genteel classes have always been wheeled out to defend suppressions of all kinds, and their willingness to sacrifice freedom for order is a characteristic of their class and the part it played in the nastier parts of C20th history. But today's Marie Antoinettes must be told to get back to their ornamental cows and pastoral idylls and leave real life to the grownups.
As for tourists, they presumably come just to see such free expressions of dissent. Otherwise, there is nothing in Parliament Square but a shabby patch of clods and trampled turf. For eye of toad and adder to watch, as the poet says.