It’s all been kicking off, as they say, or as I think they might say, in Bristol. Protests against the anti-protest-give-the-police more powers bill degenerated into stones being thrown at a police station, police vehicles set on fire, a number of police officers injured and some people arrested. The mayor of Bristol seems to think much of the violence came from organised groups who go looking for trouble, rather than actual Bristol people. He said:
“Experience would suggest that there are a group of people running around the country looking for any opportunity to enter into physical conflict with the police or representatives of what they see as the establishment, whether it’s the bill, whether it’s some other protest, they’ll take the opportunity. Let’s do the debate around a bill, justice, and not attach it to these people who’ve gone out and tried to smash up my city.”
Whoever causes the violence though, it doesn’t help the cause as it just give Priti Patel more ammunition to talk about “thuggery and violence”.
Incidentally I read that one of HM Inspectors of Constabulary, currently looking into police action at the Clapham vigil, is suing the government for racism and sexism. He receives a salary of £140,000 a year and discovered that a black female colleague receives £185,000. He thinks this is unfair! I think it’s unfair that they are paid so much to investigate stuff. Maybe it’s supposed to ensure they are above being bribed by those they investigate. But when nurses and teachers and carers, not to mention cleaners and deliverymen and shop assistants, are underpaid I do wonder what these people do to be worth so much!
Some people have done well out of the pandemic. The Kingfisher company, which owns B&Q and other such stores, has reportedly increased its turnover by a huge percentage. It’s all the people using pandemic stay-at-home time to do renovations and makeovers. But give the company their due, In December they pledged to repay £130m they received in business rate relief. We are all in this together, after all. You can do it, if you B&Q it!
Over in Iceland they’ve been having volcanic eruptions, creating some spectacular visual effect. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/19/iceland-volcano-eruption-under-way-in-fagradalsfjall-near-reykjavik
Follow the link. They have some splendid names in Iceland: Reykjavik, Krysuvik, Keflavik and Grindavik, to name but a few. Their volcanoes also have great names: Eyjafjallajökull, the one that brought air traffic to a halt with its ash cloud some years ago, and this current one, Fagradalsfjall, which isn’t really causing problems. There was a no-fly zone for a while but it seems to be subsiding. The public were advised to stay away but people were driving up at the weekend to take a look and probably to take a lot of photos. The thing I like about names in I eland is that as well being called Such-a-body’s-son, you can be also be Such-a-body’s daughter, such as “Gudmundsdottir”.
That sounds like a good feminist move!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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