G20 demonstrations

Ultimately the police are there to protect the laws of the ruling classes. Sometimes, the laws of the ruling classes help the rest of us (e.g. making murder, rape etc illegal), but the primary purpose of the police is to protect private property, enclosure of commons, capital accumulation, and their privileged paymasters. You see, an economic system like capitalism that is manifested through a process of what is essentially crisis management can't survive without workers who do what they're told and STFU. The first police forces were gangs of thugs hired to protect property that was stolen from the peasants and sold/rented back to them by feudal lords. And they still are, in a sense, even if they have taken on some moderate 'community support' functions over the years.

well said.