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Well trained, professional soldiers, used to meeting extreme violence head on and are adheering to strict rules of engagement would IMO be considerably better than what I have seen the police do tonight.

Maybe not the best kit but some of the best soldiers, only problem would be how recently they have had the relevant tactical training, I had it but then in my day it was more conceivable that you would get deployed to NI than somewhere like Afghanistan

Everyone who gets deployed does public order training. Before I went to Iraq we spent a memorable few days in thetford having the shit kicked out of us by "rioters". They turned out to be a TA unit from Northern Ireland who were all Orangemen, and had learned to riot at Drumcree.