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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

And what rules of engagement are we talking here? No Government will sanction any ballistic useage for crowd control so what deterrent are they posing? Oh, and how do you move them around as fast as the crews are going tonight? Lynxes won't drop enough men to have an effect on a group 200 strong.