When I was growing up, I listened to a lot of Rage Against the Machine. Being an impressionable young man, I tried really really hard to hate the police, the pigs, the fuzz.
As I have become more comfortable with myself, however, I can't hold it in any longer. All the police I have met are lovely, and very reasonable people.
Two times police have come to a loud party I was at, only to sit down for 10 minutes and have some lemonade and a chat. Another time we were having a drunken bonfire on a wasteland in the middle of Sheffield, when prompted by residents, a fire engine and the police came. The firemen (love them too) looked slightly unimpressed by the size of our fire, expertly put another log in just the right place, and gave us an extinguisher. I talked to one of the cops about holiday plans. Then they left.
Really the police in this country (the UK) are fine. They don't even have guns. When I told that to my Bolivian friends they said incredulously 'well why does anyone do what they say?!?'
I think other people feel the same way. I saw Dizzee Rascal last week. He was evidently about to sing a song about fucking the police or something, and started out "who here likes the police" and the crowd all screamed back 'we do!' and cheered. I think he was a little thrown.
And then there was this tale of the protest outside the Drax Power Station in Selby this week. Everyone was very sensible and nice to each other. The protesters even made a statement to the papers praising the police's mature and gentle attitude. And how often does that happen?