Stu is absolutely correct, and the introduction of a police state is something else we have to thank Thatcher for.

A couple of interesting examples.

When David Cameron dared to show his face in Liverpool recently, the dozen or so protesters who had gathered to greet him, had the Public Order Act read at them, while they were peacefully assembling, and before Cameron had got anywhere near the place.

I recently helped occupy one of the Liverpool branches of Starbucks. This was at the height of the scandal over the taxes which this ratbag multi-billion pound rganisation weren't paying. Again, the protest was entirely peaceful. In fact, long story, but some of the women protesters had organised a creche, so there were quite a few babies and toddlers present. So that's how violent it was. Nevertheless, I was approached by a police inspector, as the presumed "leader" (I wasn't the leader, presumed or otherwise) and told that if we didn't disperse, we would be arrested for aggravated trespass. On what grounds? Well, according to this inspector, we were intimidating the staff. I remarked that I'd never seen a bunch of workers who looked less like shitting themselves in my entire life. He said "Ah but you haven't seen the girl who's out in the back crying". For a moment I was rather discomforted and asked if I could go and offer her a word of comfort and an apology (that word again), because the last thing any of us wanted was to cause any distress to the underpaid and overworked employees of Starbucks. They weren't our target. Of course I couldn't talk to her. She didn't exist.

On another occasion, I and a small number of others were getting ready to protest at the local government cuts. The area where we assembled was on a public thoroughfare, and it was was far too wide to cause any inconvenience to passers by, or to the objects of our protest (a conference being held in a building across the way). We were told by a police sergeant this time that, unless we stood inside the spot they'd designated for us, they would escort us away from the area. No, we hadn't broken any law, but our presence was intimidating the staff inside the building!!!

The paramilitarisation of the police is just one more reason why the party started immediately the news of Thatcher's death broke, and why it will continue until her name is buried for ever more.