Imagine being 17 now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9276000/9276699.stm
This is the story of a group of 17 year old girls who wanted to protest and planned to leave if things became violent... and what happened when they found they couldn't. I find it difficut not to weep just looking at the picture but to read these words.

I also saw another video from a mobile phone at the point when the police charged the kettle... towards the end there is a boy. He looks no more than 13, perhaps younger. Maybe the police do have a difficult job, I've seen violence against them and admire them for the work they do... but there needs to be more sensitivity, humanity and better training to deal with the huge range of individuals involved in a crowd such as this. I've read several accounts where people explain being pushed to the front, where they try hard to back away from the riot police and end up getting a beating. I could easily imagine myself in that situation too but there is no possibility for peaceful protest because there will always be a few who want to fight the police.