A peaceful protest turned violent, with shops forced to shut down, windows smashed, a chain store stormed by activists, and another supermarket almost set alight - all to the loss of millions of pounds. Perhaps one can't help wondering why would a permit have been issued for the rally, held on May 1, in the first place.

Or one may be more astonished to learn that no permit was actually required for the mass protest at all! Getting a police permit is essentially a non-issue. Sounds great? Welcome to Great Britain!

Where people are free to think and speak, peaceful rallies still the norm, and, how amazing ... no draconian Internal Security Act to watch over the men and women in the street in this erstwhile motherland of imperialism.