Sir Christopher Meyer

Couldn't agree with you more Gd!

My son was attacked and beaten up. He looked absolutely appalling. His whole head swelled up to twice its size, massive black eyes and a poor broken nose. I was incandescent with rage after the first awful shock. The dreaded call from the police at 3 in the morning. He was young. Goodness knows what poor Christopher Meyer looks like. I don't understand how anyone can make themselves do that to another person.

Who is SK?

and in RL too.

Cheap and nasty to use the attack like that

I think it is extremely cheap and nasty to downplay the man’s injuries-he could easily have lost the sight of one eye- just because he was not sufficiently “beaten to a pulp.”
If he had been of an ethnic minority, the attack could (justifiably) have been deemed to be racist or a hate crime.
But white, middle class ...hmm
For all we know his photograph may have been known to his attackers or he may have spoken with an American accent or have been overheard referring to his time in Washington. Just surmising, but (thankfully) that level of attack is not your usual mugging especially not at Victoria Station in the mid-afternoon.
So hold with the passive aggressive sarcasm I’ve already seen the pictures thank you very much And the don't be silly Jal(ima) , and try perhaps to show some compassion?

I'm not blaming SK or anyone for it. You really have a bee in your bonnet maryeliza

As for seeing reports and photographs of people - probably more than you'll ever know (and worse).

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

but she didn’t did she because she wants to have a pop at the protests. Cheap and nasty to use the attack like that. Shame on me if it were true, but it isn’t.

And I never said it was OK - ridiculous stupid post. What’s the matter with you today? You’re usually a bit more sensible than this compared with some of your mates. Now I really am departing this stupid ridiculous thread and I’ll leave you all to finding a way to blame SK for it all

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

For heavens sake Jal haven’t you seen reports and photographs of other older people after they’ve been beaten up in the course of a robbery/ mugging gone wrong? Still looking for something to discredit the protesters - pathetic.

His face was very badly beaten but he was not beaten to a pulp - that implies his whole body not just his face, bad as that was. Beaten to a pulp can include broken ribs, a damaged liver or spleen, broken limbs.
so that's OK then

can include or may not necessarily.

Don’t be so silly Jal of course I am concerned about the beating - as I would be with anyone - but it was cheap of the OP to link it straight away to the protests - imo she was making cheap inappropriate capital from this - she could simply have started a thread on how dreadful it was that he had been attacked - but she didn’t did she because she wants to have a pop at the protests. Cheap and nasty to use the attack like that.

And - perhaps I shouldn't say this - but why has Sir Christopher been left in a state like this when any skilful pickpocket could probably relieve him of his wallet without him even noticing?

Priests = protests (damn iPad)

I know his face is a bloody pulp - I’ve already seen the photograph thank you very much. His face was very badly beaten but he was not beaten to a pulp - that implies his whole body not just his face, bad as that was. Beaten to a pulp can include broken ribs, a damaged liver or spleen, broken limbs. My whole point which is not ridiculous kitty is that the OP immediately linked it with the priests which was frankly bloody ridiculous.

Grandad1943, I don't know what motivated your post but it can't have been anything that GD said
Grandad I haven’t got the faintest idea what you are talking about, and won’t give your remarks any credence!

Very strange post. As if anyone was accusing the Labour party of attacking him

And maryeliza you seem more concerned about the suggestion that there could be any possible link to politics than the fact that a man has been beaten up by thugs.
Which is quite telling.

In case anybody else had missed this as I had

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/12/former-uk-ambassador-us-christopher-meyer-attacked-london

I read absolutely nothing in OP’s post to occasion the immediate “outrage” from Grandad, MaryEliza and defensive accusations that this is an example of Union bashing. Simply can’t see where Grandad is coming from but if MaryEliza cares to look at the picture from the Guardian long, his face is a bloody mess.
No simple pickpocketing or chance mugging I fear. Broad daylight? Victoria Station? Perhaps he was targeted, but either way Ithink we are all appalled that such a thing could happen

They often are (sigh!) I too would think it was a random attack, but on the other hand, these days, no one can be certain, things aren't always as they seem, so no need for sarky comments to GD.

Grandad I haven’t got the faintest idea what you are talking about, and won’t give your remarks any credence!
Don’t be ridiculous, Maryeliza! ‘Quite Trumpian’ indeed! I was shocked this morning at the violence this man had suffered. It seemed too coincidental to be a simple crime (I read later that it was even the first thing that crossed his wife’s mind, apparently) and it came on top of the extreme distaste I felt for the fact that the Mayor of London had given his sanction for the display of an extremely insulting effigy of the head of state of one of our major allies, as a protest, over Westminster. It matters not what I think about Donald Trump - and believe me, you really do not want to know - and I am not against peaceful protest, but what does it say about our country when we think we can pour such ugly approbrium on an American President (whatever the cut of his jib), but no one chose to insult the visiting Chinese Premier in such a manner and their human rights record does not bear examination.

Grandad1943, I don't know what motivated your post but it can't have been anything that GD said.

Sorry, GD, I know you can stand up for yourself but Grandad's post is just ridiculous!

As is MaryEliza's.

Jal you being disingenuous again- the OP clearly linked it to the protests to make a political point. If she cared about the general point of older people being attacked there have been several dreadful examples in the last few months without a post from her ( or you for that matter).

Have only just caught up with the news - poor, poor man whatever the motivation.....

Greyduster, there are over half a million members of the Labour party and over six million members of affiliated trade unions. Therefore even if these criminals are members of the Labour movement they are not in any way representative of any policy or condoned action of that movement.

Also freedom to peacefully demonstrate is part of our democracy. Therefore if people wish to protest against a leader who locks up Children in camps they are entitteled to carryout that action.

I hope he is recovering well.

It's frightening that two children may have been responsible and have been arrested in connection with this.

I agree with what Greyduster said that she was appalled and ashamed of the kind of country we are becoming.
This is a shocking thing to happen to someone going about their daily business.