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U.K.: Riot police storm pub after a smoker lights up in protest to the ban
The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | October 15, 2007

Posted on 10/15/2007 1:51:46 AM PDT by Stoat

Riot police storm pub after a smoker lights up in protest to the ban

Last updated at 08:37am on 15th October 2007

 

Cigarette snubbed out

The ban on smoking in public places came into force in July this year

 

It wasn't exactly the dramatic finale one cricket fan was expecting.

Having installed himself in his local pub to watch England play India, John Vaughan was enraged when the channel was switched over to football just as the cricket was reaching its thrilling conclusion.

So Mr Vaughan lit up a cigarette in protest. When he refused to extinguish it, staff pressed a panic button behind the bar.

And a few minutes later six riot police officers wearing protective gear stormed the pub.

Mr Vaughan had been watching the one-day international at the Copper Pot pub in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, last month.

The game was about to finish when the channel was switched to the England versus Israel Euro 2008 football qualifier.

Mr Vaughan said yesterday: "The cricket only had ten minutes left, but the football wasn't even going to start for another 45 minutes.

"We complained but nothing happened. So I decided to light up out of protest.

"Staff told me I couldn't smoke, but I said I'd had enough of being pushed around by the Government.

"They pressed a panic button and the next thing I knew, there were six policemen in the pub and two outside."

No action was taken against demolition boss Mr Vaughan after he agreed to leave.

There was a big cheer round the pub from about 60 people, added Mr Vaughan, "and even the police found it quite amusing."

Warwickshire Police confirmed officers had been sent to the pub on September 8 following reports of a man "smoking and being aggressive".

A spokesman said: "They explained why he should not be smoking, asked him to leave and he did so happily."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: britain; donutwatch; england; greatbritain; johnvaughan; policestate; pufflist; smokers; smoking; uk; unitedkingdom
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To: Stoat

It seems you are having impure thoughts. Let us help you. Cleanse your mind, and then rejoin the happy masses.

Welcome to Hillerystein. She will do this, among other things, for our own good.


21 posted on 10/15/2007 4:53:50 AM PDT by Bitsy
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To: mylife

‘es smoking a fag. See ‘im off, then, if you will.


22 posted on 10/15/2007 5:00:59 AM PDT by Daveinyork
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To: DieHard the Hunter
"...the Proles are revolting!"

A fact that has long been well known. :-)
23 posted on 10/15/2007 5:12:59 AM PDT by Hegemony Cricket (You can't seriously tell me you think we need more laws, or that we don't already have too many.)
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To: Daveinyork

“It was a fair cop, but society is to blame.”

“We’ll be charging them too....”


24 posted on 10/15/2007 5:15:31 AM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Barney: I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. I tell you, this is just the beginning. Going around breaking street lamps! City property, mind you. Next thing you know they’ll be on motorcycles and wearing them leather jackets and zooming around. They’ll take over the whole town! A reign of terror!
Andy: Barney, these are just boys you’re talking about. They are only about eight years old.
Barney: Yeah, well today’s eight-year-olds are tomorrow’s teenagers. I say this calls for action and now! Nip it in the bud! First sign of youngsters going wrong, you’ve got to nip it in the bud.
Andy: I’m going to have a talk with them. What else do you want me to do?
Barney: Well, just don’t mollycoddle them.
Andy: I won’t.
Barney: Nip it! You go read any book you want on the subject of child discipline and you’ll find every one of them is in favor of bud nipping.
Andy: I’ll take care of it.
Barney: There’s only one way to take care of it.
Andy: Nip it...
Barney: In the bud!


25 posted on 10/15/2007 5:37:09 AM PDT by lowbridge
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To: Stoat

“I’d had enough of being pushed around by the Government.”
the reply by Government was to push him around some more. If there had been a group of machete-carrying fascist murderers chopping British heads off I suspect the pub owner would not have pushed the panic button and the police would have arrived 2 hours later with bags to pick up the heads and mops to clean up the blood. The authorities would have said “only people carrying out the tenets of their religion. Nothing to see here. Move on”


26 posted on 10/15/2007 5:41:49 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged
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To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged

The government is willing to force people to stop smoking “to protect their health”, but not willing to expel the millions of fanatics who want to chop their heads off.


27 posted on 10/15/2007 5:46:05 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (for those of you in Rio Linda...)
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To: Stoat

“wearing protective gear stormed the pub.”

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for a hilarious story. I envisioned them showing up in Hazmat Suits due to the smoke hazard (can’t stop laughing)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


28 posted on 10/15/2007 5:53:28 AM PDT by jedward (I'm not sure you meant, what I understand...or maybe you did.)
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To: thefactor
The ol big brother society. Gubba-mint knows best.

How bout banning alcohol and serving coca cola.

Same difference isn’t it? Second hand smoke kills....alcohol in the blood stream of a driver...kills.

Coca cola and CCTV cameras in the pubs to monitor the citizens.

29 posted on 10/15/2007 6:02:49 AM PDT by servantboy777
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To: lowbridge

Barney-the-Purple-Dinosaur: Hey kids, did you know smoking is bad for you?

Amanda: Gee, Barney, when people smoke around me, I feel sad!

Luis: Yeah, because if people smoke around me, I could die!

Barney: Oh No! That’s not very good! If people smoke, they could get cancer! And so could anyone else who accidentally breathes in the smoke — even if they aren’t smoking themselves!

Jenny: Barney, that’s not fair! People shouldn’t be allowed to make other people sick with cancer. They might die!

Barney: Jenny, it’s AGAINST THE LAW for people to smoke and make you sick with cancer!

Baby Bop: I don’t want to get cancer, Barney!

BJ: Me neither!

Barney: OK Kids, are you ready???

(All) Yeah!!!!

(to the tune of B-I-N-G-O)

ALL:
NO NO NO TO SMOKE!
Smo-king is no joke!
Makes me want-to-choke
And Smoking is Ill-Leee-Gul!

Amanda: I would never smoke tobacco in front of you, Barney! You’re my friend, and I don’t want you to get cancer!

Luis: Me, either, Barney! And cigarettes are expensive, and they smell icky!

Amanda: People who smoke should pay lots of tax!

Baby Bop: and Smoking is Illegal! Someone could call the cops!

BJ: and even smoking Marijuana isn’t good for you!

Barney: So what do we do if someone is smoking, kids?

All:

Stop!
Drop!
Call the Cops!
No No No to Smoke!
Smoking is no Joke!
Makes me want-to-choke!
And Smoke-king is ill-leee-gul!

Barney: Thanks, kids!

ALL:

I love you
You love me
Smoking is a tra-ves-tee
If you light-em-up
I am gonna call the cops
What-ever it takes to make you stop!

Barney: Thanks, kids!

Amanda: You will always be our big, purple friend, Barney! I love you!


30 posted on 10/15/2007 6:04:57 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: DoughtyOne

LOL!


31 posted on 10/15/2007 6:42:33 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
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To: atomic conspiracy

With the connivance of socialists in Britain, the Muslims will attempt to establish an Islamic reich..


32 posted on 10/15/2007 6:44:29 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
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To: metesky; Just another Joe; Madame Dufarge; Cantiloper; Judith Anne; lockjaw02; Mears; CSM; ...

33 posted on 10/15/2007 6:50:09 AM PDT by SheLion (I love Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

LOL! Thank you for the laughs! Knowing where Europe has gone and where we’re headed...it’s nice to have some humor to dull the effects :)


34 posted on 10/15/2007 7:20:36 AM PDT by jedward (I'm not sure you meant, what I understand...or maybe you did.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

That is effing BRILLIANT!


35 posted on 10/15/2007 7:30:52 AM PDT by thoolou ("I may have invented it, but Bill made it famous." - David Bradley, inventor of Ctrl-Alt-Del)
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To: Stoat; Abram; akatel; albertp; AlexandriaDuke; Alexander Rubin; Allerious; Allosaurs_r_us; ...
"Staff told me I couldn't smoke, but I said I'd had enough of being pushed around by the Government."




Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
36 posted on 10/15/2007 7:38:11 AM PDT by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/Ron_Paul_2008.htm)
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To: Stoat

>>So Mr Vaughan lit up a cigarette in protest. When he refused to extinguish it, staff pressed a panic button behind the bar.


And a few minutes later six riot police officers wearing protective gear stormed the pub. <<

I’m not surprised that staff would use a panic button.

Nor am I surprised that , not knowing what the problem was, police would respond in force.

What amazes me is they enough problems in pubs to have installed panic buttons in the first place.


37 posted on 10/15/2007 8:08:15 AM PDT by gondramB (Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.)
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To: traviskicks; eyespysomething
"Staff told me I couldn't smoke, but I said I'd had enough of being pushed around by the Government."

Aren't we all.

I'm currently in the process of scrambling to find some money because my accountant grossly under-figured my estimated taxes. The kids' Christmas presents are going to the government as it stands right now.

Also looking for a new accountant.

38 posted on 10/15/2007 8:19:25 AM PDT by SittinYonder (Ic þæt gehate, þæt ic heonon nelle fleon fotes trym, ac wille furðor gan)
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To: SheLion

Great pic!

It tells quite a tale about how ridiculous all this is.


39 posted on 10/15/2007 8:29:14 AM PDT by 383rr (Those who choose security over liberty deserve neither- GUN CONTROL=SLAVERY)
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To: thefactor

Well, yeah, but it wasn’t the bar’s rule, but a nanny state mandate.


40 posted on 10/15/2007 8:32:29 AM PDT by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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