Talk:Ken Livingstone

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Ken recently got in the news again by comparing the Tiannamen Sq massacre to the poll tax riots in London in 1990. This should be mentioned along with his other bon mots. That was really a strange one even for Ken - no-one got shot at, much less killed, by the police in London in the Poll Tax riots, in contrast to the massacre at TS. And the poll tax riots were an aggressive protest against what was seen as an unjust tax, not a peaceful process against a Communist/Fascist gvt. Then Ken dredged up something from the early C19 and came up with some really windy waffle about how he was just saying dodgy things had happened in every city. JRJW April 06.

I'm not sure. Babajobu 17:38, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

Not sure what? Ken did say these things, maybe his old socialists ideas coming out, but it sounds notable enough to be included to me, SqueakBox 14:38, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

No he didn't- he compared Tiannamen Square to the Peterloo massacre of 1819, where British Troops killed 11 people for protesting for the right to vote. Source: [1] (skip to about half way through.)81.104.175.188 21:13, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

amsterdamaged says... I take great exception to the assertation that "the poll tax riots were an aggressive protest". Where they? I was there and from what I saw (and it appears that others agree) the violence occured once a great number of people where unable to leave Trafalgar Square. This, because the Police had blocked the exits and a number of mounted police rode at speed into the crowds. Perhaps you might like to refer to the article entitled "Poll Tax Riots" in Wikipedia? I also believe that "windy waffle" although poetic is not helpful to any cogent arguement. You might not like what he said, but his suggestion that "There is no such thing as one country with a perfect record." is surely correct? http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/londonmayor/display.var.728790.0.ken_compares_tax_riots_to_tiananmen_square_massacre.php)

[edit] Chavez's snub

Should we mention that his recent planned trip to Venezuela was called off at short notice after Chavez refused to meet him  ? -- Beardo 03:49, 15 November 2006 (UTC)