Sir Christopher Meyer

How awful, poor man.

This was a cowardly attack but I don't think it had anything to do with the fact he was former Ambassador to the US. My guess is as an older man he was seen as an easy target by thugs who wanted to rob him - I very much doubt they knew who he was.

If you are going to rob someone on a busy London station you do it quickly, or subtly. You don’t hang around long enough to beat him to a bloody pulp and then take nothing, even if the police are bearing down on you!

I'd be very surprised if this was a 'political' attack.

He received a cut lip, possible broken nose and injured eye socket - all could be inflicted in seconds. The police believe it was an attempted robbery - I gather two people are in custody. Why try to make what was a cowardly robbery into something political?

Because I don’t believe it and I’m angry,

He wasn’t beaten to a ‘bloody pulp’ - what happened to him was horrible but the very idea that it was politically motivated is utter tosh and actually it’s quite nasty to be using the attack on him to make a political point.

I wasn’t making a political point, although there are elements of the planned protest for this visit that disgust me to the core, and before anyone leaps on me for being a Trump supporter, I am emphatically not. I think the attack on Sir Christopher is too much of a coincidence for the police to brush it off as routine robbery. It is my personal opinion. Others can think what they like.

Of course you were making a political point, linking it to Trump.

There is such a thing as coincidence, no doubt he looked well heeled and worth robbing , or perhaps said something to his attackers ( beforehand) that they didn’t like?
I would be very surprised if the thugs knew who he was and had done it on purpose. A lot of attacks do take place near or in train stations.

However, sometimes strange improbable things do sometimes turn out to be true.

A 16yo boy and 15yo girl have been arrrested and released in connection with this attack. If they really are involved with the assault, then I find it hard to believe that people of those ages have any clue as to who their victim is.

I’m quite appalled that the OP thought it was fine to start this thread with no evidence base at all as to motivation and used it to proclaim she was appalled and ashamed of the kind of country we are becoming. It was actually quite Trumpian if you think about it - fake news used to stir up trouble.

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Priests = protests (damn iPad)