Stop the government criminalising protest

[droodzilla]

A decent thread on today's London demo from Novara's Rivkah Brown:

https://twitter.com/RivkahBrown/status/1482308159050067969

All the usual suspects are there, fighting to defend liberal values.

 

[Enfield boy]

The general public generally have no idea about the Good Law Project, it has been successful with court cases but the fines are probably paid for by our taxes or a small percentage of the crooked donations to the tory scum. I fear that what the GLP is mostly good at is enriching Jolyon Maugham.

 

[John R]

Very very worrying lack of interest all round on this... few replies here, I'm not hearing much if anything from Labour etc.
This is more important than brexit and yet we are walking into authoritarianism in near silence!

Well, aren't labour an inept joke of an opposition? So wouldn't expect them to say much on this issue anyhow

 

[Enfield boy]

Well, aren't labour an inept joke of an opposition? So wouldn't expect them to say much on this issue anyhow

They've been useless since Stormless lied his way into the job, but doing sod all may still get him into No 10.

 

[ff1d1l]

The general public generally have no idea about the Good Law Project, it has been successful with court cases but the fines are probably paid for by our taxes or a small percentage of the crooked donations to the tory scum. I fear that what the GLP is mostly good at is enriching Jolyon Maugham.

They're good at going for the jugular and winning. Unlike, say, HM's opposition.

 

[Enfield boy]

Yes and what has that achieved in real terms? The parties are all that is being reported. I am not defending Starmer, he is part of the problem, part of the "elite."

 

[Arkless Electronics]

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the BLM activists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not Black

Then they came for the “remoaners”
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a “remoaner”

Then they came for the benefits claimants
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a benefit claimant

Then they came for the travellers
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a traveller

Then they came for the environmentalists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not an environmentalist

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me


Indeed these fascists are following hitler in coming for the travellers... lest we forget https://www.holocaust.org.uk/blog/nazi-regime

 

[Seanm]

As mentioned above, I strongly suspect that in many people's minds (especially on here with the demographic...) the concept of protests are strongly linked to anti-vaxxers and climate. Hence little backlash.

There have been some huge 'freedom' protests in recent months, but the link to antivaxers and clear participation by them smears the rest of the message (albeit that many of the loss of freedoms, or potential loss of freedoms being protested e.g. personal choice, are of course related to vaccination and covid restrictions).

If changes in legislation keep going in this direction, it'll be time to leave to downunder again...though Oz seems even worse at the moment!

Agree with this. Covid in general has contributed to a general distaste in some demographics for public gatherings of all sorts. It’s a good time to push this kind of legislation through. Labour and the liberal press are certainly happier fighting the government over their parties, a completely non-political issue that doesn’t require them to risk or say anything, and if anything goes along with the general authoritarian mood rather than kicking back against it.

 

[wylton]

I think that with freedom comes responsibility. The actions of some of the climate change and anti-vaxxers has given the government the very excuse it needed to bring in this legislation. I have sent an email to my MP, but he's a conservative and I'm not sure what his views are, but in any case, it's a dangerous precedent if we are to value our liberty and freedom to protest when we feel it to be necessary.

 

[ff1d1l]

I think that with freedom comes responsibility. The actions of some of the climate change and anti-vaxxers has given the government the very excuse it needed to bring in this legislation. I have sent an email to my MP, but he's a conservative and I'm not sure what his views are, but in any case, it's a dangerous precedent if we are to value our liberty and freedom to protest when we feel it to be necessary.

And the suffragettes. Irresponsible bastards.

 

[wylton]

And the suffragettes. Irresponsible bastards.

That's a stupid thing to say, we're not talking about the same thing here. The suffragettes were fighting for their freedom and right to vote. Climate protesters were gluing their selves to the motorway for loft lagging and anti vaxxers, well surely you know about that. What planet do you inhabit?

 

[ff1d1l]

That's a stupid thing to say, we're not talking about the same thing here. The suffragettes were fighting for their freedom and right to vote. Climate protesters were gluing their selves to the motorway for loft lagging and anti vaxxers, well surely you know about that. What planet do you inhabit?

Yes, we are talking about exactly the same thing, you just think we aren't.
It's the right to protest.

 

[Nick_G]

That's a stupid thing to say, we're not talking about the same thing here. The suffragettes were fighting for their freedom and right to vote. Climate protesters were gluing their selves to the motorway for loft lagging and anti vaxxers, well surely you know about that. What planet do you inhabit?

I'll respond to this. One where vast areas become uninhabitable if drastic action to curb climate change isn't taken. Those people have the right not to be displaced. There are other freedoms being taken away here too. Climate change activists have the right to protest in the same way that suffragettes used picketing and civil disobedience to highlight their cause.

 

[wylton]

Nowhere did I say that climate change activists don't have a right to protest. On the contrary, a recent report on C4 news about the state of our rivers in Britain made me feel like exactly doing that. My point is that irresponsible behaviour about a subject such as loft lagging for instance, will be perceived by the general public as a nuisance without foundation and give the government ammunition to put forward legislation as outlined by the OP. I want to make it clear that I am very much against the proposals and dearly hope that they get defeated in the commons. When you look at protests all over the world & the methods that various governments use to put them down - it's a crime against humanity. It's a touchy subject for sure and there will be cases where there is no choice but civil disobedience.

 

[droodzilla]

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Perhaps we need to find other ways of protest and civil disobedience.

 

[Darmok]

Perhaps we need to find other ways of protest and civil disobedience.

Inevitably.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Perhaps we need to find other ways of protest and civil disobedience.

Strong posts on HiFi forums and social media is the future?

"What do we want?"

"Societal reform!"

"When do we want it?"

"As soon as I've watched this video on how to correctly bias a valve amp and opened a nice bottle of red."

 

[Enfield boy]

Perhaps protest will die when the last Boomer is gone? Our generation has done quite a lot of grumbling, perhaps it's just time we all knuckled down and got on with our work. It's a bugger, being retired.

 

[wylton]

It is true to say that most of us have strong views & complain as often as people are prepared to listen to us & then ultimately do nothing. Mind you, this current government is pushing peoples patience to the limits!