Omg the scenes from the London protests

[SistemaAddict]

I'm just watching the news and am finding it so frightening to see the crowds, the police, the tension, the horse bolting.
I understand the desire to protest but how is this the right way to do things? I know there will be thousands of peaceful protesters among the ones causing trouble.
I'm concerned about the covid risk to everyone there especially as BAME are more at risk of the virus.

I hate confrontation and get very anxious so wanted to chat to others about this. Yes, I could switch off but I think it's important to watch and learn and understand what and why is happening.

Maybe they think that centuries of systematic oppression of black people and the racism that permeates every inch of society is a worthy cause?

The 'worthiness' or otherwise of a cause, subjectively defined, is irrelevant. Some people (thankfully not that many, but they do exist) would consider protesting against abortion rights or gay marriage to be a 'worthy cause'.

The issue is mass gatherings involving police intervention in the middle of a pandemic. What you or I or anyone else thinks of the 'worthiness' of the cause is neither here nor there.

The fact of the matter is that black people have more reason to fear racism than they have to fear covid. Sorry if that is a difficult pill for others to swallow but that's the truth.

I'm BAME and MN is making me feel unwell today.

A certain 'type' of PP on these threads like to conflate BLM protesters and rioters, we see you, we see what youre trying to do

What do you mean? I'm not trying to do anything. There are riots in London right now.

@NowImLivinInExeter Are you honestly saying BAME do not care about transmitting COVID to others? How can you actually say that?

@HedgehogDramas myself and my husband are both working from home and don’t see anyone else at all (semi rural, drove into town). We felt it was worth the risk, although I feel the risks were minimal due to the high percentage of masks, reasonable social distancing and outdoor setting. My husband promised me if it was too crowded etc we could head straight home, but it was fine.

Driving through Dulwich Village on the way in, you’d think it was a normal day, looking at the shops and people on the street. The photos from the beaches during the week (Durdle Door?) also showed no social distancing. At least this was for a good cause. As as aforementioned, since I won’t see anyone else for the next 1-2 weeks, I felt it was important to show my support.

So when are the so called fines for breaking lock down coming into force? I can't remember reading that mass protesting, putting untold innocent people's lives at risk by standing shoulder to shoulder with or without masks and defacing war memorials and assaulting police officers and horses were exempt.

Are you honestly saying BAME do not care about transmitting COVID to others?

I'm saying most of them care more about protecting their children from systemic racism. Why shouldn't they?

There's now a video of a horse that got spooked and it's run off and slammed a police officer in to a lamppost before he hit the ground. The horse has ran off down Whitehall. Shouldn't of took the horse out at all.

@curtainsforme

A certain 'type' of PP on these threads like to conflate BLM protesters and rioters, we see you, we see what youre trying to do

What do you mean? I'm not trying to do anything. There are riots in London right now.

There are zero rights in London, lots of love someone who lives in central London.

In any case community transmission is very low in London right now.

[quote gypsywater]@NowImLivinInExeter Are you honestly saying BAME do not care about transmitting COVID to others? How can you actually say that?[/quote]
Because they're protesting in their hundreds with no social distancing during a global pandemic?

The same can be said of all races who are participating, none of them give a shit about transmitting covid otherwise they wouldn't be there, or if they did they'd immediately go into self isolation for the required period.

Protesting is fine ,throwing bottles etc is not , what if someone is killed from a thrown bottle is that then ok ?
Also risky with no social distancing, protest can be done with social distancing still and wearing of masks to protect as much as possible
Even the family have asked for protests to be peaceful , there will always be a minority that will take it too far

@NowImLivinInExeter What about the elderly and vulnerable? And HCPs in the NHS? Zero shits given there?

@catlovingdoctor

Disgusted to see one of these thugs holding a placard saying "I ain't paying taxes for murderers". I doubt many of them have ever worked or paid a penny in tax their entire lives.

How do you come to that conclusion?

I mean this has been said on other platforms of other riots/rioters over decades...

Maybe they're on furlough and of course it's a weekend!

PestymcPestFace
Is the UK really that different to the USA?

The circumstances leading up to the man's arrest in that case were different -

"the way emergency services ignored five desperate 999 calls from hostel staff, it is evident that steps could have been taken which could have saved his life. Rigg's condition deteriorated to the extent that he became acutely psychotic, threatening his carers, other residents and damaging property. A number of desperate 999 calls by hostel staff for police to take Rigg to a "place of safety" were not acted on. Only when a member of the public called to say a man was threatening people on the street did police respond."

"the officers failed to spot signs that Rigg was having a mental health crisis and that they should have taken him to hospital rather than the police station."

@NowImLivinInExeter

In any case community transmission is very low in London right now.

Not for long.

I am sorry, i have just looked at the footage. Attached below.

The pocie officer looks very badly injured - people are clapping and cheering that he/she has fallen badly and are throwing bikes and missiles at the police and horses who are trying to help the injured officer.

That is making a mockery of everything we all have done- the clapping for key workers including the police who are out there putting their lives at risk for us all. Of COURSE every single person on this planet should be outraged by what happened in the US and should fight ceaselessly against racism in all forms- but this is is true and just cause and a true and just protest being hijacked by thugs and causing untold damage. It isn't right. It just is not. Even without the added complexity of a pandemic, how can anyone justify the behaviour shown in the link below where people are trying to actively hardm horses and police and cheering when they ARE harmed?

twitter.com/search?q=london%20black%20lives%20matter%20horse%20police&src=typed_query

I haven't seen much news reports today, but I know at any protest there's always a tiny minority of trouble makers. I'm sure the protests had their own share of idiots who try to ruin it for everyone else. It's always the same.
I just wish the protesters had found another way to make their voices heard, without the crowds. It frightens me how much they've put themselves and others at risk.

@SimonJt what do you mean about zero rights ?

[quote strugglingwithdeciding]@SimonJt what do you mean about zero rights ? [/quote]
Had a brain fart, should have been riots.

@MexicanStyle the point of my thread was to chat to others who were feeling similarly anxious at the scenes from London on the news and discuss their worries. You and others have managed to totally change the thread from its original purpose. It was about crowds and risk and confrontation. The reason for the protest was not the focus of the thread.

I wonder if we will be put in to a full on lockdown now as the government can put us back a stage

@Pangur2 Good for you and your husband that you will be 'in' for the next 2 weeks. I doubt very much that you or the other thousands of potential virus spreaders will be.