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Original poster

Omg the scenes from the London protests

681 replies

SistemaAddict · 06/06/2020 18:31

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.

OP posts:
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5
strugglingwithdeciding · 06/06/2020 21:55

@Bovry at last a voice of reason there is no excuse for violence and these people then take away from the cause in question and the thousands behaving responsibly may not get heard

BeijingBikini · 06/06/2020 21:56

[quote HedgehogDramas]@Jillyhilly "Surely you know by now hedgehog that declaring “all lives matter” makes you racist, regardless of what your intention might have been? Intention is irrelevant in this discussion because the racist thought police know better than you what’s really lurking deep in your soul.
How the fuck can you read into that?? How the fuck can that make me a racist?? Explain yourself.[/quote]
I think it was sarcasm....

Dragongirl10 · 06/06/2020 21:56

People have NOT been crammed on the tube. Huge efforts have been made by all to avoid people being close together .

I am astounded by the level of idiocy....

Thousands have died,
thousands will have long term health issues,
thousands of front line workers (including the Police) are being put at risk every day,
thousands of business have closed for good,
thousands face job losses,
thousands face no income and no way to pay their rent or mortgages...
we all face a spectacularly bad recession for years.....

YET it is a good idea to crush together in our thousands, to protest RIGHT NOW in a Pandemic, on an issue which happened in another country, with the perpetrators already charged and facing trial.

BeijingBikini · 06/06/2020 21:57

Darker skin colour does not prevent people getting Vitamin D from sunlight. Medical professionals merely suggest longer periods of time exposed to the sun.

No but modern lifestyles (working 9-5 in offices) and modern advice (wearing SPF all year round) has heavily contributed to Vitamin D deficiency, especially in BAME people whose skin needs more sunlight to absorb vitamin D.

greycover · 06/06/2020 21:57

YET it is a good idea to crush together in our thousands, to protest RIGHT NOW in a Pandemic, on an issue which happened in another country, with the perpetrators already charged and facing trial.

SENSE AT LAST

Theeighthelephant · 06/06/2020 21:58

@SusieOwl4

Yes the officers were charged quickly . And it’s murder second degree. Perhaps should have been first . But the charges were very swift.
Yeah, and I'm sure if they hadn't been filmed and there hadn't been international outrage, that still would've happened.

Right?

Truthpact · 06/06/2020 21:58

There is absolutely no need for these riots happening. You can protest in a peaceful way and make your point. All this displays is disgusting behaviour from people, it does not tell you anything else. You do not need to attack police officers. You especially do not need to be attacking the horses and throwing flares at them.

Anyone who thinks otherwise has something wrong with them. This country is a disgrace and its just sad. We are literally a laughing stock to the rest of the world. Don't know how anyone can be proud to be British anymore.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 06/06/2020 21:59

I’m also genuinely concerned that there will be a real increase in racial tensions in a few weeks if there is a second spike because rightly or wrongly it will be blamed on these protests

Yes, this worries me too. I don't tend to buy in to the doomsday threats if anyone does anything, but if a spike does happen the government will be looking for someone to blame - and it won't be themselves

God help the BLM movement then Sad

HedgehogDramas · 06/06/2020 21:59

Thank you @SimonJT. I didn't know this but I resent being called a racist and I have reported the comment. How fucking dare you @jillyhilly

C130 · 06/06/2020 22:00

@Xenia

They have certainly damaged their cause and spread the virus so I am not sure what was gained other than a waste of public money and disease and destruction.
Says who? you and some other posters on here, who seemed to have no clue as to why they were protesting anyway. I have spoken to people in rl who support them.
GetOffYourHighHorse · 06/06/2020 22:00

How ironic that Abraham Lincoln's statue was defaced too. Maybe the person who did that should 'educate themselves'.

louloubelx · 06/06/2020 22:00

This makes me so sad. Sad that people have to protest so that people value and listen to them. Sad that thugs have got involved and undermine what they are standing for.
I wish,in this world, that we kept the love and innocence that we are born with, when everyone is equal regardless of their race/religion/sexuality/beliefs. I see it watching my children play and interact with others and wonder at what point they change? And why? It’s down to society I know, but surely with the generations we are bringing up, we can help stop the racism? I know I’m being far too idealistic here (and naive) but I’d like to think that as our children grow up, hopefully the race divide will narrow.

Jillyhilly · 06/06/2020 22:01

How the fuck can you read into that?? How the fuck can that make me a racist?? Explain yourself.

It’s not me, hedgehog - it’s the shouts of “racist” that inevitably flood in without explanation when anyone suggests that all lives matter. That statement isn’t allowed under this particular ideology.

MadameMarie · 06/06/2020 22:02

@Puzzledandpissedoff

I’m also genuinely concerned that there will be a real increase in racial tensions in a few weeks if there is a second spike because rightly or wrongly it will be blamed on these protests

Yes, this worries me too. I don't tend to buy in to the doomsday threats if anyone does anything, but if a spike does happen the government will be looking for someone to blame - and it won't be themselves

God help the BLM movement then Sad

The government will be happy. Spotlight off Cummings and they've got the perfect fall guys for a second spike.
C130 · 06/06/2020 22:02

The peaceful protesters, I meant.

Jillyhilly · 06/06/2020 22:03

I wasn’t calling you a racist, hedgehog. Take a breath.

Blankscreen · 06/06/2020 22:03

It's a shame they can't use the water cannons and send the f""'ing morons home.

Tonz · 06/06/2020 22:03

@HedgehogDramas. @jillyhilly was being sarcastic she wasn't actually calling you a racist

gypsywater · 06/06/2020 22:04

It is so lazy to randomly shout "racist" at others Hmm

Justanotherlurker · 06/06/2020 22:04

Protesting against a first world country police brutality (although it does ask questions why no protests where made over China, and even France with the yellow jackets) is one thing, pretending police brutality in the UK is comparible to the US is nothing more than people following trends on Social Media.

The protest lost support from me and my wider family (some from Minneapolis) when it has been shown with white middle class kids with Fuck Boris shirts on and shouting fuck the tories, it's been hijacked, there is threads on here that have been spread of some middle class karen having problems because her class isn't included in the discussion .

My Family and the people I know from ground zero in Minneapolis are laughing at ACAB being spray painted on war memorials, and it isn't because it's sticking it to the 'man'

percheron67 · 06/06/2020 22:05

Black Lives Matter!! Yes they do BUT so does the welfare of animals and these bullies at the rally will not find friends if they do disgusting things such as throw a bicycle at a Police Horse! Disgusting behaviour.

Livelovebehappy · 06/06/2020 22:05

dragongirl10 100% agree. A voice of reason. We are in the middle of a pandemic. We are supposed to be social distancing. Nothing has happened in this country to precipitate a protest. Our NHS staff are just finally stopping for breath with deaths and infections going down, and then thousands of people decide it’s a good idea to potentially put us all back to the beginning of the pandemic by breaching lockdown rules. You couldn’t make it up.

CrystalTipped · 06/06/2020 22:06

This is the point where it becomes about having a bust up for the sake of it, or for the sake of going viral. Footage of thugs throwing bikes and other things at frightened horses is not going to help any cause.

MaddieElla · 06/06/2020 22:07

I'm watching a bike being thrown at a horse and screaming, lots of screaming. And I am also seeing officers bending the knee.

I'm disgusted.

ScrimpshawTheSecond · 06/06/2020 22:11

@Wilberforce1

So if things are so bad in this country why no massive protests before ? Why now ?!

Exactly this! If things have been so awful for 400 years why decide now in the middle of a pandemic it the best time to protest?

Partly because it's all being stoked by Russian bots. They have a solid history of pushing racial tensions in the US, I'd be surprised if that wasn't happening here, in the UK, too.

Biggest crisis since WWII, and the UK and the US have the worst death rates and highest rates of infection - and thousands just have to pick right now for mass protests.