to be very unbothered that an EVIL hoard of (shock, horror) GYPSIES are coming...

[BeyondLimitsOfTheLivingDead]

I had a request to join a group on facebook a few days ago, "say no to the gypsy camp in ".
I ignored it, thinking, "yeah whatever, random facebook scaremongering".

Today, three teenage boys knocked my door with a petition, to stop this (apparently it is real) camp being built near enough on my doorstep.

But I just dont care.

AIBU to not be bothered by this? Or naive?

"A scuffle broke out and the police were called when a young woman approached the panel, and two local people were assaulted. A woman was later ejected from the meeting."

I wonder what that means?

Don't people usually get arrested and charged for assault?

'local councillor Noel Trigg told locals he would sooner lie in the road than see a gipsy site created in a field known as Yew Tree Cottage.
He said: ?It?s not coming here and if I have to lie across the road then I will.? ...'

'...Residents then voiced a number of concerns the main issue being transport access both to and from the site and to Bettws as a whole. '

How do people manage to get so riled up about traffic?

Maybe the police are afraid of challenging racists at public meetings too, PigletJohn?

I don't know.

"too"? Are you suggesting the police are afraid of challanging people who commit assault at public meetings, or have I misunderstood your point? If he committed an offence under the RRA, I would have thought someone could make a complaint.

I suppose we have to respect people's way of life and cultural heritage, even if that includes violence, is that right, mathanxiety?

The 'too' was a reference to an earlier post suggesting that the police are afraid of the Travellers and too intimidated by them to enforce the law, the implication there being that the Travellers' behaviour warrants the assumption of police fear. Clearly if the police are similarly inclined not to intervene in the case of a mob grouped together for a meeting hostile to Travellers, where an illegal act of protest was announced, the police are in serious need of a little backbone and maybe it is not the behaviour of the Travellers we should be making assumptions about, but instead should be asking questions about the resolve and dedication of the police. So yes, I am suggesting that the police are, for whatever reason, unclear as to their role or unwilling to do their duty when it comes to law and order and maintenance thereof.

A large group of hostile people showed up for a public meeting that had been advertised, following a FB campaign, and the agenda included discussion of sites for use by Travellers to be located in the local area, and where were the police? Sitting around at the station waiting for the phone to ring? There should have been a police presence at the meeting.

These are sensible guidelines for the conduct of planning hearings that concern Traveller or Gypsy sites. A pity the councillors themselves in this case decided to pour fuel on the flames.

I don't think there is any way of life or cultural heritage that claims violence as its major hallmark. Do you know of any? Certainly no group that has been recognised as an ethnic minority has has that status acknowledged on the basis of propensity to violence.

You haven't come across a cultural or ethnic group that makes a practice of teaching its young men to fight and be aggressive, and has a high rate of violence amonong themselves?

You've led a more sheltered life than I thought.

I love the way this argument is going. It is the fault of the police that violent and anti-social behaviour occurs!!!