To think that taking your children to a peaceful protest is not a safeguarding issue?

[sewingandcakes]

- regardless of your views on fracking, AIBU to think that a parent has every right to take their children to a protest without the fear of social services becoming involved?

I didn't watch the video, so I'm restricting my comments to the rights and wrongs of taking children on protest marches.

Bigpants, I disagree with your point about having to wait until kids are old enough to make an 'informed decision': we all bring our children up with our values, to some degree or other. For some parents, that might mean raising their children as vegetarians, for some it will be having them christened and sending them to religious schools, or accompanying them to church. Equally, many parents feel that teaching children social responsibility and the importance of acting on your conscience means they should grow up seeing the adults who bring them up exercising their right to peacefully protest in a democracy.

Without more information it's hard to judge from that clip - it could mean anything.

However the reply from a "multi agency unit" is slightly worrying. No police officer or social worker should have any reason to refuse to give a clear answer and that certainly wasn't a clear answer.

If someone questions you in the street you can't assume they have authority to do so unless they clearly identify themselves.

BoB- she wasn't asked to identify herself by the person she wanted to talk to. She was asked by somebody who had no authority in the matter, who hadn't identified himself, and who, for all she knew, had no right to know anything about her involvement with the family.

curlew that's possible I suppose - it's a fair point. Though generally public service workers do identify themselves to anyone. There might even be a law. Not sure of that.

Anyway near the end she was asking the guy with the camera questions about the woman. So at that point she should have identified herself to him as someone entitled to ask.

I think she only said stuff like "where is she going?" "Is there a vehicle she's going to?" My feeling is that she behaved in a completely professional way throughout.

I thought the guy did identify himself. He was an official observer and his name was printed on his high vis vest. Although it is entirely possible I imagined that in my lemsip induced fog

To which he could have just said no, or no comment. No reason for her to identify herself- it was up to him whether he answered or not.

He had a high vis saying something like that. What's one of them?

Just googled it. They basically record events where there is potential for friction between law enforcement and the public. They are supposed to be an impartial third party, holding the police accountable for their actions.

In which case, filming the supposed social worker, telling her to piss off, and posting the video on YouTube under such an inflammatory title doesn't sit right with me.

obviously on the face of it - protest and lose your kids is totally mad - I have taken my girls on protests - they love it!

There is just not enough info here - for example is this a woman and her kids on a protest for the day or is she living in a make shift camp with her kids - in which case it is highly likely they are missing education and the council has a responsibility to see why and check they are safe and well - maybe so they can also offer education to the kids if they have come into the area

it's very vague what is going on and at no point does she say she will take them away

high vis vest = bright orange/yellow coat thingy.

Unfortunately there are a lot of videos online identifying social workers and, sometimes their families. Whilst a social worker should clearly identify themself if challenged, that is one reason they may be reluctant to do so on film.

I went to protests with my parents as a young child - the whole family went. It was perfectly safe as we didn't live in a police state, and in fact, as we lived in a democracy, they were performing their parental duty of educating us about our rights and responsibilities as citizens.

We loved it. And asked tons of questions about everything. We grew up with a far better understanding of our political system and appropriate protest than the majority of our peers, and also feeling that we had the right to protest against unfair treatment which has protected us in all sorts of situations.

If you value your right to legally object and protest to drilling in or near your community, then you can sign this petition here - it needs 100,000 signatures by 21st December to be considered by the government.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43270c.

It is about fracking, however it specifically relates to our democratic rights.

The government wishes to go ahead with fracking regardless of local and national opposition and is using all the powers it can to prevent legal objection and protests from hindering the development of this industry.

Sign it and share it.

Whether you are pro or anti fracking, to dispute the right to object and protest is to dispute the right to live in a democracy.

Do it now! It only takes a moment!