to think that it's unacceptable to frighten someone's DC even if you think they're a nasty bigot?

[OTheHugeManatee]

I just saw this story about protesters forcing Nigel Farage and his family out of a pub where they were having lunch.

I don't really like Farage's politics. But I support his democratic right to hold those views. AIBU to think hounding him and frightening his DC during a family lunch is unacceptable, illiberal and frankly nasty, whatever you think of the things he says?

I agree with you entirely.

Yanbu

Yanbu...at all. Totally unacceptable.

Absolutely agree that YANBU. The guy may be a dick but it is his absolute right to be so.

YANBU. Why should the children be punished for the views of their father?

Yanbu they are not doing their cause any good either.

I hate Nigel Farage but I would never condone this behaviour.

Totally wrong to scare his kids. Personally I don't like his politics but it must have been terrifying for his DD's to see that happening to their dad.

Yes, terrible to frighten his kids. Or even to frighten him. Aren't we supposed to resolve differences by talking?

I'm just about the most anti-UKIP person I know, but YANBU in the slightest.

YANBU - I hope they're all arrested & charged.

Frankly I love Farage, I think he's a breath of fresh air. Those protestors are true scum, absolute sub-human filth.

The more I think about this the angrier it makes me. There are people defending the actions of these 'protesters', saying that because Farage has made politics 'personal' to various minorities, that he deserves to have his family life intruded upon in this way. How can people seriously say they are defending tolerance while behaving like this?

Ultimately there is a serious principle at stake, which is political freedom of expression. It's been a cornerstone of political life in this country for centuries. I'm really disturbed by the fact that there are people out there, who think of themselves as the good guys and as campaigning for a better world, who believe it's permissible to use intimidation against someone's family to try and curtail perfectly legitimate freedom of expression in order to achieve that better world - and then accuse Farage of being the fascist

Unfortunately, this sort of thing hands more support to those swaying between Tories and UKIP, so they aren't doing their cause any good.

YANBU. I'm a little sceptical at how scared a fifteen-year-old would be at the sight of a woman holding a baby and a man in fancy dress, but even so.

He's just a politician- not a criminal- and he has as much right as the rest of us to a private family life when he's off-duty.

Saucy, it was probably more the intimidating felt than anything else!

NF left his kids & was driven off by his wife...wat kind of a man does that, though? No way would I leave my kids if they were really that scared!

There are two sides Othehuge, there are a number of people claiming that his children left with an adult by the back door and that they were fine and didn't see anything.

Dawndonnaagain There we go... Of course apologists of this kind of actions are going to minimise their actions and tell you "the kids are alright"... Even the possibility of that happening should have stopped them.
The guy is a dick of the first order, but in this situation, he gets the high ground, and the protesters are anti-democratic scum.

Totally unacceptable, it's one thing to turn up and do that sort of thing when he's 'working', completely another if he's having lunch with his family.

I'm American and don't know much about UKIP or Nigel Farage. But we have plenty of nasty politicians of our own here. A lot of them like to think they are being persecuted by liberals, and like to portray themselves that way to their supporters. They will do this even in the absence of any unreasonable treatment, but of course it's more effective if some liberals really are treating them badly because of their opinions. Don't feed the animals.

There are some folk saying that there were no children there. Interesting...

He has a 9-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old daughter.

I've read two separate reports that state he didn't even have his kids there (sorry, can't link as I don't know how . I think he's bullshitting BUT his kids do have the right to eat out with their Dad without that sort of thing going on.

Agree - revolting behaviour to accost him with his family there. They did not sign up to any of this. Totally unfair to them.