Stop Trump 13th July

[user1492877024]

Apologies if this has already been raised, I did do a quick search but couldn't find anything. Anyway, AIBU to ask if any of you will be attending this protest?

He is welcome in my city as the President of the USA. We are not at war.
How is anyone in the world going to get anything done otherwise?

Virtue signalling.

Do you expect people to lose a days pay? a days leave? spend money commuting to London? All in order to protest against a democratically elected leader of our strongest ally?

^^this.

Cheap at the price.

It's our democratic right to protest.

Virtue signalling

That's a tired ol' put down, isn't it?

People who want to protest are not criticising this who don't want to. Is it too hard not to afford protesters the same courtesy?

My family and friends in the US whose lives under Trump are now made more difficult and worrying are enormously heartened to hear about UK protests.

Keep your virtue signalling and have a little respect for other people's different lives and views, maybe?

Do you expect people to lose a days pay? a days leave? spend money commuting to London? All in order to protest against a democratically elected leader of our strongest ally?

Nope.

Those who want to and can, will. No one expects anyone to do anything.

Somehow Trump has been able to visit Macron in France, Merkel in Germany, Abe in Japan, etc., without far-left idiots in those countries attempting to derail what is after all an important meeting with the most powerful man in the world.

Perhaps ours could do the same?

Whales If you believe that only 'far left idiots' will be protesting, then you're simply wrong.

Why chuck insults and undermine any sensible point you might have?

French didn't want to protest on Bastille Day. Macron is clever.

What will be "important" about Trump's visit to UK? Serious question. He won't offer a trade deal that is good for UK. He will spout some outrageous nonsense on some topic. He will try to present the visit as UK and European endorsement of his authority & legitimacy. He will label anyone who opposes him or his administration as "idiots". He will do things that the British press finds disrespectful of the UK & cultural norms here (even if it's just shove someone out of his way).

I'd rather be with the idiots than with the kakistocracy.

My point is that no other country in the world, however much their citizens might dislike Trump, has shown such an extraordinary level of, yes, virtue-signalling as to postpone and now threaten to derail a visit with a man who has the power to help or harm Britain greatly depending on our relations with him. So I'm afraid my insults are really me being very mild - far-left virtue-signallers could end up hurting Britain through their unparalleled self-righteousness.

far-left virtue-signallers could end up hurting Britain through their unparalleled self-righteousness

Again, if you seriously believe that tens of thousands of protesters are all self-righteous, virtue-signalling left-wing 'idiots,' then you are wrong. It is also extraordinarily narrow thinking.

And again, you have your view. Why not try expressing it without insulting people who don't share it? It rather closes down any meaningful exchange otherwise.

I’ll be downloading GreenDay at the appropriate time. I think that tells him what we think.
As for protesting, I am afraid it’s too far away to travel, I don’t think we will be allowed anywhere near him or the routes he takes. I protested GW Bush visit and that was my experience.
Sickening that we have to have the horrible twat here but there you are!

He was elected fairly and squarly. What is it about liberals that they are such bad losers? Same with Brexit. Did we see protesters from the right lining the streets when Obama visited the UK? The protest is pathetic and will achieve nothing. (And I say this as somebody who is anti-Trump and anti-Brexit).

The American people made him President. They chose him. He is here representing America. Don't like him? Don't invite friend him on Facebook.

What is it about liberals that they are such bad losers?

Liberals? Losers? Why 'losers'? It isn't about Brexit...

This protest is going to made up of all kinds of people, you know. Not just the ones you clearly don't approve of.

How these protest threads always go:

1. Whataboutery. What about that other politician? What about Saudi Arabia? What about the guy who was president when you were 15? If you weren’t out on the streets protesting each and every one of these, then you’re not allowed to give a shit this time.

1. Passive aggression. So: if you haven’t been to 365 protests this year, you’re a hypocrite for going to this one. Except, if you do go to this one (or others), then let me just insinuate that you’re a time-waster and I’m the silent stalwart backbone of society. I mean, I know it’s not relevant to this thread and nobody asked, but can I just mention I work in healthcare/charity/my aunt’s in the police? No — its fine, you go ahead and protest. I’ll just be here, ladling out soup and curing disease. Don’t mind me.

1. Did I mention the police? It’s great you don’t feel guilty about overburdening these massively strained resources. I mean, it may be entirely in the police’s remit to facilitate other citizens exercising their democratic right to peaceful protest, but personally I think everyone should just shut up and sit quietly at home watching a box-set instead. Of course, even watching a box-set places more stress on our already struggling national grid; I know I spend all my time sitting motionless with a cold cup of tea and the lights off to avoid causing anyone any trouble whatsoever.

1. Yes, it’s your democratic right to peacefully protest. But it’s a little-known fact that you’re not allowed to use your democratic right to peacefully protest against

a) anything or anyone democratically chosen,
b) anything or anyone in another country, and
c) anything or anyone I don’t care about.

I really wish more people knew this! Especially a). If there was a successful referendum today to ban abortion and bring back hanging, I wouldn’t protest: the people have spoken! If Spain decided to expel all Muslims or Sweden decided to racially segregate their schools, I’d stay similarly quiet. Not my circus!

1. America is our closest ally. And by closest ally, I mean: Trump’s motto is America First, his platform is one of pure nationalism, he’s pulling out of international environment agreements, he bitches about our politicians and retweets our hate groups, he uses terrorist attacks on our soil to his own political advantage, and if we’re not really really REALLY nice to him then he might screw us over financially.

It’s obvious that, with a relationship this great, the British people should pull out all the stops to make the guy feel welcome, including participating in an act of collective amnesia about… well, more or less everything he’s said and done prior to and after being elected president under highly questionable circumstances, possibly involving Russian interference, deliberate misinformation and manipulation of social media, a murky approach to campaign finances, shameless promotion of his own business interests, and losing the popular vote.

Seriously, WHAT is everyone so worked up about? You must all be:

1. far-left-wingers, the professionally offended, virtue-signallers, a bunch of special snowflakes.

Excellent post obachan, thank you for adding it.

I'm American & * I * didn't make him president. Neither did a majority of voters. Sod that argument.

Getting American Idiot to number 1 is such a brilliant idea, so British. Using humour to make the point. I love it

If it's well organised, yes I'll go. Trump is thick skinned and thinks nothing of ridiculing disabled people so I doubt he'll give a toss but I will do my bit. I don't work Fridays and I'm in London so it's the least I can do.

No I will not. We do too much trade with America, besides it's not like he put himself in charge, the American people voted for him. There are far worse people governing countries across the globe,who deserve a lot more than just boycotting.

Yes, probably. I've already booked the day off work and know quite a few people planning to go.

I also protested against austerity and Brexit in the past few years, so virtue-signalling alllllll over the place here He's a vile, divisive, stupid and terrifyingly powerful person. I do think that ignoring him would annoy him more personally, but the protest is already planned and I think it's important that the rest of the world sees that plenty of people don't support his Presidency.

No. He was democratically elected in a country with far fewer human rights abuses than most. We need allies in the world with Brexit looming and, despite his faults (and lets be honest, previous presidents have had plenty too, they just haven't been so publicised) he is getting some positive results

I also think protests are pointless unless they can achieve an aim, which this can't

Nobody can really answer what the point of this is. It will not make one iota of difference. Everybody in the world knows that Trumps is divisive; that a lot of people dont like him; that a lot in the UK don’t like him. So what is this going to achieve? Precisely nothing. If anything it will help Trump as people who otherwise might have been indifferent may actually feel sorry for him. So it could be counterproductive.

No doubt there will be plenty who turn out, most of which won't even know what they're protesting about. Let them get on with it, Trump won't care, neither will the majority of British.

The American people made him President. They chose him. He is here representing America. No idea what we are protesting. Don't like him? Don't invite him to your house.

Totally agree. On a personal level, I think the man is a total numpty. But Americans voted for him, in their millions. It wasn't a Russian style election with people stuffing ballot boxes and whatever you feel about the meddling in the run up to the vote, he's the US President.

All this protesting and stuff is just embarrassing. Ignoring the event completely would be more effective if you feel particularly strongly about it.