To think the anti trump marches are a waste of time

[yearyeahyah]

I don't like him or agree with his policies, but what good is it going to do walking around with a giant helium balloon of a baby?

Loads of horrible world leaders from the middle East that are doing far far woorse and they get a royal visit over here with no one batting an eyelid. Just smacks of double standards to me.

I can't actually believe people are objecting to this on the grounds that its offensive.

Its in protest against a man who has built his entire political career on "telling it like it is" and being offensive.

Fuck Trump.

Protest for sure, but a giant baby balloon in a nappy?

It’s not even funny.
I’m not actually sure what it is .....puerile I suppose.

Has any other country done this to DT?

Anyway, I doubt he’ll give a toss, but it will give a few gormless lefties a power trip for a few days.

As a British Citizen, I'm embarrassed that a man who self reportedly 'grabs' women 'by the pussy' is being allowed to meet Queen Elizabeth II and is welcomed into my country.

We're a country that burns effigies of a Catholic every 5th November - complaining about either blimp is pretty hypocritical.

" but it will give a few gormless lefties a power trip for a few days."

Yeah protest is gormless. Great point well made, go have some gammon.

As a former Brit in the US, I really hope that the protest doesn’t make the news over here, it will be somewhat embarrassing. I’ll make sure I have the US flag out that day.

Trump I feel is making decent progress. He will definitely make it to a second term. I don’t like him but he is doing a good job.

I’m worried about all the police being drafted in from other parts of the country. It’s going to stretch resources and leave other areas vulnerable and it shows the police are expecting trouble on the protests.

What’s the point? What will it achieve? Trump isn’t going to change a single thing because of some Brits protesting. In fact he’ll just dismiss them as “libtards” (vile word 😡) and assume their objections show just how right he is. Is it worth the cost? Or am I missing something?!

I'm a bit worried too. But that is what authoritarian states do - use fear to control people. So I will go. I don't know what it will achieve but it will achieve more than doing nothing - even if it's just showing solidarity with that majority of Americans who didn't vote for Trump.

The balloon will get more tv coverage in the US than a protest march. It'll offer solidarity to those in the US against Trump. Trump can't handle criticism and won't like it. I think it's a good thing. He's made nasty comments about Sidiq Khan - he doesn't like the idea of a Muslim mayor.

It sounds as though Trump's trip has been very much organised to avoid London with trips to a black tie dinner with businessmen in Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire) then watching UK SAS/US special forces demonstrating tactics (well away from London). Then a couple of days at his golf course in Scotland - rather a pointless visit.

We all know blimps for other people wouldn't have been allowed but he's backed himself into a corner and will have to allow the blimp of himself.

How do "we" know that blimps for other people wouldn't have been allowed? I certainly don't know that. Can you give me one example of where permission for a blimp has been requested and denied?

I doubt Sadiq Khan gives a toss if people want a blimp for him too. There is a long tradition of satirising and mocking politicians in this country.

People have a democratic right to protest.

Refusing to allow people's voices to be heard, by telling them they are irrelevant, or that their views don't matter, simply leads to protest voting. A good example of this is Brexit - had people been listened to when expressing concerns about their job security, about immigration and integration and about the impact of EU membership on British sovereignty, rather than being dismissed as xenophobes and racists, then the referendum outcome could have been quite different.

go have some gammon

What does that even mean?

But yeah. DT makes it to president of the U.S & you manage to get a balloon in the air.

Who’s the success? Lol

The problem is that people's " concerns" about immigration aren't valid and usually based on xenephobia.

If people are scared of zombies should have anti zombie policies?

"DT makes it to president of the U.S & you manage to get a balloon in the air. Who’s the success? Lol"

DT is a several time bankrupt whose fortune was inherited. He's hardly a success. He didn't even manage to win the popular vote in the election and hasn't managed to pass any policies of note despite control of Congress and the Senate.

I think its hilarious and if nothing else we were known for our sense of humor.
I've just watched him on tv conference and he seemed reasonable to me

Agree Resistance. One just has to be careful to make sure all voices are heard. Any suppression will lead to bigger problems when people are not happy.

topcat

DT is the very very epitome of self belief. Of course he is a bloody success, he has made it to the top job in the most powerful country in the world! You can hardly say being made POTUOUS IS failure !

Now there are two it’s just silly & funny
Now I don’t mind as much
It was the earnestness of something a bit embarrassing
I don’t mind the protest at all if people want to

There is a long tradition of satirising and mocking politicians in this country

Well, exactly but can we satirise and mock everything in the UK? Is nothing beyond this?

I lay money on it that the Sadiq Khan one doesn't even get into the air.

Here's an article on why you should protest his visit for those interested:
https://www.vice.com/enuk/article/zmke84/why-its-worth-protesting-trumpp_

topcat if it doesn’t it’ll be because not enough money is raised because not enough people think it’s a good idea, not because the Mayor’s office refuses permission. If it’s the same type of balloon in the same location, the safety aspects will be the same and it’ll be approved.
Trump is a racist, misogynist narcissist. He deserves to be mocked. A balloon of Khan seems a bit pointless unless you want to align yourself with the above qualities by macking a childish point, but crack 9n. Free speech. Even if it’s stupid.

The fact that abortion rights for one are threatened in a first world country in 2018 is down right scary. Protest is absolutely necessary, if members of the public want to fly a baby trump balloon that is their right. I for one cant think of a more accurate description of the vile man.

Well as the money needs to be raised and it needs to be made by Saturday, I reckon it won't even get into the air.

The problem is that people's " concerns" about immigration aren't valid and usually based on xenephobia.

This illustrates my point perfectly. To dismiss everyone who expresses a concern as being xenophobic and telling them the basis of their worry is invalid, is extremely unhelpful.

I know several people who voted to leave. They live in towns where there has been significant immigration. Their children are at schools where multiple languages are spoken. Their GP surgeries are full and they can't get an appointment for weeks. Their police forces are struggling with crime and ghettoisation and the costs of interepreters required for people who do not speak any English. Their wages were being driven down by immigrants who were happy to work for a fraction of their costs and often "off the books". They see the fabric of their towns - their traditions and way of life - disappearing.

They have tried to voice their concerns - and have been told that they are racist. They have tried to talk about the issues this is causing within their towns and the lack of social cohesion and the unrest that follows - and have been told that they are alarmist.

Consequently because nobody would listen and they were continually told to shut up and stop being racist, they protested in the only way they felt was left, which was at the ballot box. As a result the entire UK is in a huge mess - and primarily because people would not take on board the entirely valid concerns that existed. That's democracy for you - if you pretend that someone else's point of view doesn't exist, you are going to come unstuck. You dismissing them does not make them think "Oh OK, now that you've told me I'm racist I am clearly wrong and that's the end of it" - it simply forces the problem underground and it will lie dormant until such time as an opportunity is presented to voice your discontent without fear of retaliation.

And I say all of the above as someone who voted remain, who supports immigration and despises racism.

It depends what you mean by a waste of time. It’s not going to change anything but people want their dissatisfaction to be known

"Their children are at schools where multiple languages are spoken. " So what? Does this effect the education of their English speaking child?

"Their GP surgeries are full and they can't get an appointment for weeks." This is not down to EU immigration but to NHS shortages. Immigrants tend not to use the health service much, look up the healthy migrant effect.

"Their wages were being driven down by immigrants who were happy to work for a fraction of their costs and often "off the books".

Then this is ileagal and could have been put a stop to. Nothing to do with the EU, and will continue once we leave.

"Their police forces are struggling with crime and ghettoisation and the costs of interepreters required for people who do not speak any English.!"

Again, unlikely to be the consequence of EU immigration.

In fact what you are stating sounds mostly anecdotal and frankly very little to do with EU immigration. As I said, most people "concerns" aren't valid.

See this is the problem, when people tell you about the Police force being under strain because of immigration, not big spending cuts, when people say the NHS is under pressure because of it, not spending cuts and a lack of GPs, then you start to realise that their blaming of immigrants for societies ills is based on prejudice not fact.

You can't legislate for irrational fears.