to think clapping obviously stops the virus spreading - scene from Westminster Bridge

[chomalungma]

twitter.com/d_rafi1/status/1250864574984867856

Great video near St.Thomas' Hospital. Lots of the public and police all gathered together clapping.

And for some reason, London has a lot more cases than elsewhere in the country.

Clapping is great. But I wonder how many people will catch it from others at this gathering?

They can hardly fine people for doing exactly the same as they are

Ha ha.

It's really interesting how different things are in different countries.

I'm in a small French town and, for over a month now, every evening at 8pm we've been standing at our windows/on our balconies and clapping.
Some people bang a pan for a minute.
Cars going by (incl police cars now and then) toot along as they drive past.
Afterwards, we call across to one another to make sure everyone is OK and check the ones who were ill are feeling better, exchange tips on online fruit and veg delivery by local producers, crack a quick joke, etc. and go inside. On DS2's birthday, everyone sang Happy Birthday.

No one gets within 4m of anyone else outside their household, no one would dream of setting off fireworks. Kids are not in bed, because no one in France puts kids to bed before 8pm.

It lasts a few minutes and all my HCP friends say it is very much appreciated.

It's a little moment of very civilised neighbourhood exchange and has created ties that I think will carry on after the end of lockdown and will be much needed because the months ahead are going to be rough.

Meanwhile, WTF is going on in London?

I feel for the Daily Mail

Normally they would be the first to call people out for this lack of social distancing and calling them 'covidiots'

But these people are the police and the public supporting the NHS

Cognitive dissonance

Can't put into words how angry this makes me. Just wanted to add my disgust at this pointless clapping and mass gathering (and I'm an NHS worker)

So I've just reported the Westminster Bridge incident on the met police website. Encourage others to do the same. Fed up with one rule for us, one for them.

So I've just reported the Westminster Bridge incident on the met police website

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes

As they say

Yes the Rumanians did arrive. Not sure where they are living and how they are social distancing. 150 workers is next to nothing though. We are really going to see huge price hikes.

Yes but here the police would stop my family sitting alone apart from others to have a picnic

It makes no sense

AuldAlliance

Sounds lovely where you are. Obviously the clapping thing was intended as a gesture of thanks to health workers, but I think it has real value in bringing people "together" and community spirit. The first time I participated (UK) it melted even my cold dead cynical heart (was blubbing and couldn't explain why!).

The problem is twats who can't seem to grasp that it's valuable precisely because it's a tiny piece of (distanced) communal interaction, at a time when normal social events are off limits. These people are not the type who consider the context, or society at large - they seem to be operating in a pre-covid mindset from their own little perspective of "Ooh, something's happening! Must get involved and spread over social media for maximum attention". I don't think it's even virtue-signalling - that would require some thought as to wider society. (Those clapping from front doors and shaming neighbours for not doing so is a bit different).

If only virtue signaling could stop it Britain would be the example to follow

Massive own goal from the police here. They made this enough of a tourist attraction that of course people were going to come out to join in.

Then of course when more people turn up the police don’t want to look like fun sponges that arrest people for “supporting the NHS”.

It’s a PR disaster anyway, people are already comparing these photos to photos of people sunbathing alone getting hassled.

I will be very surprised if the police are there next week.

Has there been any response from Police? Surely there will have to be something.

It will be interesting to see if it's a "hands up we got it wrong" or whether they try to find some way to justify it and make those pointing out the error look unsupportive.

I see my neighbours have mysteriously disappeared in time for the weekend again... They were nowhere to be seen at the start of lockdown and seem to flit between their townhouse and heaven knows where.

One rule for some...

Think you're by me then.. We also had a singer on the car park of our local hospital.. Plus a lot of people in their own clothes.. By nurses in uniform.

Sorry that was for speckled frog.

I'm pleased to see this thread, and the comments.

I asked about photos taken in London previously and was shot down. They were fake, nobody was breaching anything, blah blah. They possibly were at that time, but these are not. People keep saying they are sick of London people getting a bad time for not following rules, they should be following rules!

Lock down continues for three weeks, three hours later let's head to the bridge. Ridiculous selfish behaviour.

It has become a spectator sport here too. Emergency services at our A&E with plenty of people going to watch...

I agree with Sadiq Kahn that the police have got questions to answer about this
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.lbc.co.uk/radio/special-shows/speak-sadiq/sadiq-khan-police-questions-westminster-bridge/

It's really interesting how different things are in different countries
Do you think what happened on Westminster Bridge is representative of what's happening in the whole country? It isn't.

What makes you say that @FrLuke? Other posters are describing similar events? Its not happening in the WHOLE country but its happening in a lot of it, and a lot of people in authority seem to be enabling it.

Well that’s a load of bollocks isn’t it AuldAlliance ?

You can’t compare one load of twats to a perfect example in another country.

I could just as easily point to this article and say “it’s interesting how much better the UK is to France given that my local town is empty with people sticking to social distancing!”

metro.co.uk/2020/04/08/paris-bans-daytime-exercise-people-continue-ignore-social-distancing-12526795/

There are twats everywhere, no matter which country.

So people are dying terrible deaths. Gasping for breath and no family allowed to be with them.

Must be great for them hearing Queens 'We will rock you' blasting out and people cheering and clapping.

It's a bloody joke!

My local hospital looks like a street party every Thursday night!

Police, ambulances, fire engines, hospital staff and lots of members of the public going alone to watch/ join in.

Mean while me and my children get questioned my police, for walking through our local park

going along*

Exactly Dyrne Our local police force have said twice how well people are doing where we are. I could post that and then find an example of people breaking social distancing in another country and claim it demonstrates how differently things are done in different countries.