Are the people protesting in London mad?

[JKD1982]

I agree that what happened in the USA is appalling but why would anyone risk their own health and go against all the social distancing rules to protest in London? It won’t make a difference to what’s happened and could cause another crisis in London hospitals because people catch COVID.

AIBU thinking they are mad and there is a better way (from a laptop?) to express anger

Maybe people feel the police are a bigger threat than the virus

The thing is this virus doesn't discriminate.

It doesn't care if you're out crowding on a beach or out crowding for a worth cause. It's still going to infect and possibly kill you.

I think anyone gathering right now is stupid, they're not just putting themselves at risk but everyone they come into contact with, and then everyone those people come into contact with and so on, it grows exponentially.

I'm really surprised by some of the comments here : 'we get more than enough of this in london.' Oh ok, let's ignore it then!

Does this not make it worse? Innocent people being killed by the police anywhere is terrible. Disproportionally black people are killed. We cant ignore this just because it doesnt affect us wherever it happens. I've seen clips of great socially distanced protests all over the place so no, they arent all idiots protesting, they are people who see what is wrong and want to make it right.

Lots of bored white people looking for something to do. Michelle Visage shared an infographic on her instagram earlier advising on how to prepare for the rave up riot protest by wearing a mask (oh, obviously) non descript clothing and turning your phone’s data off...

Not mad. Deeply selfish and quite thick.
It was largely white middle class idiots.

They chant Black Lives Matter...as they help spread the infection across a city with a large black population. Who've been disproportionately affected by Covid...

If black lives matter, don't gather in large groups whilst the infection rate is still high.

I bet most of these idiots today aren't from London.

Seems they're privileged allowed to have a mass gathering but I can't hug my family

I’m not sure a strongly worded letter would quite do the trick, OP. Trump tweeted that when the looting starts, the shooting starts and people are supposed to say ah we’d better wait for the government go ahead before we protest this?
I also can’t help but think about the people crammed on to beaches this weekend too. My social media is full of photos of people blatantly breaking the rules re distancing and big groups so I can’t bring myself to get angry at the protest.

@jellybeanz1212

"Seems they're privileged allowed to have a mass gathering but I can't hug my family"

^this
There is a privilege in feeling able to protest today without the fear of the virus or how it could affect your lives and your loved ones

PicsInRed well if it hasn't changed in 60 years then it can wait until the protesting isn't going to infect and kill some other innocent people.

And the will blame the government for this. I just saw the photos. There are masses of people breaking the lockdown measures.

Use Twitter, write to Congress, encourage Americans to vote for better leaders, write articles to journalists, sign petitions. Lots of options

That's worked well last 60 years, eh.

@jellybeanz1212

Seems they're privileged allowed to have a mass gathering but I can't hug my family

so once you can hug your family, protest are fully steam ahead.

@PicsInRed and demonstrations achieved what exactly?

Maybe people feel the police are a bigger threat than the virus

This.
One of my brothers best friends is black. He went to private school & is successful so has some privilege, but he's still seen by some as a potential criminal. Do you know how many times he's been stopped by police? about 40. How many times has my brother been stopped when doing the same things? zero.

Care about black lives? Don't help spread a disease that's killing rather a lot of black people
Yy this. I question the sincerity of people protesting a murder and institutional racism by putting others at risk especially when we know people of colour and the poor are more at risk of Covid19. Your right to protest isn't more important than their lives. And you can campaign safely from home ... it's just as effective.

Putting Coronavirus to one side a minute, I think it's such a good thing, protests around the world against racism and for justice.

I just hope they were all sensible regarding covid, because what they've done matters.

I wish I could protest too.

@PicsInRed

Use Twitter, write to Congress, encourage Americans to vote for better leaders, write articles to journalists, sign petitions. Lots of options

That's worked well last 60 years, eh.

Given the Civil Rights act was only introduced 54 years ago in the US, it did, actually.

@AnneOfTeenFables so you don't think any of the protesters are poor or non white?

The ‘check your privilege’ thing though.... Could you not argue that it’s a privileged position to be able to protest?

To be in a position where getting covid likely won’t kill you or someone in your household? To not have a disability ? To not have a child with a disability? Or are you an ‘oppressor’ if you choose to prioritize your health or your child’s health and not protest ?

@amusedtodeath1 I think it’s a good thing too. But the phrase ‘putting Coronavirus aside’ doesn’t make any sense. You can’t just pretend it doesn’t exist ?

"Sign a petition" - are you having a fucking laugh?

Black people tried protesting peacefully (Colin Kaepernick) but change in the world only seems to happen when people get angry and forced to act like the suffragettes or the Stonewall rioters.

It's gobsmacking how different the white people storming the state capitols have been treated compared to the people protesting against police brutality. There are shocking videos of the violence being dished out on protesters. The media have also been shockingly biased and showing the looting rather than the protests where people are dancing to chants.

The ‘check your privilege’ thing though.... Could you not argue that it’s a privileged position to be able to protest?

I think the opposite is true.

If you are in a position where Coronavirus is the biggest threat to your way of life, then you are probably quite privileged.

YANBU - and you may have got covid rather out of proportion. There are more important things.