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

[ChocolatelyAsFuck]

Yet another thread (since the last one was deleted) full of racists and liars who haven’t been within 10 miles of the protests, don’t know a thing about them, and get all their “facts” from Twitter and the Daily Mail.

London hospitals have been empty throughout most of this crisis.

The protests have certainly not been “an excuse for a piss up”, that’s a vindictive lie.

The protestors have been far more careful about things like wearing masks and social distancing than the thousands pouring into beaches and other tourist hotspots all over the country.

I’ve been on MN for years and every single time there’s any kind of anti racism protest MNers find a way to demonise and paint anti-racists as selfish (usually “virtue signalling wokester”) liberals. COVID is just the latest in a long line of excuses used to attack anti racism.

[ToffeeYoghurt]

@ChilliCheese123

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 ?

I agree.

Black people are more likely to die from Covid than white people. Not only that but they seem to be at risk from a younger age. Children have lost their parents. It's selfish, stupid, and privileged to increase their risk.

Frazzled Your brother's friend can only speak for himself. Like you say he's privileged and therefore won't be living in overcrowded high density housing that's been a major factor in spreading Covid through London - with the consequent high death rate.

[ChilliCheese123]

@themental see I really don’t get that perspective. We aren’t talking about a threat to ‘way of life’ we are talking about threat TO life. As in, you attend a protest, contract it and die from the underlying condition or disability you have. If you think that’s a personal sacrifice you’re willing to make then that’s a personal choice. I wouldn’t call it a privilege though. And I don’t know any decent parent who would actively attend something where they could bring corona back to their child who has underlying conditions, potentially causing death. That’s not an threat to their way of life, that’s their kid being dead.

[frazzledfatty]

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

I agree

[ChilliCheese123]

@ChocolatelyAsFuck I certainly hope you aren’t referring to me. In normal circumstances I would totally support these protests. And I hardly think mentioning covid is an ‘excuse’ to criticize these protests. It’s a real and valid concern.

[schoolsoutforcovid]

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

Eh? I think the vast majority are.

[frazzledfatty]

@ToffeeYoghurt er he lives in a block of flats in Brixton because you know life's expensive in London.

Even if he lived in a mansion does it make it ok for him to get stopped by police when going to a McDonalds driv thru at night or going for a jog early evening?

[Aesopfable]

The thing is this virus doesn't discriminate.

Except it seems it does and more more people from black and minority ethnic communities are dying from it.

[ChocolatelyAsFuck]

Unless your child has a serious underlying medical condition they are more likely to get hit by a bus than die of COVID.

London has a very low number of cases and the number of new cases and especially the number of deaths is dropping all the time. The hospitals near me are empty and have been empty for weeks. It’s been widely reported that London May be COVID-free soon, and that it’s likely London as a population has already achieved high heard immunity due to the number of people who have already had and recovered from it.

I know the MN disaster-junkies and ghouls who salivate at the idea of mass corpses on the streets hate the idea that COVID is being brought under control in some areas, but well-controlled small protests where people are sensible are not going to cause “the deaths of thousands” and people attending should not all “be prosecuted for manslaughter.” That’s sheer hysteria and fearmongering, quite likely with an agenda behind it.

[borntohula]

@jellybeanz1212 hug your family then, ffs! You won't get arrested or anything. It's not the protesters' fault you haven't been hugging people.

[ToffeeYoghurt]

@frazzledfatty

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

I agree

So now you think black people are privileged??

Diabetes has one of the highest deaths rates of all with Covid. Black people are more at risk of developing diabetes.

Disabled black lives matter. Elderly black lives matter. The lives of black people with prexisting conditions matter.
Black Londoner lives matter.

[schoolsoutforcovid]

@ChocolatelyAsFuck but I don't live in London. London isn't the epicentre of the world and the way people that live there dismiss that fact isn't useful is it?

[frazzledfatty]

How did you come to that conclusion @ToffeeYoghurt?

[MintyMabel]

This just a universally appalling bandwagon that can be jumped on and no one can really challenge the validity of for fear of being labelled a racist.

Protesting racism which is resulting in the death of people at the hands of the police is a bandwagon? You think people out there marching in support are just looking for a cause?

[BlackBucketOfCheese]

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

Fuck yes this.

[ChilliCheese123]

@ChocolatelyAsFuck my child hasn’t got a medical condition thankfully but one of my nephews does and my best friends son does. I don’t think they’re particularly privileged in that their greatest worry is whether their child will stop breathing overnight and die or have a seizure when they’re not looking and choke on their tongue, for example. I’m not worried about my own child catching it, not really no. I am also not a mumsnet frother, and have posted on many of the ‘anti dementor’ threads about how the hysteria drives me mad. So I’m not coming from that perspective.

[ChocolatelyAsFuck]

I don’t know if the protestors are from London or not but I can tell you that the major train stations were almost totally deserted today, which strongly indicates that the majority did not travel from outside the city.

I have attended protests prior to lockdown where the trains coming in from and back out to other areas were full of people who had clearly travelled to London from other areas to attend the protests.

There was a very noticeable difference today. So yes I believe based on what I personally witnessed and by comparing today with protests from previous years, that the vast majority of protestors were from London and did not travel far.

[WhatwouldLangdo]

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

People are already living in fear. Racism affects their lives and that of their loved ones. Racism kills many more people than covid has. People have the right to decide which is a bigger threat for them and act accordingly.

My father is black and being a non-white person in the UK, I have every single right to protest the treatment of myself and others.

6 police officers pinned a black woman down in a city in England. The video is all over the internet. So no, writing an angry letter to Trump won't help.

[MintyMabel]

Except it seems it does and more more people from black and minority ethnic communities are dying from it.

Which likely has a lot to do with the fact that public health around the world serves them very badly.

[schoolsoutforcovid]

Ok. Train stations were not deserted in London today 🤷🏽‍♀️ so that's that. I know it for a fact. Night x

[TinyPigeon]

an issue which has been appalling for generations and which one march won’t change anything

So, because racial violence against Black people has been ongoing for centuries it should just be accepted? People should just give up and let their loved ones and community die quietly with no justice? Is that what you would do? It's not "an issue" OP it's people's fucking lives.

[frazzledfatty]

People are already living in fear. Racism affects their lives and that of their loved ones. Racism kills many more people than covid has. People have the right to decide which is a bigger threat for them and act accordingly.

Exactly

[ChocolatelyAsFuck]

but I don't live in London. London isn't the epicentre of the world and the way people that live there dismiss that fact isn't useful is it?

I’m sorry but I don’t know what this comment refers to. This thread is about protests in London. The thread title literally has the word “London” in it.

If you don’t live in London, why are you on a thread about Londoners attending a protest in London?

[TimeWastingButFun]

I'm glad this horrific crime hasn't gone unnoticed by the people. And peacefully protesting or canvassing to change laws where needed are essential. But people shouldn't be breaking laws, damaging property and causing more innocent deaths (mostly down to an appalling lack of social distancing) to prove their point. I very much hope that we can find a better, more productive way to ensure this awful thing never happens again.

[schoolsoutforcovid]

@ChilliCheese123 please stay away from your friends kids if you're identifying as an "anti dementor"