London Demonstrations

[nicsknackered]

Maybe iabu I don't know but I'm so pissed off at all of the photos online of the demonstrations taking place in London today. I know why they are doing it but ffs 15,000 people in a fucking park while we are only allowed to meet in a group of 6.

My kids have just returned to school for 2 days a week in small classes with only a few of their friends, my year 6er is missing everything and should be on a PGL trip this week. My husbands business is going down the drain but 15,000 fucking people can go and mix for a demonstration?

Let's just all wait for two weeks time shall we when the hospitals are busy again and people are screaming that their relatives are dying.

I'm really angry and fed up after seeing the photos, just feel like it's never going to end and we are never going to get away from these restrictions while other people don't give a shit.

[EnthusiasmIsDisturbed]

Oh dear if only people could hold onto their anger and hurt for a bit longer

When do you suggest 2025? after all it’s been hundreds of years, maybe there can be carefully planed protest parties on a far away island, conferences, maybe a week of ongoing events/seminars you know to allow people to voice their opinions as loud as they want to just in this week though so not to cause too much disruption

[BetteDavisWeLuvU]

@Yesmate there are several threads on here with pages of posts with a large majority being furious about the scenes at beaches, county parks etc. so lets not start that.

[PicsInRed]

It's not really comparable though is it? The suffragettes and the IRA were bombing for a very clear cause.

Stopping the serial murder of innocent black people by the state - not a clear cause?

Again, be grateful that black people are so peaceful and so patient. They have plenty to be angry at and they are more patient and peaceful than many other activist groups in history and in the present.

All lives matters

Racist dog whistle bollocks.

[BetteDavisWeLuvU]

Hang on a minute at @crispysausagerolls was sort of agreeing with you until you basically disregarded the 0.05% or whatever you said does of Covid. Do you not think they were not someone’s baby?!? WTAF!! That is unacceptable.

[Moobieboobie]

The depths of ignorance shown on Mumsnet is sometimes astounding - why should the black community continually have to explain the systemic racism that is experienced on a day to day basis whilst the large proportion of white people continue to live in their protective, privileges bubbles? Yes, the protestors are taking a risk during the pandemic, however in order to stand up for the marginalised and voiceless the risk may be worth it. Turn anger towards being an ally and recognise the sacrifice the protestors are making to highlight racial injustice worldwide.

[frillyflamingo]

It's genuinely mindless and rightly or wrongly, public perception of this from a nation who has an overwhelming majority followed lockdown at great personal detriment will be very very negative.

I've had a baby in lockdown and seen absolutely no one under the guideline from our government and there are 15,000 morons out there sharing breath in Hyde Park?

I watched the news this evening and thought, fuck it. I'm taking my children and I to stay with their granny for a few days tomorrow and anyone who tells me otherwise can suck a dick.

[cyclingmad]

Honestly what is wrong with you going on about your sacrifice for last two months, they have also been sacrificing too. Have you said this on every thread about other groups of people breaking lockdown rules? The ones about those going to beaches etc?

If not why not? Why post just on this one?

[creativecringe]

Once covid-19 is gone or there is a vaccine, what do you go back to?

[Shallwedancetomojito]

Either they all get sick which would be their own fault, or the whole lockdown was utter bullshit. We'll see in a couple of weeks time.

I'm swaying towards the bullshit.

[EnoughAlready2020]

This thread is another fucking joke.

Beaches and Cummings is not the fucking same as another black life lost to police brutality. It happens in the US and it happens here: I agree with PPs. Can we only protest when you say it's okay and also in the way you say is okay? Fuck off. Another white person trying to exert power.

Should the protestors (or anyone else for that matter) get sick, it will be mostly BAME people helping them to get well.

Stay angry about the lack of social distancing. I'll stay angry that another black person was killed needlessly.

[kazzer2867]

@wafflyversatile

And fuck off with your trite all lives matter mantra. Black lives have never been treated like they mattered, here or in the US. That is why they have to keep reminding us BLACK LIVES MATTER.

^^ This.

[Boulshired]

The reality where I am is lockdown for many young people has been over for awhile. If I was near London and wasn’t a carer I would of gone today. Racism, without the risk of police violence is still cutting lives short, poor social mobility, poverty, health both physical and mental health. I just wish the anger at the police was directed at society as much damage is caused way before any police interaction.

[Theluggage15]

God, the whining. ‘Stop protesting, it’s not fair, I’m scared of the virus, me, me, me.’ Pathetic. People can only spread the virus if they’ve got it anyway so stop whining on about second peaks.

Perhaps the protesters have done their own risk assessments of the dangers of the virus against the dangers of racism and good for them. It’s been by and large a peaceful protest and hopefully is getting a message across (but obviously not to those who are so hugely self centred as seen on this thread).

[CalmYoBadSelf]

The irony is that if any of these selfish demonstrating idiots catches Covid and needs treatment they risk infecting BAME health workers who are at higher risk than others.

[SansaSnark]

Telling people when/where/how to protest is fucked up. I agree that maybe it's partly to do with the pressure cooker situation of lockdown that this has escalated so quickly. Maybe people are spending more time online and becoming aware of things that previously they wouldn't have noticed.

Yes, we aren't in America, but our police are still very racist. Young black men are disproportionately affected by stop and search, BAME people were disproportionately more likely to be given fines during lockdown than white people, and sadly some black and asian people have been killed in police custody or by police in unlawful ways over the last decade/15 years.

And our government is allowing the continued exports of teargas and rubber bullets to the US to be used on people who are by and large protesting peacefully. So we are complicit. Our own prime minister won't even condemn Donald Trump.

Some people will be pleased to know that arrests have been made of protestors under covid-19 legislation. Personally, I think this is appalling. What's happening in America right now is indistinguishable from fascism. We need to be careful not to enter the same territory.

[SansaSnark]

If there's a second peak, it'll have far more to do with the thousands sat on beaches for all of last week, and the wider reopening of schools and businesses.

[BetteDavisWeLuvU]

@Theluggage15 that’s the problem though the people who get it or easily understand are not the people whose thoughts need reshaping, a protest in the middle of a pandemic isn’t which lets be honest however small did turn violent at the end (and there was always going to be a risk of that) unfortunately only seeks to reinforce the negative views of those people we need as a society to wake up. It also gives The Daily Mail plenty of fodder with which to whip up their readers!!

[Shallwedancetomojito]

Can we just rewind back to December 31st 2019, and try this year again.

Thanks 🙏

[SansaSnark]

From the videos on twitter, I fully believe the police provoked the tiny amount of violence at the end of the protest- because they were offended by the chants protesters were using.

[PenguinIce]

I hope the protests have a positive outcome and real changes are made as BAME people should not be in fear of their lives every time they come into contact with the police. I do fear though that the violence at protests undermined the cause.
We all know the problem is there and we have known it for a long time. Every time an incident like the shocking recent case happens there is protest and then after a while everything goes back to as it was the before. We need to start thinking of solutions, real changes so that nothing like this happens again.

[cyclingmad]

There is a risk to very protest turning violent because they get hijacked by activists and anarchists whose purpose is to loot and cause violence as part of anti government drive. They dont have anything to do with the protest.

Plenty of info coming out of america how this has been happening, pallets of bricks randomly appearing on streets, people being purposely driven in to areas of protests to cause anarchy.

And yes it happens here in the UK too but af a different scale.

And yes the protestors are then blamed, black people are then blamed when the truth is something else.

[BetteDavisWeLuvU]

Sigh @SansaSnark you may be right but a) your Daily Mail reader with right wing tendencies isn’t going to give a shit about that and anyone sensible is then thinking hang what were they chanting to offend them.....how does that help the cause.....it doesn’t it plays right into the hands of people who do not agree with the cause.

[BetteDavisWeLuvU]

Sorry I never even did a b!!!

[lljkk]

Or maybe education, lawful assembly & protest, seeing our family -- are lawful rights that shouldn't be denied?

Is how I see things.

[BetteDavisWeLuvU]

@cyclingmad and sensible people realise that....however as I’ve said sensible people who get it aren’t the people that need working on.