Attending BLM protests?

[ALifeDesign]

I am wondering if anyone has attended today or planning to go to any of the protests being organised around the country this weekend.

I am debating going tomorrow. I would maintain social distancing and wear a mask. In ordinary times I would be there without a second's thought but these aren't ordinary times.

Some photos from today on Twitter look well organised, distanced etc.

I wfh and live with one other person - currently furloughed - who would also be at the protest, so I feel we are low risk of spreading.

I'm still a bit torn. So I suppose AIBU to attend?

gimmeAye

I said for some and stand by that. These protests always attract professional agitators and anarchists, they spark the violence and s cause that is personally important to me is set back, ultimately.

Depends on what segment of BAME society you look at.

You look at a 14 year old black kid living in Croydon in a council flat with a single Mum, who works as a cleaner as she couldn't get an education, who has pressure on him to join a gang, who is in danger every time he leaves the house of being stopped, searched and perhaps manhandled/falsely accused (refer to white woman in Central Park with the dog). He got fuck all education. He is unlikely to get a job. Sometimes he had food, more times he didn't. He got free school meals but was bullied for being poor as a result. Do you think COVID is more of a danger to him or systemic racism?

What does get to me is that a good many of those virtue signalling about going to these protests are people who aren't at risk from COVID-19, so it isn't them that will face the consequences of the risks they're taking.

Whereas vulnerable people will be at risk of catching the virus from them. Including members of the black community who they claim to be protesting for.

I'm in the US and I went to a small one in my local town. Everyone was 6' apart and masked. There were people there from babies to great-grandparents.

I didn't go to the bigger protest in my nearest city because I am worried about it being impossible to distance there. But I have found it incredibly moving to see thousands of people marching, chanting, lying face down, and peacefully protesting.

These protests are not just about George Floyd. The fact that his murderers have been charged doesn't mean there's nothing left to protest about.

The protests are implicitly a judgement of Trump's presidency and especially his response to the issues of inequality, racism, and poverty.

People keep telling Americans to 'do something about Trump'. There hasn't been much they can do about the fact that he's in power, until they get to vote again, but these protests are their way of letting him know how they feel.

It has been heartening to see similar protests in other countries. It's also been heartening to see the police being exposed and judged for their appalling behaviours, before and during the protests.

For those who want to just write protests off as bored, woke teens going out to be annoying - maybe that's how it is in the UK (although I doubt it, from speaking to friends and family there), but it's certainly not how it is in the US.

There are plenty of perfectly valid reasons not to be protesting during a pandemic, but thank you to those who have protested or provided support in other ways.

It doesn't matter that the scenes on the tv are a minority

It is costing money to deploy those and nhs staff to look after the poor policeman knocked off his horse , hope they're found the horse by the way

It's a pandemic and the guidelines are not meeting 6 people or more

People can't attend funerals of relatives remember?

Hope all you protestors are happy sending your kids to school and going into work and traveling by public transport

Your white virtue signalling is revolting.

I'm Irish, have been a victim of police brutality, racism and discrimination. There are very few virtues in me. What is in me though is an ability to empathise as, I've walked if not the whole mile, I've walked at least half a mile in their shoes.

Your lack of insight is revolting however.

@Alderaan

Yes, I'll be going. I'll wear a mask and keep a safe distance. I'll also be taking five-month-old DS

You can’t put a mask on a 5 month baby......so if you’re planning on being somewhere you feel you need a mask that seems particularly stupid.

Harpingon

But they shouldn't have organised it in the first place ! All the protests need to be policed , peaceful or not, do the organisers fork out for that ?

I'm Irish, have been a victim of police brutality, racism and discrimination. There are very few virtues in me. What is in me though is an ability to empathise as, I've walked if not the whole mile, I've walked at least half a mile in their shoes.
Your lack of insight is revolting however

Lack of insight? 😂 You are the white gift that just keeps on giving aren't you?

A five month old baby??

Have you seen the news today

Yes presuambly those on the demonstrations are happy to go into work, take the tube and send their children to school - you cannot have it both ways and nor can those crowding on to British beaches (until our typical British weather let us down today)

(Why does the black boy above get no education in Croydon when Asians come here specifically for the London state schools in which they get an education and do very well?)

So to those who feel the mass gatherings are justifiable, are you happy to lift the lockdown now? Because we may as well now. I'd like my dcs to get back to education as I feel their future prospects being damaged by the closure of schools and unis. I'd like my dd to get back to training the sport she excels in. And I'd like to see my df who has been alone since March. We've made sacrifices to protect the vulnerable and the NHS but f&@k it.

Xenia The great British taxpayer has arrived.

As I said, it depends on which area of the BAME community you look at. Are you suggesting that Asians are somehow a better class of the BAME community?

PS, no need to point out how much taxes you pay, we know.

Depends on what segment of BAME society you look at.

You look at a 14 year old black kid living in Croydon in a council flat with a single Mum, who works as a cleaner as she couldn't get an education, who has pressure on him to join a gang, who is in danger every time he leaves the house of being stopped, searched and perhaps manhandled/falsely accused (refer to white woman in Central Park with the dog). He got fuck all education. He is unlikely to get a job. Sometimes he had food, more times he didn't. He got free school meals but was bullied for being poor as a result.

What's the risk to his mum though? If we were just interested in risks to 14 year olds they would all be at school. The Central Park thing was disgusting but that is one instance again in the US so I think someone he cares about is more likely to die of Covid than experience that. Also plenty of white boys are also in this position. I totally understand that racism is an issue - I don't understand your take on it

MissEliza I dunno, if my life was unfavourably compromised from birth based on what country on the planet I was born in or on whether I had darker skin than others, I might think, fuck it, you know what, I want my education too. I might think that you know what? Fuck it.

So you go to the march. Then what? What do we lobby our Mp,s about? Then some people who don,t want to go the march can still support the course.

I'm going, I'm low risk, will socially distance, haven't seen anyone for a week, live alone, work from home and don't use supermarkets. I think my risk of Covid is very low and this is such a fucking important issue that it's worth it. Understand if you're shielding or vulnerable or see others who are though. Protest isn't the only way to take action.

Xenia - there is absolutely a hypocrisy with sending children to school, re opening non essential shops, loosening restrictions on gatherings, but not allowing a large gathering when prior to more strict restrictions, the government specifically gave the go ahead for Cheltenham races and Massive Attack concert - both outside venues.

Not sure I understand the point about a black boy and an Asian boy being comparable?

Atila - it's ok to not understand. We're not all born with brains capable of critical thought. Don't worry your little head about it.

(Also the number of BIPOC people where I live is so low it would be very disingenuous to pretend I was worried about them catching it from me. This is the whitest place I've ever lived)

gimmeay I work at a school with about 65% BAME students Mostly Black African.
We are in a poor ish area.
Our highest achieving students are almost always black and our excluded students are a mix of races. Lowest Achieving are all working class white girls and boys.
I have no idea where the idea that black children in the Uk don’t get an education comes from.
I’m not arguing that there isn’t racism in other areas but black students are not the ones who achieve poorly in the education system anymore.

[quote MexicanStyle]@smiley But are these same black students who achieve well treated fairly when it comes to uni applications / high payed jobs?[/quote]
Only if they have a white sounding name. Those who do not have a white sounding name are less likely to be interviewed than someone with a white sounding name.

I’m not arguing that there isn’t racism in other areas but black students are not the ones who achieve poorly in the education system anymore.

How many black broadcasters do you see? How many black politicians? If black people are the highest achieving, why is that not represented in society?

Gimmeay you missed my point. It's me that's saying fuck it. There's no point in having a lockdown now.
Ironic the government was being blasted in the Commons during the week for asking people to go back work and therefore putting BAME people at risk.