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?

Might as well scrap social distancing now. Why is it ok for the protesters and not for everyone else?

I think it's fair to say social distancing enforcement is done. Can you imagine being issued a fine now? Pretty sure that they couldn't enforce it.

Who throws a bike at a horse? I can't get over that one

Disgusting.

Some of what is happening at the protests is shocking.

Just spoke to my df. His dsis died this week and he's fretting about how many of the family will be able to attend the funeral. I can't even go because I'd need to spend the night somewhere. Yet it's ok for thousands to cram together to express their 'solidarity'.

Just to come back to the thread to say that I did go along today.

It was a major city but really well organised. Masks etc were all being handed out for anyone who didn't have one and the majority of people were wearing them. Once inside everyone generally stuck to their own groups and were 2m from each other despite there being a few thousand there I would say. Lots of young people and families. Even the police have agreed people were social distancing.

I'm glad I went along.

He was a dreadful man who wouldn't have seen his dd grow up because he'd be in prison for years for his crimes

What crimes? His last sentence was years ago and I'm not aware there's been anything since?

Peaceful protests fine. Violence and vandalism not. Fucking scum they are.

*He was going away for a long time.
He was a good man, according to the woman on tv crying about justice for him. How he was a good dad, won't see his child grow up.

He was a dreadful man who wouldn't have seen his dd grow up because he'd be in prison for years for his crimes*

Ehhhhh. What was he going away for? He had been out of prison since 2014. Nothing said since then..

So those that went, whats the next step?

@MissEliza you can stay away from home for a funeral

Op, well done. I'm glad it went well for you.
There's was a protest in a neighbouring town that several of my friends we at, that was also peaceful, emotional and safely distanced.

So those that went, whats the next step?

In my area, the local government, the state government, the police force, the school system and many other organisations are now all looking at ways they need to change. They've been asking the community to get involved with suggestions.

Implicit-bias training that had been put off either due to lack of funding or inertia is now happening much more widely.

In my town, the plan for a 'school resource officer' (ie a police officer permanently assigned to the school and with an office in it) has now quietly been dropped. Several of us had already spent several months turning up to school committee and town committee meetings to say how we felt it was an inappropriate use of school funds, and would cause more problems than it solved. Turns out that now the town agrees - even those who originally suggested the idea.

Several police forces that had resisted the use of body cameras are now agreeing they need to do so.

Conversations are being had widely about other ways to support the movement, and make real changes.

One local conversation is about the teaching of history in our local school system, and the ways in which it covers colonialism. People have been trying to get the school to consider this for years - now it will happen.

The movement to defund police departments is forcing the police to carefully consider how they interact with the community, and how they justify their expenses.

Just a few things happening locally in my corner of the US. Nationwide there are many more changes happening.

That's great.Holdmylobster.

@Thisdressneedspockets can I? I've looked online and can't find an answer to this question.

Would it be ridiculous to have a BLM sign in people's windows at home similar to the NHS? I'm sorry if it sounds pathetic I am wondering how people can make a statement while avoiding the crowds protesting.

Plenty of people don't dispute the reason for the protests but plenty dispute the timing. BLM have chosen to protest at a critical time for the UK. Not once but again and again. The consequences could be dreadful for family's up and down the country and the NHS could be overwhelmed with a 2nd wave. I really hope not.
I feel very sad, that the nation as a whole, it's different communities, the elderly and the vulnerable DON'T matter.
And Yes the people crowding onto the beaches and beauty spots are selfish too.
Society is all about me Me, Me, Me, Me, I want, I need, I must have, SOD everyone else.

@MissEliza, it's in the actual legislation xx

@Thisdressneedspockets thank you.

Exceptions for staying out overnight.

@Thisdressneedspockets thank you. I wasn't able to find that by myself so I really appreciate it.💕💕

On funerals the order as amended as I think is quoted above allows over nights when as stated here -

"6.—(1) No person may, without reasonable excuse, stay overnight at any place other than the place where they are living.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the circumstances in which a person (“P”) has a reasonable excuse include cases where—

(a)P needs to stay elsewhere to attend a funeral, as—

(i)a member of the deceased person’s household,

(ii)a close family member of the deceased person, or

(iii)if no-one within paragraph (i) or (ii) is attending, a friend of the deceased person;..."
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/558/regulation/2/made

OP, you obviously havent watched the videos of what happened in London. It turned into a rioting mob, baying for the blood of the police

No, it didn't. Someone's been making the mistake of believing the Mail again.

@TabbyMumz

Its come out that George Floyd was an armed robber who put a gun to a pregnant woman's belly. I wonder how many would have marched if they knew that.

13 years ago. He fully served his sentence for that offence and has never been convicted of a crime of violence since.

But go on, do tell us how that justifies two policemen kneeling on his back and neck and slowly crushing him to death.

It will be interesting to read everyone's excuse for not going

I’m a Single parent and have no childcare currently . There is NO way kids would attend , they have seen the videos .

I’m also scared of crowds , even before COVID . I care but am interested in how I can make a change , even small , without putting myself in a situation that’s going to majorly stress me out.

You’re furloughed to avoid coming into contact with others who have the virus, so it’s a bit unfair to then go and mix with thousands of other people on a working day while the government pay you for it.

What a weird idea of the purpose of furlough. It has nothing whatsoever to do with not spreading the virus.

And why assume that Saturday is a working day for OP?

He was a dreadful man who wouldn't have seen his dd grow up because he'd be in prison for years for his crimes. There are black people who don't support this as they don't want such a person as their martyr, I don't blame them.

@Devlesko, this is fiction and you know it.

I don't think many checked out his past before they jumped on the bandwaggon.

Oh, the irony.