To not be guilted into going to my cities BLM protests?

[PublishedEgg]

I have relatives who I'm close to that are black. They are obviously really devastated about everything that is going on, we all are. I've been speaking with them a lot in the past few weeks and listening to everything they have to say. We're having lots of conversations.

However, one family member in particular is saying if we don't attend protests that have been organised, we obviously don't care about her and she wants nothing more to do with us as we clearly don't put actions to our words.

AIBU to not feel guilted into going to this? I am very supportive of the BLM movement, I care about my family members a great deal and have been doing various things to support it, both generally and in my own life. However I don't feel comfortable going to a mass gathering right now in the middle of a city centre (I am also pregnant, early though). AIBU?

[MintyMabel]

I think you are proving my point that the US and Uk are different.

First of all, that one case in Scotland is not the only case in the U.K. Secondly, whether it is the US, the UK or anywhere else, these are still people or do you only care about those you share nationality with by accident of birth? It is also worth noting that what is happening in the US is about more than just this one issue as how it plays out will undoubtedly have an effect on the U.K. in the future.

We tend to prefer people who stick to the laws in the Uk rather than picking and choosing which laws you prefer to follow particularly where attendance could mean a lot of deaths

Now there is a surprise. @Xenia doesn’t think people should protest to support the Black Lives Matter movement. How can you seriously say we are a nation of law abiders when people ignoring lockdown and not following the rules has been a huge feature of the last few months. Not just by the general public but also by some of our highest ranking government officials, our royal family.

Dominic Cummings broke the rules and the whole nation said fuck it, we’re going out, I don’t care if people die. Police in the US break the rules and the people say fuck that, we’re going to protest because people are dying.

Telling people who have faced this for 400 years “now is not the time” makes you complicit.

[Xenia]

My words are being twisted. I am not against protests when they are lawful. I want people to be free to express their views. If the law says more than 6 cannot gather then that's the law whether they gather to protest against lock down or against killings by police or anyone else.

If we just pick which laws we want to follow therein lies chaos.

The UK has been one of the most compliant in Europe in its 10 weeks of lockdown and well done to everyone for that. However large gatherings of anyone are not a good idea and will damage and possibly kill more people than the 1000 a year who die in the US in police shootings.

Anyway may be this is one way out of lockdown (a lockdown I am against but follow) as it will get people used to large groups and they will be happier now to send children back to school and for those off work to return to work.

[Theeighthelephant]

@xenia

Over the past few months you've been complaining about lockdown, casting doubt on the number of deaths and even saying that elderly people dying would be worth it if teenagers could take exams. And now suddenly you're all concerned?

[MadameMarie]

Just tell them you don't want to risk getting seriously ill or risk killing people by catching the virus, the same way you wouldn't lick a public toilet seat.

[Rosebel]

The main problem is,these protests will change nothing. The government have asked people not to attend. Just wait a couple of weeks and you'll see the death rate shoot up due to this sort of behaviour.
I would just say you support them but you also support the NHS so won't be attending. Tell them families don't blackmail on another. Then leave it, if they chose not to talk to you then ask if you really want them in your life.

[Inappropriatefemale]

There was even a small protest in Edinburgh today, and I spotted about 3 black people, 2 Asian and about 50 white people and the whites folks weren’t with anyone that wasn’t white, they were on their own and what could they possibly know about racism, I find it odd, I get going with a mate or family member of colour to support them but going as a white person, without supporting a non-white person, is odd to me.

The British police are nothing to do with the police in the US and so what the hell are the protests here going to achieve in the US?

Black Lives Matter just like the many, many people that may catch Covid because of these protests, not everyone had a mask on and there was obviously no social distancing and so I do believe that these folks should be held accountable for doing this, and please nobody say “who should be accountable for the death of George Floyd” because that’s nothing to do with the UK.

[Inappropriatefemale]

...oh and meant to add that the American police officers that killed GF are accountable, nobody else. It’s a sad sad thing and very shocking but we have a world pandemic and so I can’t help but think of mob mentality.

[jerometheturnipking]

George Floyd himself might not be anything to do with the UK. But we sell the US tear gas and rubber bullets that are being used against protesters. We have a problem with racism in our own countries that has been allowed to be swept under the rug. White people will have attended these protests as an act of active anti-racism.

People protesting as a result of things that have happened in other countries is not a new phenomenon, especially with a global media like the one we have now.

[Inappropriatefemale]

I just think the lives of thousands of people are more important than the life of one man who lived on the other side of the world.

I doubt all the protestors know that abt tear gas being sold here, and I very much doubt that this is their reasons for protesting even if they do know, anyway it’s still the issue in the PD in America and nowt to do with us, they could’ve waited until this is all over, it could set us back.