AIBU to ask what you think about the protests?

[Raspberryberret]

Genuinely interested in opinions. For those who are vehemently against schools re-opening because of the risk of coronavirus, what is your view on the BLM protests and the risks of infection across the country due to these mass gatherings?

I do agree with the right to protest and why people are protesting.

But in the middle of a pandemic where NHS staff have lost their lives, left their kids? No. Our economy is decimated and a second wave will really knock us let alone the deaths it'll caused.

I understand some posters saying they walked into town, socially distanced and walked home. What about the thousands in central London who took public transport to get there, went to the loo with thousands of others.

I also didn't agree with trotting odd to the beach or conga lines.

I understand why they're protesting. Why they feel the need to protest.

This isn't about having a beer with mates and getting a bloody tan.

There is a moral imperative about this for many, and it's their moral imperative. Others with a moral imperative that is bound up with the pandemic, will be understandably outraged by this.

I fully support a right to protest and air views but the methodology has me worried. The same concern I felt when I saw people on beaches a few weekends ago. It feels reckless.

Yes we should support the issue. We should be writing to MPs, voting appropriately, putting posters in Windows, shouting about the issue on social media and forcing schools to educate children on the issues as part of the curriculum.

The protest in their current form has done nothing but give the government a get out excuse for a second spike BUT

I also think we need to ask ourselves why the media are all over these protests as the cause of a second spike, why Matt Hancock has made the comments he did about causing a second spike but yet the queues a few weeks ago to public beauty spots didn"t raise the same level of governmental anger. Ask ourselves also why the media are so focussed on the Madeline McCann suspect when I believe his name was circulated and known a year ago. Could it be to keep the current media focus and take away any sympathy from the BLM protests / cause?

I completely understand the current anger and outrage of BAME people, but non socially-distanced protests should not have happened during a pandemic. In normal times I would have joined the protests to show my solidarity with victims of racism, but not at the moment.

All protests should be peaceful and non-violent. Any violence toward people or, as we have seen this weekend, animals allows the right-wing media to focus on the violence rather than the injustice which is exactly what they want to do, of course. It also risks frightening and alienating the ‘silent majority’, who support the police and see rioters as thugs rather than victims of oppression.

I doubt very much that the protests will cause a spike in covid-19 infections. I am slightly concerned that a growing number of angry, young people will lots of time on their hands and a govt that is looking increasingly out of control may lead to something like we experienced in 2011.

Quite honestly I think it was total madness
We can only see our families outside have been unable to go out much for weeks
And suddenly its absolutely fine for thousands to mass together
Cummings caused an uproar but this Apparently is fine

I do think it was absolutely right that the statue in Bristol got torn down but I think the timing is unfortunate.

I feel massively conflicted, I totally support the cause and their right to protest...... just wish it didn't have to be right now. Sadly I think it could do more harm than good because a rise in Covid cases = tighter restrictions. Tighter restrictions = even worse damage to the economy and we'll all suffer from that.
Not sure what the answer is really.

Very upsetting to see the police being attacked
It’s their job - we need them
If you can’t guarantee behaviour the protests just reinforce racism
Sad

Although I strongly support the black lives matter movement, I would support a peaceful protest with social distancing. On the news I can see many vulnerable BAME people in attendance not socially distanced. I fear for their safety from the virus.

One of the best things we could do in fighting racism is a new government. Yet the government now has an out if a second wave happens. Track and trace even if it worked is now useless and again the government can blame the protests. Dominic Cummings actions a distant memory. The protests are a big win for the Tories.

We can only see our families outside have been unable to go out much for weeks And suddenly its absolutely fine for thousands to mass together Cummings caused an uproar but this Apparently is fine

I don’t think many people consider this situation to be “fine” at all, but anyone brave enough to stick their head above the parapet and criticise non socially-distanced protests from a public health perspective would immediately be denounced as a racist, so they daren’t say anything.

People have been protesting peacefully for years yet racism still exists.

Pro protests.

Forgot to add, this is why a few protesters aren’t protesting quietly

I think the small, local protests that I have seen have been good - well thought out and people have distanced.
The big, massive violent protests I have seen in London, with no distancing I think will result in many cases of COVID.
I support the small, social distanced protests.
I don't support any violent protests or any that are likely to cause deaths from COVID because I think there are better, safer alternatives.

Anyone who moaned about Cummings but is squishing up next to other people at these protests is a hypocrite. I see it as a bandwagon jumping on thing. People get killed by the police in Iran Saudi and African states by police and no-one cares. Yes he was horribly killed by the police in America but why didn't the guy killed by the Saudi government in Turkey get protests? We do seem to just copy America.

And peaceful protesters are still getting beaten up by police. It's a fairly charged situation, I imagine, trying to figure out whether you play by the pacifist hymn book (on either side), or whether you think 'fuck this shit' and go in all guns blazing.

I worry that it will backfire massively because of the pandemic. Racism in the U.K. is a big problem but it’s more insidious, and theres a lot of it in the healthcare system. It’s black women being 5x more likely to die in childbirth, worse educational outcomes, deprived communities, sub standard housing, more poverty. These are major ways that many black peoples lives are affected by structural racism, probably more so and more universally than police brutality and murder. My worry is that if there’s a 2nd wave and lots more BAME people die, everyone will just blame the protests and no more q’s will be asked, and we’ll go back to the expectation of BAME people having worse health outcomes and that will be that. I feel the inequality in healthcare was just getting to the point of being a hot topic because of Covid, it could have opened up a lot more discussion, but will that happen now or will it be shut down? Also if we have to lock down again we will fuck our economy more, which isn’t great for anyone but especially the more deprived and inner city communities (please note I’m not saying all black people are from deprived backgrounds or that there aren’t many deprived white communities too).

And peaceful protesters are still getting beaten up by police

Not in London they're not. The police are running away from those trying to incite violence (literally). Which is pathetic really, but there we go. London has the most CCTV in the world, after the 2011 riots many were charged after the fact. Let's hope the small minority are charged, and realise the damage they have done.

It's sad that there has had to be protests and how little regard over so many years there has been for black lives.

It's sad that so much of the focus and headlines will no doubt be about the violence. Clearly those people there dont give a crap about the cause..just the usual mob. Whose actions shouldn't take anything away from what the majority of peaceful protesters are there for!

Just hope there isnt a rise in cases from this.

Or if there is it will no doubt be blamed on these events wherever or not they caused it.

I went to a protest yesterday.
I was torn about it and only decided to go at the last moment but couldn't in good conscience stay away.
Im sad and angry that we are still having to protest about racism well into the 21st century.
Bad timing yes but things need to change.
Most people were wearing masks, some distancing admittedly not 2m but it was well organised and peaceful.
My risk of spreading the virus are almost nil as ive been at home for 11 weeks and im not that worried about having caught it yesterday either.

For those racist people, this violent protesting is playing right into their hands..... it only gives them more ammunition and this will make it ten times worse. For that reason, I do not support these protests.

I think that anyone attending a large gathering during a pandemic is an idiot. It’s a massive ‘fuck you’ to anyone who has been working throughout the last 10 weeks.

I abhor racism and I’m glad so many people have turned out to support a good cause, especially when young people have been disproportionately affected by COVID. I think everyone has had the chance to decide that their risks are and if they wish to comply with the guidance.

I do not however, like being told all white people are racist. I find it very offensive. Am not at all.

Disgusting behaviour at the riots.

Any message they were trying to get across has been completely overshadowed now.