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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

London Covid-19 protests

24 replies

readyfortea · 27/09/2020 14:07

Do you think those attending are right to do so?

Just found a really interesting video that has changed my mind slightly.

www.facebook.com/536577061/posts/10157345740942062/?

OP posts:
millymollymoomoo · 27/09/2020 14:10

Yes I do think they are right to

Malteserdiet · 27/09/2020 14:21

100% right. Mainstream media paints everybody who attends these events as conspiracy theorist, anti vaxxers when actually that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Hingeandbracket · 27/09/2020 14:25

I am not sure what the protests are really about, but the BBC and others' total failure to even acknowledge them is a worry.

KenDodd · 27/09/2020 14:29

I heard about them on the BBC so you are wrong saying they haven't even acknowledged them.

nosswith · 27/09/2020 14:31

If they are all wearing face coverings and keeping 6 foot apart, then whilst I disagree with them, their protest should be permitted.

ChaChaCha2012 · 27/09/2020 14:36

I believe people should have the right to protest, but not without following the relevant social distancing rules. I don't care about the Covid deniers, but I do care about the emergency service workers who have no choice but to be around them.

cleverknot · 27/09/2020 15:47

Don't agree with their crazy ideas but it's free speech to share odd ideas.

MagpieSong · 27/09/2020 16:20

The anti lockdown ones? No, I think they’re not right at all, but with free speech they have a human right to voice their opinions. Unfortunately, friends in the area for other reasons said a large number weren’t wearing masks and It was chaotic, not social distanced. It therefore had to be shut down.

Yes, the handling has been poor. However, the video says nothing but that people don’t understand. It’s quite poorly done. It doesn’t challenge anyone bar the common cold guy, which doesn’t challenge perceptions. Unfortunately, people miss actual fraud and lies, yet when they face a pandemic create a conspiracy. Just because they aren’t far right doesn’t prevent them not believing a conspiracy theory. There is a right to real anger where people’s jobs are gone or at risk, equally people were already under pressure and have Brexit to cope with upcoming. There will be more unrest, most likely, probably riots rather than simply protests. However, unfortunately many are going through the same and mentioning it constantly being ‘less severe’ or ‘less harmful than a common cold’ shows clearly these people just don’t get it. None of the people I know who work in the NHS (I’m in uk but will be same for other medical staff internationally) agree with that, and they are the ones who’ve witnessed the illness and it’s effects. Some are physios who’ve been trying to help those with long covid recover, others witnessed those seriously ill. Script reading, Government take overs etc. Utter rubbish in many ways, or at least in the way it’s meant by those on the film.

Also every news I’ve seen has acknowledged them. They all seem a bit short of actual knowledge, including the reporter.

MagpieSong · 27/09/2020 16:23

To be honest, it reminded me a bit of that remix song from an awful interview at a Britain first rally, where the guy looks an idiot and can’t vocalise a single point clearly. It just needs someone to cut bits about government take overs, common cold and liberty and put a beat behind it.

Pukkatea · 27/09/2020 16:44

There's going to be a mix of people with legitimate concerns about their jobs etc. and the standard conspiracy crazies. At the end of the day I believe in the right to protest and that can't only be given to those I agree with, much as there are many groups I'd like to shut up!

NiknicK · 27/09/2020 16:47

No, but only because I don’t think that protesting achieves anything. I’m not allowed to meet up with family in larger groups or hug them yet these people are allowed to gather like this. Utter crap. Nothing will change and they’re foolish to even think It could.

ItsGoingTibiaK · 28/09/2020 12:05

@Malteserdiet

100% right. Mainstream media paints everybody who attends these events as conspiracy theorist, anti vaxxers when actually that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Both of the protests - this week and last week - were organised by conspiracy theorists and anti vaxxers, with conspiracy theorists and anti vaxxers as the main speakers.

Social media groups and pages for conspiracy theorists and anti vaxxers have been absolutely full of posts encouraging fellow conspiracy theorists and anti vaxxers to attend, and then sharing footage afterwards.

The truth is, we don't actually know who attended, and what their views are, so we can't say for certain what the balance was of conspiracy theorists and anti vaxxers versus 'others'. But all the evidence points to it being largely an event for conspiracy theorists and anti vaxxers.

ItsGoingTibiaK · 28/09/2020 12:08

@MagpieSong

The anti lockdown ones? No, I think they’re not right at all, but with free speech they have a human right to voice their opinions. Unfortunately, friends in the area for other reasons said a large number weren’t wearing masks and It was chaotic, not social distanced. It therefore had to be shut down.

Yes, the handling has been poor. However, the video says nothing but that people don’t understand. It’s quite poorly done. It doesn’t challenge anyone bar the common cold guy, which doesn’t challenge perceptions. Unfortunately, people miss actual fraud and lies, yet when they face a pandemic create a conspiracy. Just because they aren’t far right doesn’t prevent them not believing a conspiracy theory. There is a right to real anger where people’s jobs are gone or at risk, equally people were already under pressure and have Brexit to cope with upcoming. There will be more unrest, most likely, probably riots rather than simply protests. However, unfortunately many are going through the same and mentioning it constantly being ‘less severe’ or ‘less harmful than a common cold’ shows clearly these people just don’t get it. None of the people I know who work in the NHS (I’m in uk but will be same for other medical staff internationally) agree with that, and they are the ones who’ve witnessed the illness and it’s effects. Some are physios who’ve been trying to help those with long covid recover, others witnessed those seriously ill. Script reading, Government take overs etc. Utter rubbish in many ways, or at least in the way it’s meant by those on the film.

Also every news I’ve seen has acknowledged them. They all seem a bit short of actual knowledge, including the reporter.

That's because the video wasn't produced by an independent journalist. It was produced by Anna Brees - an ex-journalist who now pretty much purely champions the cause of conspiracy theorists.
cosmicdoughnut · 28/09/2020 12:27

Of course they have the right to protest whether you agree with them or not, just like all the other protests in the last few months.

Frostiesfortea · 28/09/2020 13:24

They have a right to protest I don’t condemn anyone for that but after watching Ambulance last night I saw what chaos it causes for the emergency services with any Large protest. It was chaos for them trying to get through road blockages with seriously ill patients.

CoffeeandCroissant · 28/09/2020 13:37

David Icke, a conspiracy theorist, anti vaxxer and anti semite was the main speaker.

So if someone is none of those things why would they attend and associate themselves with them? Blatantly obvious that a rally organised by anti vaxxers and conspiracy theorists would also be attended by anti vaxxers and conspiracy theorists, including the far right, QAnon supporters etc as that's exactly who turned up at the previous one.

CoffeeandCroissant · 28/09/2020 13:40

In any case, OP's faux naivety about a video (by an anti vaxxer) they happened to "just find" looks like an attempt at sealioning to me.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sealioning

marriednotdead · 28/09/2020 13:47

A former friend has always been anti vax.
Her DH thinks Tommy Robinson is a great guy. I was in Trafalgar Square playing tourist with family a couple of weekends ago and spotted the aforementioned maskless DH as I was leaving.
Our viewpoints are further apart than ever, I didn’t have any idea what to say, he didn’t see me so I kept walking.

PhilSwagielka · 28/09/2020 14:09

@Malteserdiet

100% right. Mainstream media paints everybody who attends these events as conspiracy theorist, anti vaxxers when actually that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Bullshit.
PhilSwagielka · 28/09/2020 14:11

Mumsnet supporting QAnon. I wish I was surprised but I’m not.

The people organising this are QAnon supporters. You know, the ones who worship Donald Trump and think anyone against him is a paedo. Strong antisemitic element too. I don’t give a shit if you die or not but I draw the line at others getting sick because of your stupidity.

PhilSwagielka · 28/09/2020 14:14

Btw Anna Brees is balls deep in conspiracy shite. She’s a friend of a friend and he said she’s gone deep down the rabbit hole and has a large following among these types.

Browneyesbigbum · 28/09/2020 14:14

[quote CoffeeandCroissant]In any case, OP's faux naivety about a video (by an anti vaxxer) they happened to "just find" looks like an attempt at sealioning to me.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sealioning[/quote]
Yes it is blatent

gingganggooleywotsit · 30/09/2020 20:23

No I do not think they are right to attend. Arseholes.

Justanotherlurker · 30/09/2020 20:31

Everyone has the right to protest, so in essance yes I do believe they are right to do so, I may not agree with it but they still have the right to protest.

I know plenty of old school rastas and old hippy's who attended, heck Peirs Corbyn was a figure head there, so it wasn't some right wing thing.

Overall though, meh

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