Who would even know 400 people willing to break LD law?

[TheQueef]

Just saw it on the news.
Any of you could muster 400 people to break the law?
I could maybe get 20 out of everyone I've ever known, how do you even ask?
It was a school to boot! No teaching but come to school for a secret bash!

So...
YANBU no I couldn't gather a big group of rule breakers.
YABU I could easily get that many, everyone is at it.

[TheQueef]

No way Unmarked I'm not buying it, surely even Amish are fully appraised of the virus.
A big rule of most religion is obey the law of the land you live in.

These people had more neck than a giraffe!

[Brunt0n]

Apparantly the organisers will get a 10k fine and then 5 people got £200 fines wtf. What about the other 390 people breaking the law? And the school? And all the caterers / decorators / DJ / band? Fine every single one of the selfish twats

[Pimlicojo]

This made me want to cry. I've obeyed all the rules but I now just want to see my friends and family over the weekend. I felt utterly full of despair when I read this news. What is the point of anything?

[AndcalloffChristmas]

Orthodox Jewish community has taken a very different standpoint on lockdown, as they see it as part of their faith to be together (or similar).

Not agreeing with it, but that’s why they were able to get 400 people.

[Doomsdayiscoming]

£11,000 for a wedding venue seems reasonable.

A school hall wedding isn’t my cup of tea, but each to their own.

[FrostyChocolateMilkshake]

Absolutely disgusting.

[MrsFezziwig]

OK I could get my numbers up with a free bar live in Yorkshire

Fair point OP

[PlanDeRaccordement]

I see this in news quite often. Illegal raves, too many at weddings or wakes. Maybe now people will stop blaming the mask exempt for the Covid numbers.

[FlamedToACrisp]

I couldn't gather 400 people if I was giving out £50 notes! I only have about 50 acquaintances, including neighbours, Facebook friends...

[IndiaMay]

Weddings in england cant legally be performed at the moment unless one of the couple is terminally ill. so I expect it was a non legally binding cultural wedding which traditionally would have been larger. (Asian/indian/Jewish etc.) I dont understand why you would have such a big party when you wont be married in the eyes of the law

[Graciebobcat]

I'm incredulous that a school would risk this too. And not for the first time, according to the BBC article.

[viques]

@Doomsdayiscoming

£11,000 for a wedding venue seems reasonable.

A school hall wedding isn’t my cup of tea, but each to their own.

The advantage of this school is that catering facilities will have been kosher, fridges, cookers, storage etc all complying.

[daisypond]

I don't understand why you would have such a big party when you wont be married in the eyes of the law

But the eyes of God are deemed more important. I know a couple of very religious Christians whose real weddings were cancelled because of COVID, and they did instead an “at home” wedding. Not legally valid, but it was valid to them. They then got legally married months later when they could.

[luxxlisbon]

It was Stamford Hill, that is how you know it was an orthodox Jewish wedding. Not to generalise but NYC also had a huge problem with this community listening to any of the restrictions.

In Stamford hill this community basically have their own police, their own ambulance service. They are quite an insular society who no doubt in large amounts reject the current restrictions.

[Doomsdayiscoming]

@viques

Ah phew. I hadn’t thought of that. Glad to see they are following the rules they choose to follow.

[LApprentiSorcier]

I'd struggle to find 40 people to attend an event even in non-pandemic times.

We only had 20 people at our wedding.

[ancientgran]

My GS was watching the news with me, 16 with an answer to anything. He said maybe the family was 200 each side so just mixing two family bubbles. He even kept his face straight.

[Allfednonedead]

I live just around the corner from the venue, which ironically is allowing its carpark to be used for a covid test centre.
As people have said, weddings like this are standard in this very closely knit community.
Unfortunately some leaders in the community have led their followers to believe they are somehow exempt from the rules, while there are others who are skeptical of the whole thing.
Others in the community, including volunteer ambulance teams, are working extremely hard to counter this, but it's not easy in a community that for historical and cultural reasons is suspicious of the mainstream.

[QueenofFox]

I just went an got a covid test for my whole family from the testing centre in Stamford hill, the next door orthodox primary was open and seemingly running normal lessons from the sheer quantity of children lining up to go inside. There have been lots of issues with compliance here, not to say it’s the community as a whole.

[trilbydoll]

Even if we counted up everyone we had ever met and our extended families I don't think we would get to 400 and as you say I can't imagine any of them liking me enough to risk the fine Priti Patel announced yesterday!

[CleverCatty]

I don't know 400 people (could maybe scrape half that from FB friends) but they certainly wouldn't break lockdown law to attend an event.

Agreed with ineedaholidaynow - you are not very community minded if 400 of you attend a wedding like this.

[CallmeAngelina]

Maybe they all believed Boris and Gav when they said that "schools are safe."

[olympicsrock]

This is a need for education in some ethnic minority communities. I know a family where a son came straight out of hospital having been treated for covid and still symptomatic. He went straight from hospital to his father’s funeral ( died of covid) . Felt it was more important to do his religious duty than prevent spread of covid. Unfortunately at least two other family members at the funeral caught covid.

[feelingverylazytoday]

@AndcalloffChristmas

Orthodox Jewish community has taken a very different standpoint on lockdown, as they see it as part of their faith to be together (or similar).

Not agreeing with it, but that’s why they were able to get 400 people.

Apparently 400 is quite small for a wedding in some Jewish communities.
This has also been happening in New York and Israel, and no doubt many other places as well.
I don't blame the government for this either. They have reached out to communicate with religious and cultural leaders from various different groups. It must feel like they're fighting with one hand tied behind their backs sometimes.