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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If there was no end in sight for ending lockdown would you protest?

126 replies

GreyFrenchique · 12/02/2021 00:12

Disclaimer: I'm not organising anything of the sort and have no plans to attend one.. I'm a regular poster which MN can verify but I've NC.

My post is prompted by a conversation I had with my friend tonight who is, like many of us, sick and tired of living this way.

If the 'roadmap' set out on Feb 22nd is bleak and offers no encouraging plans to end lockdown, would you attend a protest if there were one? Wearing a mask obviously.

YANBU - yes
YABU - no

OP posts:
FrippEnos · 12/02/2021 16:09

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

fripp no i don’t and well done for noticing. I wouldn’t have closed primary schools to begin with. Appalling decision that history will judge us shamefully for.
So there are no other types of school other than primary.

Got it.

wink1970 · 12/02/2021 16:14

Yes, once the vulnerable are vaccinated there is no excuse to not open up. What started as 'protect the NHS from being over-run' has become 'lockdown until no Covid cases' and that's unreasonable.

And by yes, I do mean I would happily start protesting outside government buildings or campaigning at local election time - it's the only way they listen.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 12/02/2021 16:41

I fantasised about a protest against lockdown. Not sold on actual rioting. But if it could be done in an orderly fashion I'd be in.

bruce43mydog · 12/02/2021 16:54

No I wouldn't protest but i am hoping this year will see a end date when we can live without restrictions.

And be free to live how we want.

But obviously the virus is in control for now. Until people are vaccinated.

Which will probably take till at least September. To vaccinate most of England.

AnarchicLemming · 12/02/2021 17:19

No, I wouldn't protest as it's pointless. This, the variants, and then the societal fallout, will be going on for a few years yet.

I'll spend the time getting better informed about the crooks that are running the show.

MyLittleOrangutan · 12/02/2021 17:24

Well it's hardly going to help the situation is it?

Although I did just read that apparently travel abroad would be banned until all adults are vaccinated, which their projections is autumn, I think that's a bit ridiculous. We only need the vulnerable to be vaccinated, it's like a cold for most people. We're never going to eradicate it, we need to learn to live with it and vaccinate those who will get severely ill the same we do for flu.

CountessFrog · 12/02/2021 17:26

Absolutely, yes

Zenithbear · 12/02/2021 17:33

I suspect that the people saying that they will be happy to isolate forever are boring Billy no mates, furloughed in secure jobs, have no friends or social life and hate anyone other than their immediate family.
Imho they are actually loving it and are hating the thought of going back to normality.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 12/02/2021 17:57

No, wouldn’t even enter my head too.

I don’t want the virus nor spread it to others. So many loved ones lost, who would protest for things that would mean more ill health and less hospital care for not just covid.

Beaniecats · 12/02/2021 18:04

@Zenithbear

I suspect that the people saying that they will be happy to isolate forever are boring Billy no mates, furloughed in secure jobs, have no friends or social life and hate anyone other than their immediate family. Imho they are actually loving it and are hating the thought of going back to normality.
Think you are right
Whatafustercluck · 12/02/2021 18:33

No, I wouldn't. But I would be increasingly likely to make my own risk assessment of different situations and push legal boundaries. As I suspect would many people. So I'd visit my vaccinated parents while keeping myself to myself when it came to all other friends/ members of my family/ going out and about. They're not getting any younger, my dad is having various tests for cancer, and a year of not seeing their children and grandchildren, is already too long.

Tal45 · 12/02/2021 18:39

I'm ok with things being bleak until everyone is vaccinated (being nearly 50), so I can give it a few more months yet - but then everything needs to be fully open even if there are still some deaths just as it is with flu.

notanothertakeaway · 12/02/2021 18:45

Like a PP, I would like a degree of certainty eg we will do X when deaths are below Y, new cases are below Z etc

I don't mind waiting, but I want to know what we're waiting for

Echobelly · 12/02/2021 18:46

I think the idea of the gov announcement on 22nd is that it's more about thresholds than dates, which is what it should be.

OnlyTheLangoftheTitBerg · 12/02/2021 18:47

The problem is there will always be deaths from Covid now, it’s endemic and some people will always be susceptible to it. Same as there are always deaths from flu every year, anything from 8,000 - 16,000 on average.

At some point, government and scientists need to acknowledge that and agree what the “acceptable” number of deaths is, because ultimately that’s going to be the criteria for losing the various restrictive measures. But that’s not a vote-winning conversation to have, or something that will go down well with the public at large.

(That may sound callous; it’s not meant to be - my own DH is CEV and not yet vaccinated. We’ve essentially been locked down for a year while he’s shielded and I’ve worked from home. But it is realistic, and pragmatic.)

TwelvePaws · 12/02/2021 19:02

No.

I trust the science and data. Feeling like we have had enough and protesting won’t make things better, only worse. Looking at the bigger picture, we’re doing ok and things will get better.

IdblowJonSnow · 12/02/2021 19:09

No. The govt want to open up. Cases are still way too high. What's the point of protesting? It's shit but we can't change the facts.
It's still one in 80 in Englsnd (on average) and 1 in 60 in London itself.

rawalpindithelabrador · 12/02/2021 19:12

@TwirpingBird

No. I wouldnt riot. I would just see whoever was willing to see me. They dont have the police capacity to enforce seeing your friends for a coffee in a park or at their house. I don't personally care about shops (except I think they are economically important).

However, I do worry about travel. My parents live abroad. I am starting to worry that they may stop me from going home and seeing them for a very very long time. That is terrifying.

My h's parents live abroad and one of his parents died of Covid. He hasn't been able to go back and now that Nicola Surgeon has basically imprisoned us here unless we have an extra 2 weeks and £2000 to pay for some crony to make money, he may not see his mother again before she dies. But hey, fuck him, people only travel for fucking holidays.

I'm sick of this.

RedGoldAndGreene · 12/02/2021 19:44

People need the police available to do their normal work like deal with crime, traffic issues etc. That's not the fault of people struggling in lockdown but taking up police resources when knife crime is out of control and domestic violence is rampant because of restrictions is making life worse for those people who are in life and death situations.

The roadmap will probably be like last years and explain what order restrictions will be lifted if possible. What would bleak look like to you?

Sadsiblingatsea · 12/02/2021 19:58

I’m already protesting.
I’m staggered people are so compliant.
Too many are dying and suffering from endless lockdowns.

Bluesername · 13/02/2021 16:56

I suspect that the people saying that they will be happy to isolate forever are boring Billy no mates

Oh, here comes the introvert-shaming.

GrammarTeacher · 14/02/2021 10:17

Why are so many accepting of death rates far in excess of anywhere else?! We're a tiny island we should have properly locked down. We still haven't. The government don't pay attention to the science and this half-hearted lockdowns achieve little in terms of controlling the virus.

MariaAngustias · 14/02/2021 10:24

I get that everyone is fed up of the entire thing - I really am totally depressed about all the restrictions and not seeing my family and friends. I shouldn't be a moaning myrtle cos we are very lucky in our family but still, just feel my life is passing me by. HOWEVER, we cannot let the hospitals and NHS be overwhelmed so I do think we need to continue and I would not protest. I am perplexed by the vaccination programme - so daughter is a children's social worker and has been vaccinated whilst SIL is a teacher in primary school (and going in every day to teach key workers and vulnerable kids) and he hasn't......??

I do think once the vulnerable are vaccinated (over 50's, key workers and anyone with illness pre-disposing them to serious covid) they should lift the restrictions - we have to get on with our lives at some point and I am worried about the effect on mental and physical health, the economy, children's education and a lot more....

IndiaMay · 14/02/2021 20:55

Crawl back into your hole @demelza82. I think thats one of the most disgusting posts I've seen. 'I have resilience' well done you. Guess all the people I know who have killed themselves this last year just were resilient enough. The weaklings.

clopper · 14/02/2021 20:59

Eddieveyers I'm tired of being told what I can and cannot do because it's so dangerous - but conveniently work is perfectly safe.

Yes this. ^