To be sick of the police choosing what they will try and police?

[User133847]

Covidiots given license to do what they want today, protesting against a virus in London (that'll show it). Police done nothing to stop it, despite no social distancing and allowed the crowds to gather.

Two women on a park bench and they can't get over quick enough to fine them. And obviously the vigil last week.

Strength in numbers seems to be the maxim.

I'm sick of violent and selfish protesters breaking the law, putting everyone at risk and hijacking any problem to push their agenda (and then on top of that, blaming the police)

Was there violence today? Why are they selfish? Patrick Vallence has said that here is very little risk to outside gatherings so not sure why you would say they are putting everyone at risk? And if their own agenda is our freedom to speak out and protest, then that's an agenda I'm happy to support

@tangerinelollipop

I'm sick of violent and selfish protesters breaking the law, putting everyone at risk and hijacking any problem to push their agenda (and then on top of that, blaming the police)

Are they violent?

And how are they putting everyone at risk? The chances of catching covid outside are minimal especially with infection rates being generally very low currently.

I wouldn't go, and I don't agree with the protests' moaning about lockdown restrictions, but I can't see how it affects the rest of us.

very little risk to outside gatherings

I see pictures of unmasked violent protesters who the police have to get very close to in order to control. It's hardly a scenario of 'very little risk'

@tangerinelollipop

Whatever they're protesting about the police should be doing something to stop people gathering in crowds during a pandemic

Maybe people should engage their brain and not protest during a pandemic in the first place?

Fair point.

The people protesting today should be allowed to protest, and what happened last weekend was a disgrace and should also have been allowed and left alone. There’s now strong evidence that outdoor gatherings don’t spread the virus (the fact that no surges have happened as a result of, or been blamed on any other other myriad of protests that have been happening throughout), and so quite frankly this rule is nonsensical. Shift to thinking that the rules are wrong and inconsistent and not evidence-based rather than focusing rage on people trying to stand up for their basic rights.

It's not a basic right to gather in crowds during a pandemic.

I see pictures of unmasked violent protesters

Do you have a link for that? I havent seen anyone violent but I accept it may have happened

Do you have a link for that

Sorry it's from the DM (I haven't seen any in The Guardian-all pictures were taken from a distance).

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9383261/Dozens-MPs-write-Priti-Patel-demanding-protests-allowed-Covid-crisis.html#reader-comments

There's no "right to protest" anyway, it's right to freedom of assembly which can be taken away when necessary

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/schedule/1/part/I/chapter/10

So we’re all totally fine with hundreds and hundreds of kids being in school 5 days a week with little to no distancing, but a group of people outside protesting for one day is selfish 😂

People are quite rightly fed up at this stage, it’s been a year and we’re still looking at another 3 months until we’re hopefully completely out of restrictions.

I’m not saying that it’s entirely risk free to gather, but telling people they’re not allowed to protest is, in my opinion, far riskier.

We either have to be allowed to protest or we don’t. People can’t change their minds depending on whether they think the protest is justified or not.
It’s abit like free speech. You may not like what is said but you should defend the persons right to say it

Tangerine I've looked at all those videos and pics and out of all those hundreds/thousands of protestors I saw one guy kicking off. Where in those pictures are you getting pictures of "unmasked violent protestors"? I see peaceful protestors. More heavy handedness from the police if anything.

I see peaceful protestors

It's a bit futile to argue about this (there's dozens of threads already saying that protestors are a holy bunch). Personally, I don't think that if the police are putting themselves at risk trying to handcuff and arrest a protestor, it's necessarily because they were just peacefully standing there. I know many will disagree with me, and that's fine

It's live streamed on you tube atm
My partner is watching it
Basically a bunch of idiots calling police pedos - from what I can hear - shouting at the police for filming people, while filming themselves. Something about a 94%
Mainly men
Lots of shouting
Disorganised chaos

@drinkingwineoutofamug

Yes, horrific

The police got it very wrong last week.

We need to retain the right to protest. We are a democracy.

You're the ' Covidiot ' if you think this lockdown is going to end without people showing defiance.
They're already talking about third waves and the next variant and no foreign holidays.
When will people wake up and see that?!
Not being able to see what's right in front of your face? That's idiocy.

without people showing defiance

Showing defiance rather than behaving responsibly is what got us where we are now. We mustn't break the rules and we must abide by the law.

It's almost frightening how willing some people are to give up basic rights.

@Whammyyammy

They're not protesting over the virus, they're protesting over the restrictions.

My husband has not long returned from a trip in the U.S (work and non public flight), he said it was like there was no virus whilst out there, no restrictions, no masks, bars/restaurants etc open(Florida).

People are losing their homes, jobs, established businesses, children suffering, depression, MH....for a virus with low infection rate.

Its easy if you're not affected by it to condone those protesting but for those facing the possibility of losing everything....

Those people "losing their homes, jobs, established businesses, children suffering, depression," also need the NHS if they have an accident or contract a disease!

There are also lockdowns/restrictions in plenty of other countries, so it's not as if it's just Boris who's doing it for the fun of it.

@HopelessBlue192

You're the ' Covidiot ' if you think this lockdown is going to end without people showing defiance. They're already talking about third waves and the next variant and no foreign holidays. When will people wake up and see that?! Not being able to see what's right in front of your face? That's idiocy.

There'll be no foreign holidays if other countries impose restrictions on entry to THEIR country - Boris can't control what rules OTHER countries decide to put in place to protect THEIR country!

@UrAWizHarry

It's almost frightening how willing some people are to give up basic rights.

Yep, and collude with it entirely.

@BonnieDundee

I'm sick of violent and selfish protesters breaking the law, putting everyone at risk and hijacking any problem to push their agenda (and then on top of that, blaming the police)

Was there violence today? Why are they selfish? Patrick Vallence has said that here is very little risk to outside gatherings so not sure why you would say they are putting everyone at risk? And if their own agenda is our freedom to speak out and protest, then that's an agenda I'm happy to support

How did they get there? By public transport? If by car, did they stop off at service stations?

Or did they all live nearby and could walk?

If they didn't walk, then some may well have been putting others at risk!

I'm not sure why anybody would want to be a police officer these days!

Adam Wagner
@AdamWagner1
·
4m
How we 'react' to a protest should not determine whether it is permitted or not

Protests are supposed to generate emotion and reaction - that's the point

We often feel inclined to prevent protests we disagree with, an illiberal instinct every democracy should protect against.
Adam Wagner
@AdamWagner1
·
4m
In a year where parliament has been sidelined for the passing of lockdown laws, it is all the more important that people are allowed to protest.

There is some justification for restricting large outdoor gatherings especially if not socially-distanced - but..
Adam Wagner
@AdamWagner1
·
4m
... Government and the police have failed to understand that safe protest must be facilitated, not treated as a nuisance.