Would you let your child go to Manchester today with the Palestine protests?

[SaturdayShop]

She is 14. Wants to go shopping

It's Armistice Day and also a large protest for Palestine is happening.

DH doesn't want her to go. He thinks it's going to be too busy.

Does anyone actually know to a planned march in Manchester today though? All I can find online is organised coaches from Manchester to London for the big one there so not sure there's even going to be one in Manchester

Hardly surprising is it ? If “settlers” were coming to your town and stealing your homes and shooting your kids - with state support - you’d probably bit a touch peeved too.

Anger and hatred have never fixed anything. Calming down the rhetoric and talking is the only way to move towards peace. Matt Fry (who is just back from Israel) says there is far more anger here than in any of the other Arab nations, which I find really interesting.

I live in London and avoiding central London on Saturdays, but I am Jewish, so…

I wouldn't let her. I happened to be in a city the other week when a protest was taking place. It wasn't pleasant. Lots of fireworks in the crowds and aggressive behaviour.

Yes - she’ll be fine, she just has to walk round them.

Just like you'd be a "touch peeved" if terrorists killed 1200 of your innocent civilians?

Maximum publicity.

Of course this happened 5years ago 🧐

The protestors asking for a ceasefire in Gaza wouldn't worry me at all, but the far right thugs whipped up by Suella Braverman's recent lies are a danger.

I’ll be with my children in South London today a few streets away from the protest march end point.

As I live in London we don’t ‘scare easy’ because we have to travel around whatever’s happening but today I am going to drive rather than go on public transport in case of any unrest (whether I not I can actually make a quicker exit by car is the question but it feels more in my control!).

It’s easy to say ‘just avoid the protest’ but unfortunately along with the peaceful protestors there will be people intent on trouble … I wouldn’t let my children go alone into the part of London today where the protest is as it seems more precarious than usual. It could be a bit overwhelming for your daughter if things get lively.

This old chestnut. Please listen carefully. The peace marches have been going on every Saturday for weeks now, why should they stop today when tens of thousands of civilian Palestinian’s are being murdered? The 11am 2 minute silence went ahead at the cenotaph with zero disruption apart from some right wingers chanting, if anyone is a troublemaker it’s them. Armistice means truce or ceasefire so it is absolutely apt for the Pro-Palestinian March to go ahead today as that is what they are asking for, a ceasefire. It’s not difficult to understand.

OP, please don't teach your daughter to be scared - because that's what you'll be doing if you stop her going. Just make sure she knows how to use her common sense and then encourage her to go and have a lovely time. Over-protective parents do their kids no favours at all, and the young people don't learn how to look after themselves. If the parents are anxious, that's tough - they just have to conceal their anxiety from their kids.

Personally, no I wouldn't let her go. There have already been small protests around Manchester that have become volatile, to put it politely.

I think there is a real risk this weekend of some of the protests becoming violent and disruptive, there have already been right wing protestors clashing with police in London.

Agree with pp re Trafford Centre-or maybe one of the smaller shopping centres around the city-Bury is lovely with loads of shops and easy to get to on the tram/bus, or Sale, Altrincham, Ashton? Also easier to get to central areas if you needed to pick her up "just in case"

Armistice (noun):

‘an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.’

Therefore, this is a perfectly acceptable day to call for one in the ME today.

Interestingly the only people who were violent and caused disorder during the 2 minutes silence were Suella’s stormtroopers led by Tommy Robinson.

But apparently she (and they) are ‘patriots’.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/nov/11/pro-palestine-march-london-israel-hamas-war-gaza-armistice-day

Not much poppy wearing among those pissed up patriots chanting Eng-er-LAND and storming the Cenotaph I noticed.

On the other hand, what could be more apropos than calling for an armistice on Armistice Day?

So, OP has your DD gone shopping?

No, she didn't go.

She can go tomorrow.