Protests planned a mile from home this weekend..

9 replies

Sunspark · 07/08/2024 16:29

Little confirmation on what’s going to be happening but we’re not far from some of the other locations that have been targeted over the past two weeks - worries me to think the ones nearby us could be anything to that scale.

From what I see online they are planned in my city centre and also at a second location about a mile out, which is a mile from home. I would have to drive through both of these to get anywhere really speaking.

Would you stay home and not drive through these areas or just get on with your life? I don’t want damage to my car or anything like that.

OP posts:

Floatinginatincan · 07/08/2024 16:32

Surely, the answer is to use your common sense. If something is going on and you don't have to drive through it, then stay home.

Mrsttcno1 · 07/08/2024 16:35

I’d see how it is, but don’t drive through it if you don’t have to

Insidelaurashead · 07/08/2024 16:35

I'd like to say you do what you want to do, go out and don't let them win. However-I totally, completely understand anyone who feels worried or scared to go out (especially if they're a person of colour)

I've not had anything near enough to me to need to decide (in our local city, yes, so we went on the Sunday as protest on the Saturday) but I think, for me, what I'd like to do may well differ from what I'd actually do in your scenario, OP

Sorry, not that helpful!

JacquesHarlow · 07/08/2024 16:35

Little confirmation on what’s going to be happening

Unless you follow the Right on social media, and I mean Telegram or WhatsApp groups, you won't even know exactly when. And they're not going to give you a step by step itinerary are they.

Do you actually need to be going out at the proposed times, this weekend? Can you slightly adjust your times to get your milk or whatever?

Would you stay home and not drive through these areas

Yeah, probably, because unless you're taking someone to a scheduled class, then you don't probably 'need' to be out. Yeah it's a bit of an inconvenience, but surely there is also another route that might take longer but means you avoid the city centre.

Ilikewinter · 07/08/2024 16:41

I think you need to wait and see what happens at the time. Obviously if it kicks off then don't go anywhere near it. Yesterday rumours were rife about protests in our local town centre, shops shut, offices sent staff home ..... and NOTHING happened - which obviously I'm sooo glad about.... but another example of more misinformation and social media whipping up panic.

RoseAndRose · 07/08/2024 16:56

I’ve been following the news on SKY and one of the things they’ve noted is that Hope Not Hate anti-racism group (that says it has been monitoring far right chatter) says it is prioritising 48 places that it thinks are the likeliest hotspots, and also says there is a group 39 most-mentioned places. But also says it has found “very little discussion within far-right groups bout attending” the places on the list.

So I’m still holding out for this being a lot of talk (which is of course in itself troublesome and intimidating, and which ties up a lot of police effort and government time) that will not necessarily translate in to action

if you can, follow reliable local news sources about what’s going on, and if groups are gathering then keep away (even if you’re not directly caught up in a disturbance, there’s potential for road closures that could cause you difficulty). If there are bottlenecks on your route, then if you can travel at a different time it might be worth it. But if there are fallback routes as a work-around, and no reports of the start of gatherings, then stuff ‘em and go.

MushMonster · 07/08/2024 17:09

We will do the shopping early on and stay home in the garden if the riots are still expected.
Currently leaving a big city that is on warning today. It feels subreal to be told that business will close early and to make it home early due to something like this.
Still, though less people around that usual, it feels quite normal. I do hope is a false alarm.

LlynTegid · 07/08/2024 17:19

I wonder if some locations are actually hoaxes, hoping that those who want to spread love not hate (or whatever other phrase you think suitable) go there not somewhere else.

Thepartnersdesk · 07/08/2024 17:32

A mile is quite a lot. We were within a about quarter of a mile of one this weekend but other than social media wouldn't actually have known so.

The main roads are not usually the location for these things so unless you have to drive down one specific road right in the centre I can't see it being an issue. Can you not divert a bit further out to be sure?

Flip