My son has gone on the march

[funkadelic]

Hi, have been on here years but only lurk, don’t post. But today is the day.
I am in bits. My 22yr old DS is in London on this march. I am shaking and utterly appalled. We differ on politics massively and have done for some time. I work in education, have travelled and am bit of a lefty hippy but to be honest it’s becoming more about values and morals. He is fully immersed in the manosphere algorithm and I’ve always thought he is exploring himself and things and have chats about why he has the opinions he does and try and understand his point of view. I try not to belittle him but try and get him to critically think about things.
But this I can’t deal with. I am so upset that my son has gone to this, and that it is something that is so far away from me and my values, something that I thought I had instilled in him as well.
I am totally aware that it’s triggered embarrassment but that is my issue and I’m not putting that on him. He is still my son and I love him and his passion and interest in the world, just in something I believe is so wrong and makes me sad.
Please talk some sense into me.

It’s not about freedom of speech though… 🤔

I'm so glad I was raised in a free political house with moderate views some on left some on right and no one trying to police each other.

Why don't you look it up 🤷🏼‍♀️

Ok Update!!!
I text him to tell him I loved him and to be safe. He said he’s there as an observer. He does not agree with everything they are saying and he is starting to see a ‘bad’ side to this which he hasn’t seen before.
So this may actually turn out a good thing!
Thank you for helping me come out of the initial emotional reaction and into some logic, much appreciated 😊

Do you think everyone on the pro Palestine marches wishes death to all Jews? Or do you think there are a cohort of extremists but the majority just want peace and an end to the killings in Gaza and for our government to stop supporting Israel?

Is there a chance that young people in the UK see little hope in the future, decimation of services, and just the general state of the UK and would like to protest and there are a cohort of right wing extremists alongside them?

The march is being organised by Tommy Robinson 😂😂😂😂😂😂

You should be proud of him for standing up instead of sitting on his arse and grumbling about the state of the country like so many are doing. I would have been there but i have a broken ankle so it is not practical but i have a youtube stream on and im cheering them all on from here.

@FutureMarchionessOfVidal

Young people's views should change it's natural and healthy to get into different things as they grow. The ones to worry about are the ones who have been spoon fed what to think by by an Andrew Tate style dad or a far left militant unionist.
Question everything

It's been advertised as freedom of speech festival.

"In bits", "Shaking and appalled" but at least you "TRY not to belittle him"

Can you hear yourself? 🙄

@whitewineandsun I’m menopausal 😆 but yes very strong emotional reaction when I first found out?

I despair about parents like this

your child thinks differently to you. Heaven forbid

i am concerned about the impact generally of economic migrants. I might not march about it but I am concerned and want it to be discussed without accusations of racism and “far right” (whatever that means). Perhaps that is why he is marching.

OP, I hope your son returns safe and sound. I think of some of the opinions I held in my 20s and cringe. He has a lot of growing up and developing to do, just make sure that when he comes out the other side, you are still there for him.

I find the younger generation around here and my ds (21) pals are more left wing than I am!

Im quite centric but have left wing values as work in education and DS disabled.

But your approach is very balanced. All you can do is what you’re doing and share your values with your son and your reasons for them.

My ds came to me the other day and said “so apparently the world is in £7trillion of debt…….. to who?!”

im just pleased that no many young folk are taking an interest in politics. I may not agree with some of their views (and against the far right ones) but it’s better they are taking an interest than not imo.

Who was imprisoned for hurty words so it comes as no surprise does it that he's campaigning for freedom of speech!!

Found the fash ⬆️⬆️⬆️

Seriously - it's a far right march, a majority of a the men arrested at the recent hotel 'protests' (attempted pogroms) have convictions for violent crime and domestic abuse.

You might think that's ok, but I honestly despise these men. How dare they use 'protecting' women as an excuse for their racism and violence

So what? This country is in the shitter, but illegal immigrants are housed almost straight away.

By going on that march he is aligning himself with racists. Don’t dress it up.

Patriots United, it’s a wonderful thing. ❤️🇬🇧

I'd be pretty disappointed if my son turned out to be a racist, or a bigot of any other kind.

I think that's normal tbh

Really?
”Hurty words”?
My god educate yourself for goodness sake!

"He’s totally on the ‘protecting women and girls’ crap"

Wow!

YABU for calling protecting women and girls "crap". Utterly disgusting view there.
YABU for not even telling us in the OP what the march was specifically for 🙄
YABU to be "shaking" just because someone albeit your son has a different political view to yourself.

YABU because it's taken me until page 2 to find out from someone that it's a "free speech", protest. Do you see the irony at all here? You are "shaking" and "appalled" at a free speech protest 😑

And as others have mentioned on here the issue of immigration, the problems/issues at the moment throughout the UK & Ireland are uncontrolled illegal immigration. Even the Home Office are concerned about this, because tens of thousands of undocumented people are entering the country illegally. There is no uproar over people entering who have gone through the legal immigration process, or those genuinely seeking asylum.

You say you've seen the stats, I'm not sure what stats you've been looking at, but the ones I have, certainly in terms of rape are highly alarming.

What are you on about 🙄
Today's march has been advertised as a freedom of speech festival.
I agree with freedom of speech, it doesn't mean I vote reform, I'm attending nor does it mean I'm racist nor pro protests.

Ffs some of you on here are beyond pathetic!!

Are we now saying that any protest against immigration, however peaceful, is racism? That if I utter a word of dissent about a hotel of males in my small town, than I am far right?

because if this what we are concluding then Farage will be prime minister in a matter of years and Mumsnet will be sobbing into its Prosecco

It's tough @funkadelic when our children move away from our fundamental values, my DC did for a while, I trusted in calm debate - and leaving Noam Chomsky books around the house. But the political and social atmosphere right now is so difficult.

Can I recommend to you the CNN Presents podcast Persuadable, it's a really thoughtful exploration of why people are drawn into conspiracy theories and political ideologies that seem at odds with their family and upbringing - there are experts Donny O'Sullivan interviews to who are worth following up, especially in terms of how to talk to people about their views in productive ways.