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.

Shouldn't all the tiny Tommy ten names fans be at his little knees-up instead of postimg on MN?

You were presented with a photo containing the message 'Heil Hitler' and your response was to clap.

What do you think about the organiser of the protest posting a picture of himself containing the coded message 'Heil Hitler'?

Keen to have a productive conversation, or do you just like slinging insults as per usual?

If this passes off peacefully I'll be astounded in the far right numbers there will be seasoned football firms that are no strangers to organised violence and extreme right wing agitators add in the drinking and cocaine use .. what could possibly go wrong.

How sensitive must you be to call that an insult?

The violence is the attraction... anything for an excuse

It’s also because he said stuff like this, no?

“Every single Muslim watching this video on YouTube, on 7/7 you got away with killing and maiming British citizens, you got away with it. … We will not tolerate it, and the Islamic community will feel the full force of the English Defense League if we see any of our citizens killed, maimed or hurt on British soil ever again.”

This was posted a while back on here. This is the company that the organiser of this march ‘Tommy Robinson’ keeps:

Jack Renshaw – EDL, BNP, National Action: four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Wayne Kirby – Tommy Robinson associate: served six years after being convicted for rape in 2007.
Bradley Daniel Alford, EDL: 6 yrs, indecent photos, inciting a child to engage in sexual intercourse.
Kristopher Allan, SDL: convicted for messages, images, and sexual contact involving a 13 year old.
Luke Atkinson, UKIP & Yorkshire EDL: jailed 4 yrs, 8 mths, grooming young teenagers.
Alan Boulter, EDL and all round racist: 20 mths, attempted grooming.
John Broomfield, EDL and British Freedom: ‘making indecent images of children’ and inept mosque attack.
Dean Chambers, EDL & BNP: 5 yrs, sexual assault.
Michael Coates AKA Micky Blue Eyes, NW Infidels: charged with 2 attempted rapes and other sex offences.
Bruce Cordwell, EDL: 3 yrs, 7 mths, grooming.
Michael Cowen, neo-Nazi: 3 yrs, child pornography.
Alan Thomas Ellis, Deeside EDL: convicted of sending texts of a sexual nature to a 14 year old girl.
Robert Ewing, EDL, BNP, NF: grooming & murder of 15 yr old.
Ryan Fleming, National Action: 3 yrs, sexual activity with a child, his 2nd sexual offence.
Darren Francis, BNP, sexual relationship with 13 year old.
Christopher Gamlin, Britain First: 21 mths, grooming & trying to incite a child into sexual activity.
Pete Gillett, EDL speaker: 18 years, multiple offences of rape and indecent assault on children.
Nigel Hesmondalgh, BNP: jailed for possessing a series of degrading photos and videos of children.
Dale Hewitt, EDL: 10 years for multiple sex offences against teenage girls.
Ian Hindle, BNP, jailed for sexual activity with 14-year-old girls.
Mark Hogg, EDL: 9 months for sexual assault on a 14 year old. Elliot Jones, EDL and part of the self-styled ‘pedophile squad’ jailed for, err, pedophilia.
Mervyn Jones, North Wales Alliance/Combined Ex-Forces: guilty of rape, attempted rape, indecent assault. Shaun Jones, Liverpool Scouse Nationalists: jailed for grooming and raping a 12 year old girl.
Michael Kinnear, BNP and EDL: jailed for sexually abusing a 7 year old.
Gavin Leist, BNP, child porn.
Leigh MacMillan, EDL: convicted of three counts of indecent assault, two of indecency with a child and one of attempted rape. Jailed for a total of 17 years.
Michael McQueenie, EDL Blackburn: pleaded guilty of two counts of rape of a 14-year-old girl and sexual assault.
Brett Moses EDL Hull: 12-month prison sentence for sexual grooming.
Paul O’Brien, Blood & Honour fascist: 9 yrs, rape, sexual assault.
Stephen Payne SDL: convicted of grooming a 13 year old.
Richard Price, former EDL leader: four counts of making indecent images of children.
Michael Roles, Britain First: 18 yrs child rape.
Roderick Rowley, BNP: child porn and sexually abusing 10-year-old girl.
Mark Ryley, Britain First, Infidels of Britain & Nick Griffin supporter: 30 years for multiple sexual offences against young girls.
Mark ‘Archie’ Sleman, EDL: kidnap & attempted rape of 10 yr old.
James Swindlehurst, White Man March: jailed for 20 years for 13 counts of child rape.
Trevor Vinson, EDL, Britain First & Jayda Fransen supporter: 21 years for repeated sexual abuse and making obscene images of 3 year old girl.
Andrew Wells, BNP: jailed for sexual activity with 14-year-old girls.
Matthew Woodward, Deeside EDL: charged with child pornography and soliciting a 13 year old for photographs.

OP, I feel for you. My 69 yo brother has also gone on the march, as has his son. We keep getting YouTube videos of some far right loon spouting on, to the point the rest of his siblings are talking about blocking him. The sad thing is, like your son OP, this isn’t my kind brother, the man who I looked up to growing up and wanted to marry someone like him. The saddest thing of all is that one of our parents is not British and suffered racism. I don’t think he truly believes in what the far right spread but thinks that he should.

I think your son will come home all buoyed up but when he starts spreading it around that he went to the march his peers will be alternative views to him that may make his consider whether he truly believes in what is being spouted.

Our soldiers for decades have fought for freedom of speech, expression, religion, democracy etc.
Your son is allowed to disagree with you.

Just keep being kind, polite and loving to each other.
Keep Politics off the menu when having dinner.
It is not a worry to you if DS is not behaving violently to others, is not using weapons and is not stealing money off the government or others.

Find common ground. That could be for you both to join local practical environmental groups that reforest natural habitats, clean up waterways and oppose new developments concreting over fields. You will meet people from all backgrounds there, who want sustainability for creatures that can't defend themselves.

Why would people march about the tragic and terrible murder of Iryna? The George Floyd protests were about police brutality and structural racism. Both deaths were awful, but we don't march every murder that takes place. When a police officer kneels on someone's neck for nine minutes until they suffocate in front of a crowd of people, that's an abuse of power. An attack on public transport by a member of the public is something different. Terrible and terrifying, a really appalling crime but what provoked the Floyd protests was that the perpetrator was a police officer. Similarly, you'll remember protests held in the memory of Sarah Everard, also murdered by a police officer.

Not sensitive at all, just observing typical behaviour of people who can’t argue logically or rationally and think emotions and name calling constitutes a discussion. It doesn’t.

Actually, I think the poster you’re commenting on is spot on. Many people have very valid concerns about immigration and the effect it is having on Europe, including the UK. The OP says he’s been dragged into the “Manosphere” yet then goes on to say that he rejects Andrew Tate etc as “crap”.

High levels of immigration from countries with culturally very different attitudes to women than the west is a problem both short and long term.

At the end of the day, by the time the long term effects kick in the OP won’t be affected, it will be her son and his kids dealing with the let’s welcome everyone with open arms rhetoric of the “Hippy Left”.

The OP doesn’t really have an open mind. How condescending to say that she thinks her son’s pre frontal cortex has been rewired (and pretty inaccurate) and she’s tried to encourage critical thinking. Critical thinking can very much lead you to the conclusion the out of ch control immigration we have now is a very real problem and will be an even greater one down the line.

Sorry, what insults have I used? Are you offended on behalf of Yaxley-Lennon?

Far right - tommy uniting the kingdom with his hate. Also the anti racism counter protest.

Through religious channels the police have told muslims, people of colour and overt religious attire to stay home!

My husband and son have gone on the anti racism march for the first half. Am brown and wear a scarf so I’m home.

It's a free country - just about!
He has the right to join any protest march that is not violent etc.
Have you seen the huge crowd?
He is not alone.

It's hard not to bring up Nazis when the march organiser posts Heil Hitler though isn't it? I'd say it was him who brought Nazis into the conversation first!

There are also far-left marches as well.

What are the reasons, in your opinion?

People only care when it’s a white man who’s violent.

Sadly, there has already been violence.

I absolutely did not vote for Brexit. Leaving the EU was where all this madness started. I would just like the British people to be put first for once instead of tiptoeing around in case we upset 'minorities'. Just like America First, i believe in the UK we should be British first. We have enough of our own problems here without trying to solve other countries problems. If that makes me a terrible human being then so be it but that is how i feel today.

a rare, sensible reply on this thread.

What is an example of a far left march?

They only care about violence against women and girls when the perpetrators are brown.

(I know you know that! Just highlighting it for everyone so upset about racists being called racist).