to be utterly sick of protests, marches, rallies, and riots

[NameChangeMay2026]

What happened today in Belfast was dreadful. Of course it was.

When Sarah Everard died, there were marches. But a day before she died, an Indian woman Sarah's age was knifed to death in the street in Leicestershire. It was an "honour" killing, I think.

Where was HER lantern on the doorstep of Downing Street? Where was HER march?

My point is, dreadful things happen every day and I am so sick and tired of news items sparking so much public rowdiness. It used to be that the media could report on current events without starting a riot. I know that we have always had riots, but they were the occasional one. And because they were not common, they helped effect change. They were a desperate measure reserved for when nothing else had helped.

Now, together with marches, rallies, and protests, society is constantly disrupted, and I am so, so sick of it. I live in a major city and I can't go anywhere without checking what march, rally, protest, or riot is happening, especially at the weekends. And they are so common that they don't help effect change anymore.

The riots are terrible. Thousands and thousands of pounds' worth of lost property in fires, injured bystanders, police calld away from other duties to attend them. And there are "professional" rabble-rousers who travel to marches, protests, and riots. It's not because they're passionate about a cause. They're just passionate about causing trouble.

I travel for work to major American cities and it's even worse over there. Another day, another riot/protest/march/rally.

They have become a feature of today's society, and I wish they would just stop.

Edit: I actually stay in more because of them. I don't go out of my hotel as much when staying in America, and I don't go to the city centre where I live as much. It's so bad when regular people are put off from walking around city centres because of all these annoying dickheads.

I think it is worse in America, and I'm tired of feeling scared to go out when there, in case I run into an uncontrolled crowd - where the police have guns, and the protestors might, depending on the state.

The burning buildings in Belfast are a disgrace. It's not the owners' fault that this happened.

'Some areas in the UK feel far less safe than they used to be, and it’s not because of ‘far right thick white thugs’.'

The area I live in feels unsafe these days precisely because of far right thick white thugs. Demographic 98.7% white. It's the far right thick white thugs with their flags and red paint, abusive language and thuggish, drunken and drug fuelled behaviour which make this place feel unsafe, especially for women and girls.

But that’s precisely why they’re protesting to make sure their streets are safer so you don’t get gang raped and your DC doesn’t get his head slashed off

So you’re saying that poster was lying when she said that immigrants have higher levels of sexual and physical violence?

Was there any markers that showed he should not have been allowed in? I have probably missed that bit.

They’re not protesting, they’re rioting. Because they’re hateful idiots.

You still seem to be struggling to condemn people burning down houses and targeting migrants in particular. Why is that? Are you a ‘woke’ plant? Because if I wanted people to believe that every person who was concerned about immigration was a racist, I’m not sure I could come up with a better plan than sending someone onto message boards to argue against immigration while also resolutely refusing to condemn racist violence.

It wasn’t about incarceration it was about sectioning.
Although the fact that a disproportionate number of black / brown men are sectioned (and stopped and searched, and imprisoned) and a disproportionate number of black and brown children are stripped searched and a disproportionate number of black and brown people die in police custody suggests no, a “pattern” isn’t “emerging”.

You just get to be burned alive for this ‘safety’ - that’s ok then 🙈

How is setting fire to homes, attempting to murder children through arson and risking the lives of our first responders - making our streets safer.

Go and walk around in the middle of one of these ‘protests’ and tell me how safe you feel.

They are not making our streets safer, they are making them more dangerous.

These men who are ‘fighting to make our streets safer’ are statistically more likely to have criminal records for violence against women and children.
So how exactly are they making our streets safer when they are the dangerous ones?

I have just seen the video you sent. It is appalling. No person, no matter what reason they are in the UK, should have this happen to them. It is barbaric.

Evil. Utterly evil. It entirely defeats their point because they’re stooping to the levels of what they’re protesting.

Is there credible evidence that says immigrants commit more crime?

Of course they’re not. Nobody’s saying they are. They could’ve killed people. They should all be facing lengthy jail sentences.

But what does make our streets safer? Peaceful protests, writing to MPs, a surge of support for anti immigration parties, it’s very very clear the majority of the public do not want any more asylum seekers or non-professional immigration.

How do we enforce this? We’ve been ignored for 20 years.

In 2013 there was 12307 reports of Rape (NOT including Sexual assault inappropriate touching etc) in the UK, in 2025 this figure stands at 48998. There was a huge jump in reports in 2019, which was not long after this migrant boat crisis really kicked off, if you think this isn't related then all I can say is I hope you're not next. We are allowing undocumented men from third world countries for what? We are paying for the privilege to have people attempting to behead and cut out someone's eyes in the street - someone who shouldn't even be here, we aren't anywhere near angry enough. This could have been any of our Partners, brothers, fathers, sons. Strangely I bet half of the people who don't believe their is a migrant issue voted Labour - whos main headline going into the last GE was 'stop the boats & stop the gangs', if there was no issue & you believe that they should be allowed to stay & claim our tax funded benefits, why did you vote for them???

I'm an American. I have been involved in the No Kings protests, which have been overwhelmingly peaceful. What is happening to my country is absolutely terrifying, so you'd better believe I'm out in the streets protesting. As an example of the positive impact of resistance, remember when the good people of Minnesota took to the streets last winter to stand up to the appalling actions of ICE. This "neighborism" (as one journalist called it) was remarkably effective, from the organization of food drives and legal support to the ultimate removal of neo-Nazi thug Greg Bovino from his position leading the operation. And that is just one example.

I know that this thread is focused on the UK for the most part (understandably), but I did want to put in a word for what is happening in the US since you mentioned traveling here for work. Of course protests cannot accomplish everything on their own. Much more is needed. But standing up and speaking up are important IMO. Protests are one tool in the toolbox of resistance.

No, I am saying the government has made the decision to try hide any difference in offending for political reasons. The same government that voted against an inquiry in rape gangs.

I don't think he was in NI illegally.

The Belfast attacker and the men setting fire to homes with children in all have the same mindset.

They are on the same side.

They have extreme right views and want to invoke fear and violence, causing hate and division.

If you supporting the actions of the far right white, you are also supporting the actions of the far right black and brown.

You are literally on the same side as the Belfast attacker if you think there is any justification for the actions of the gangs setting fires to people’s homes.

Well said, I think OP is in cloud cuckoo land. Nobody condones violence, but maybe OP should have a think about how she/he can persuade the political class to stop ignoring ordinary British people, who not only have to live in less safe environments, but actually help fund the change they have kept telling said political class for decades they did not want. The political class are responsible 100%, and they are the ones responsible for EVERY single life lost, every rape, every violent assault, every riot. All of it. Because THEY are ones who have CAUSED all this to happen.

Move OP to one of these unsafe areas, and let OP see how they cope.

When England get knocked out of the World Cup, the same is going to happen here. Starmer wants pubs to stay open all night. DOH.

The government have not been collating any data regarding immigration status and crime. Nothing. Just ‘ethnicity’ which tells you very little as of course you can be British and white/black/Asian whatever else. And ‘Asian’ can mean Japanese or it can mean Pakistani.

Countries with comparable societies have had some very worrying results and I see no reason why it wouldn’t be broadly applicable here.

In summary: Our findings reveal a strong link between immigrant background and rape convictions that remains after statistical adjustment. The mechanisms behind the overrepresentation of individuals with an immigrant background among those convicted of rape+ need further exploration.

https://portal.research.lu.se/en/publications/immigrant-background-and-rape-conviction-a-21-year-follow-up-stud/

He entered NI illegally and was subsequently granted ILR.

It wasn't a protest that turned into a riot. It was an organised riot.

So they were lying then because there are no statistics to prove it.

So basically they said that ‘fact’ in the hopes that people were stupid and simply believed them.

Or they may have read that ‘fact’ and was stupid enough to believe it themselves.

The Langford enquiry that is currently going ahead? After the previous enquiry completed a report and where Tories didn’t implement any of the recommendations? That one?