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.

The perpetrator in the Belfast stabbing is in court today.

Fast tracking people who take part in violent disorder is normal, it has been happening for over a decade.

He was murdered in December 2025 - 6 months ago.

Throwing a cone is obviously very different to a murder investigation.

The cases and evidence involved etc would have been massively different.

I don’t believe there are even held in the same type of court.

A murder would never be taken to court within a matter of days or weeks, and for very good reason.

Nowak was murdered 3rd December, Digwa sentenced 1st June.

I understand what you’re attempting to say.

But it’s not reductive to call these people idiots. They’re behaving like idiots.

It’s not unfair to not take the concerns of someone seriously, if their way of sharing their concerns is arson and violence.

I said “anti migration” because my post was in response because PP had said “the government are never going to do anything about the migrants,” it was a direct response to that comment specifically about migration being the reason for the violence.

Those stats include people being arrested for abusive behaviour, stalking and sexualising children online.

Connolly pleaded guilty for inciting violence....

I remain to be convinced.

I don’t disagree hence why encouraging rioting is far less helpful than supporting those that need it into employment etc.

See how many differences you can think of between the Jewish refugees escaping holocaust, and the unchecked fighting-age, mostly male third worlders who rock up in the UK having passed through several safe countries.

Now I know I have given you a few clues there, but if you think very, very long and hard, you might just be able to think of a few more yourself.

1000 people - when were they sentenced? Not this year alone. Bearing in mind that murder attracts a long sentence, they could have begun their sentence twenty years ago. So 1000 people over 20 years - not so high.

She actually pleaded guilty to an offence of inciting racial hatred. And then changed her mind and said her lawyer told her to. Yet people hold her up as innocent.😇

Where did I say that ? I said I don’t condone the violence and that my fear is that if the serious underlying issues that lead to this kind of behaviour aren’t addressed properly there will be worse and more frequent outbreaks. The prospect is terrifying.

I live in an area of high immigration, close to a migrant housing centre. Some of the things that go on would curl your hair, but we are constantly told that there is no cause for alarm, that suggesting the perpetrators of these crimes are migrants is racist. A young female family member has been followed home on two occasions by migrants suggesting the most lewd disgusting things to her and telling her that as a woman she should cover up. The police don’t want to know because they don’t want to be seen as ‘racist’.

There are serious underlying issues. People don’t feel listened to and the government seems closed to the idea that tensions are running high, because whenever this happens in response to some outrage or other, the rhetoric is the same - violence is not the answer. Which I agree, it isn’t. But in the absence of anyone wanting or even knowing how to tackle the underlying issues, it doesn’t surprise me that it happens.

Or an assumption that if stats aren't kept and published, it is because something is being hidden.

If this thread has shown anything, it is that these stats are needed to show what is actually happening, rather than leaving a black hole where misinformation can spread.

So, why on earth are they not being collected, recorded or published?

A murder is 100% taken to court within days. The magistrates court working day after the charge it is taken to magistrates court and the magistrate refers it to crown court.

I’m not saying she was innocent. The retweet was a bad idea. She came to that conclusion herself and took it down in a very short space of time. There was absolutely no need for the ridiculous sentence that followed.

Noone should be arrested for spouting whatever bollocks is on their mind

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist (I’m not), I feel that there are people who have power, whether they are visible figures or not, who have a vested interest in us being at war with each other and railing at police, government etc, the eu referendum was a big part of really exposing divides and making people feel comfortable with voicing divisive opinions.
I think it’s an orchestrated case of divide and conquer and the outcome will be further loss of rights which started around 18-20 years ago and will continue until we are in a similar position to the US in terms of basic healthcare, employment rights and homelessness etc.
none of this is happening by accident.
its orchestrated and people are walking into it blindfolded.

Ah my mistake, I knew it was incitement of something she pleaded guilty for....

Depends on the bollocks.

If that bollocks is about setting migrant hotels on fire, that is illegal bollocks.

Because they’re scared the official figures would confirm what people believe to be true and then they would have to do something about it ?

I never really understand the obsession with fighting age men. That just means men aged 16 to 60. Children aren't seeking refugee status. Old people aren't. So yes, the men are that age. But the fighting bit - is it so significant?

Genuine question:

Unless the Belfast attacker had a psychotic episode, he was likely influenced by far right views.

Do you think groups like Isis and people who think western people should be attacked and killed should openly say so on social media?

What about Incels who believe women and girls should be raped and tortured?

A man killed 5 people in Plymouth because he was an incel and blamed everyone else for his lack of sex.

He wouldn’t have even known about this if it wasn’t for hate speech on the internet.

So do you not think that hate speech inciting violence should be banned and carry a prison sentence?

If it turns out the Belfast attacker had been influenced by hate speech inciting violence or on the internet then I think they should also have a prison sentence.

No, they don't.

She was told she would be held in remand for months if she pled not guilty.

I agree her post deserved punishment. I think it deserved far less punishment than that men who buy, download and share child sex abuse imagery, driving the trade in the abuse and murder of millions of children worldwide every year. Yet those men seem to walk from court even when found guilty a second time. A community service order would have been much more appropriate for her.

To correct one piece of misinformation on this thread, Maitiu Mág Tighearnán, the man who fought off the Belfast knife attacker, is not an immigrant to Northern Ireland. Perhaps British people online saw his ‘foreign’ looking name and thought he must be an immigrant. He’s not, that’s a Gaelic name