AIBU to want to express support for women who were assaulted at a political conference?

[Warmlight1]

To want to send out support to the two women visibly assaulted at a political conference.
I am concerned about the other protesters too and actually anyone who was hurt. But having to listen to jeering from the podium plus the crowd chanting in live TV at the same time must have been so traumatic and the publicity will die down and coverage move on but that can't be easy. Just want to send love and support.

I saw footage on Instagram - it looked horrific. Obviously it wasn’t the full story, but the woman I saw was violently yanked by her hair. I’m surprised that it hasn’t gone viral.

I think it has done though I'm not sure of the wisdom of this as it could be a court matter. The atmosphere though. I think despite how it appeared that could also have been traumatic for witnesses. It would have unfolded so quickly and there's not much they could do in the moment, and one doesn't always compute what one is seeing.

Well here’s the thing . Don’t disrupt and enrage people and the chances are you won’t get your hair pulled .

Don't ' enrage' people? By shouting ' where's the 5 million' ?
Political protest in those circumstances is healthy don't you think?
A lot of people are saying that it doesn't look like it's been spent on security.

Surely it’s a criminal matter? No one has assaulted the stop oil protesters, it’s the same thing - you can’t assault someone and hit them, just because you don’t like what they are doing. There was no threat to anyone’s person or property that needed defending.

It’s so tedious . She didn’t even need to be there . No-one in that room would have had any interest in what she had to say . You and your ilk don’t like Reform , so what , plenty of others do so get over it . We live in a democracy, everyone can choose who they support and no amount of unwanted disruption will change that .

I’m shocked that anyone thinks an acceptable response to a perfectly legal, physically peaceful protest is to commit violence against the protestors. If she had to be removed from the event, it should have been done by the police, not by a bunch of people taking the law into their own hands.

And I would feel that way regardless of the politics of the protestor or event.

Reform thugs only care about assaults on women if they are carried out by brown men.

Does anyone have a link?

It’s because we live in a democracy that we can protest.

ar least this puts paid to the argument that reform give a shit about VAWG, which comes as no surprise to anyone who has’ met a flagger

Yes, we live in a democracy where everyone is entitled to free speech. It doesn’t matter which political party the conference was. People should be able to speak freely without the threat of violence.

Supporting violence isn’t the answer. Arrests should be made

I am anti reform you are correct. But notwithstanding that I would be reacting the same way had this occurred at any party conference and I would have no part in any political party where the leadership conducted themselves in that manner.

I had read about the incident but saw the clip for the first time yesterday and was appalled. An obnoxious elderly man struck her on the back with his walking stick and she fell to the ground. Then as she was being ejected from the venue surrounded by baying knuckle draggers a woman who looked in her 50’s was pulling her by the hair.

The faces of those who assaulted her are clearly in view and I hope they are arrested. I also hope their family, friends and work colleagues have seen the clip. I’d be ashamed to be associated with them.

And democracies (last time I looked) enshrine the right to protect peacefully…

👏👏👏

Assault is assault. Non violent protest is legal. Common assault is a crime.

Spot on.

The really sickening think is the leaders are suggesting it is ok. There was a young reform supporting woman on LBC claiming it could happen at any political conference. But I've never seen Starmer or Cameron or Kemi Badenough or Ed Davey cheering on a woman being assaulted and laughing. I realise it gets them publicity but it feels as if that ought to be an offence in itself.
And I've never seen that occur at any political conference.

I wonder do young people realise how unusual this is. The message ' this is normal' is very quickly internalised by the young.
Let's hope our justice system does it's job and that criminal charges can be considered at all levels.

I think a number were assaulted. Distinctly remember burly men yanking them up and ragging them around. Nobody cares when lefties are attacked.

Were you there? Don't mean to pry- just wondered did you mean you saw it.

@Sartre oh really? Well that’s disgusting as well. I’ve only seen them sitting and people shouting or arguing but not hands on

Sounds like the sort of thing my abusive ex would say