Bloody lockdown hypocrites and mass gatherings

[alwaysanewlife]

For months now I have had 'friends' on social media daily posting about how important maintaining lockdown is, saying those who break it are killing people, calling them stupid, hating Dominic Cummings with a vengeance, accusing the government of wanting people to die and that is why they are opening schools. These same people are now encouraging people to go to mass gatherings for Black Lives Matter. I've seen the footage. Those people are not social distancing. Of course they are not. People don't at mass gatherings. That is why they are banned instead of the government saying, 'yeah, you can all meet with several thousand other people as long as you keep 2m apart. That's totally fine.'
This isn't a post about Black Lives Matter - which is a fantastic movement - or even about lockdown. It is a post about me being fed up with sodding hypocrites who have spent months lecturing and hating other people for doing something which they are now encouraging on a mass scale.

[ssd]

God I feel the same. Swimming against the tide sums it up perfectly.

I think the protesters are nuts. They are putting themselves and others at so much risk. I can understand their anger and distress, and support that 100%.
But don't put yourself at risk during a pandemic to do so.

[MadameMarie]

If they're young and healthy - the majority are young - then they're not putting themselves under that much risk. What they are doing is risking the lives of vulnerable people and health care workers.

[Wishandwonder]

I think it is amazing that so many ignorant people have managed to find each other in one post. Please educate yourselves on why these protests are needed. Educate yourselves to understand why even in the midst of a global pandemic people need to stand up.

[alwaysanewlife]

@Wishandwonder

So do you think the BLM spokesperson in Leeds doesn't understand why these protests are needed?

[Hadenoughfornow]

Natural if you mean Naga, she cut it herself and did a great job!

[rosie1959]

@Wishandwonder

I think it is amazing that so many ignorant people have managed to find each other in one post. Please educate yourselves on why these protests are needed. Educate yourselves to understand why even in the midst of a global pandemic people need to stand up.

Why are people who have health concerns on the protest ignorant

[MadameMarie]

Continuing these protests with thousands swarming on to the streets and ignoring the social distancing is not going to win favour with the general public who haven't been within 2 meters of their family for 3 months. Not to mention the backlash against it when the second wave hits.

[confusedandtired99]

Fortunately I am already educated. I don’t think anyone would describe me as ignorant either. I can see why the protests are needed, and personally believe that what’s happened is despicable - but I can also see why it isn’t a good idea to have thousands of people gathering in the present climate. It isn’t possible to be socially distanced with so many people around you at those protests. I’ve seen the pictures and videos of my local protest. No one was socially distanced, and then this is in an area that is still not quite at its peak in infection rate. If you can’t see that it’s not the best idea in this current climate, then I think personally that you need re-education.

[ssd]

@MadameMarie

If they're young and healthy - the majority are young - then they're not putting themselves under that much risk. What they are doing is risking the lives of vulnerable people and health care workers.

They are also putting their own families at risk, if they live at home.

[user1477391263]

Wishandwonder

Oh do bore off, dear.
Or, treat us all to an explanation of how the virus mysteriously and magically ceases to be infectious during a political demonstration that you happen to agree with.

[ky07]

It would be sad for such an important movement to lose momementum when more people than ever are finally listening. They cannot delay these protests for 3 months, because white people in particular will be back to apathy. The timing is terrible, but they must capitalise on this attention as much as possible. If its ok to fill beaches with holiday makers and send everyone back to work, I 100% support protests about such an important issue. Frankly, as a country no one knows what we're doing or how we're doing it or how effective any if it even is. Our coronavirus response is a total mess. Ask the government some useful questions instead of focusing on protestors.

[alwaysanewlife]

@ky07, exaggeration does not make your point - everyone has not been sent back to work, a minority of people who cannot work at home and whose businesses have re-opened are allowed back at work. Most businesses are still shut/ home working. How do we get out of the 'mess' of the response if mass gatherings are allowed?

And in terms of the momentum, you are talking like these mass gatherings are the only way to do that. They are a pretty limited response. No-one gains further understanding by seeing people in a park.

If you feel that the risk of death and spreading infection is acceptable collateral damage, then have the honesty to say so outright.

[MadameMarie]

No-one gains further understanding by seeing people in a park.

It loses support among people who would be otherwise sympathetic. There's millions of people shielding desperate for the worst to be over and then they see scenes like this and despair.

[Alsohuman]

Dominic Cummings must be thinking ' WTF! The entire country hated me for driving in my car, and now those same people are gathering in their thousands, but that's ok

What Dominic Cummings should be thinking is “Wtf did I start? All these people heard about me and I gave them the idea that the rules don’t apply to everyone”.