BLM protests

[runrunrunrunt]

Completely agree that these protests are worthy and needed. I understand the anger as best I can and absolutely the world needs to change and I'm sick to my stomach about the police brutalities in the US but I'm so worried about the impact on coronavirus.

Anyone got any further thoughts to help me work this out in my head. I kinda feel like I'm on the wrong side of history and that I should be fully supporting the protests. I am just so terrified of the potential impact on the R and the NHS. We were making poor progress as it was.

BLM London are telling people to wear PPE, respect social distance and only attend one protest, then self isolate for 14 days afterwards but I’m not sure that message is getting across.

TBH I would attend the protests but I’m not going to get public transport and put black and brown transport workers lives at risk. I hope the protestors are using cycles and walking. Otherwise it’s really not fair on bus drivers and tube station workers.

I posted about the numbers protesting today in the UK. I’m in the NW and after the reports or the R rate rising above 1 yesterday 15k turned up in Manchester.

I genuinely support the cause but innocent lives are being put at risk here as the fact is that if the virus continues to spread more will die. If restrictions continue there will be countless indirect deaths.

I fully agree that the US should be ashamed of its law enforcement.

I totally get how you feel.

I didn't go to the one near me because I was worried about crowds and increased transmission.

But from the photos I've seen of it on Facebook it looks like it was really well organised and distanced.

So now I feel a bit guilty and ashamed for not going.

But from the photos I've seen of it on Facebook it looks like it was really well organised and distanced

That's good to know. The BBC aerial photos of the London one are a bit horrifying social distancing wise.

I'm really torn with it all.

Ah, I wasn't near a big one like that. My nearest was Milton Keynes.

Seeing it all on the news tonight I'm disgusted with how close everyone is. No masks worn. they just dont seem to care.

Tabbymumz remember the media will pick the images they want to make their point. I'm sure there was lots of unwise behaviour and badly organised protesting but there was also lots that was well done. Just less publicised. This was a scene at the protest in my nearest city for example masks, distance and peace.

Just watched all the videos of the riots in London. Just terrible. They were chasing a journalist and if hadnt got away, theyd have killed him.

remember the media will pick the images they want to make their point

This is so important.

My nearest two cities, demonstrations were socially distanced, everyone wearing masks, and totally peaceful.

Protestors thanked police at the end, and police thanks protestors.

I’m hoping the fact the protests were outside and most were wearing face coverings, that the chances of cross-infection were low. My understanding is that the vast majority of infections are believed to occur inside. The greater risk will be in how people travelled to the protests than the protests themselves.

I think we have to be level headed and support this movement as much as possible. People have reached breaking point, this can’t continue any longer. We know it’s not just America, black Men die in custody on the streets of this country too at the hands of police. The reason people are protesting against the murder of black people by police on the streets during a pandemic is a direct result of the fact that Police are still killing unarmed black men on the streets during a pandemic. There’s always a good reason not to get involved ans to look the other way. That’s why this still goes on even in times like this. The answer to stopping brutality is to stand up and be counted.

www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/a32742001/marcia-rigg-anti-racism/

Home videoes of the ones in Manchester were anything but socially distanced.

Agree with the protests. I don’t agree with their timing. Write to your MP or flood Social Media; taking to the streets can wait for another day. If I was BAME, given the unfavourable statistics, I’d be doing what I could to stay safe at the moment.

I would how ironic all the ‘I can’t breathe’ placards could be in a couple of weeks time?

Theres nothing socially distant about them and to say its ok people wore masks is bollocks! If we could all get back to a normal way of life wearing a mask then thats what we would be told to do... and to think people have been made to feel guilty for letting our children interact with another child when this is going on but its supposedly ok because it's for a good cause! The world has gone completely mad!

I think it’s very easy to admonish from the position of white privilege. The fear of racism is bigger than CV, if we were living with it we’d feel the same. They have nothing to lose.

I get very uncomfortable with middle classes lecturing on how lockdown should be lead. The reality of lockdown for poorer sections of society is not the same as it is for those with more money. I view this in the same way. We can’t scold unless we too live in fear that our dc have a high chance of suffering brutality and racism.

I admire those who have marched.

@manicinsomniac but the footage doesn’t lie does it? Sure the media choose the clips they want, but they didn’t make the protestors do what they did though? And people thinking oh they had gloves and masks on, lots of them didn’t and even those who did aren’t necessarily protected. I get the idea that racism needs to stop but thousands of people marching and shouting isn’t going to change things is it? Tbh they makes themselves look bad by behaving like they did

Didn’t to me. Parking racism and the anger from the last few weeks’ horrific events would cause a huge amount of damage. Put up and shut up would be the message.

If you want to blame anybody blame the perpetrators that lead to this. Injustice and anger don’t necessarily happen at convenient times.

Black lives matter. But so do the lives of our elderly, those with underlying health conditions and let's not forget BAME people who are more affected by the virus. We have the worse death rate in the world and people should not be gathering in groups. Transmission will go up and people will die as a direct result. Its irresponsible.

Ignoring racism is irresponsible.

I felt physically sick when I saw the images of the protests, especially Manchester which is not far from us. I'm a nurse and have been working front line. I've spent the last few months terrified I'm going to contract the virus or pass on to my young family. I've had to turn relatives away when they have wanted to sit with dying patients. I've had patients cry because they won't see their family again before they die. It has been harrowing, and to be honest I feel all this is such an insult to nhs staff and all key workers who have risked their lives and sacrificed so much these past few months. I completely agree that in this day and age people should not be experiencing racism, but find it quite ironic that those from ethnic minority's are sadly statistically more likely to die from Covid, and wonder how many black lives will be lost from a result of the protests. It also makes me sad that the majority of NHS staff that have died from Covid have been from ethnic backgrounds, so I feel the protests are disrespectful to them too.

That shows you the strength of feeling amongst the BAME community which needs to be respected.

Its a very difficult one.

The majority of people there were bame, who are more at risk if the catch covid. But thats how strongly they feel.

But yes, I am very concerned about the covid impacts. I am bame, so not putting covid above racisim.

But whats the answer, just turn a blind eye for a bit, even when someone is murdered in the street?

@Trevsadick how about people protest peacefully and observe social distancing? Some people managed that. No one is saying a blind eye should be turned, but is that the way to behave and be listened to? Are we meant to respect the people throwing fireworks and bikes at police and horses?

They were a tiny part of a very big peaceful protest. Only the Daily Wail is trying to focus on this, one wonders what their motives are.