Riots against lockdown in Europe

[Downriver]

The scenes of young people burning down a COVID testing facility in the Netherlands and burning the Danish PM at a stake in protest against lockdown have really shaken me. Would it happen here? Who is organising this? Fascists? Sometimes I read comments against lockdown on here and I think such a mood is being primed.

We never had a 'only leave your house one hour for exercise' type order though, not legally enforced anyway.

England doesn't either. and never has. We were in Denmark in the summer, and they certainly had the perception that our lockdowns were much more strict than was actually the case.

Riots are never just mindless violence.

There are a high proportion of people who believe the 'measures' we have taken are disproportionate and oppressive.

United in opposition to the “aggressors” who symbolically are seen to be attacking the community e.g. The Danish president, the Covid testing centre, riots will happen

I am surprsied it hasn't happened here. I think largely because the mainstream media have towed the line with the government so far. They also haven't been reporting on these riots in other countries against the measures - there have been many. 1000 restaurants in Italy have defied the restrictions and opened anyway, marches in France, Madrid etc.

Now the mainstream media are reporting it, contagion is even more likely.

Needs to happen IMO

if we stick together and just hold on for a couple of months we will have some normality

But it isn’t going to be a couple of months. Does anyone believe it will be all over by the end of March?

A few nutters in Copenhagen doesn't equal all-out uprising against the authorities in Denmark. Most of the rest of the Danish population are 'wtf'ing looking at the coverage from the weekend. No non-compliance seen at all when out and about.

the people looting and damaging hospitals ar enot protesters theyr eidiots

It wouldn't happen here because the idiots most likely to cause a riot worship the ground Boris walks on even though he's driving the country into the ground.

@Bythemillpond

if we stick together and just hold on for a couple of months we will have some normality

But it isn’t going to be a couple of months. Does anyone believe it will be all over by the end of March?

Of course it won't "ALL" be over by the end of March. The PP said "some normality", which is probably going to be some relaxations of some of the restrictions at Easter, i.e. back to the tier system. The same kind of gradual relaxation we saw last June and July, where a few things are re-opened, and then further relaxations every few weeks. Even gradual relaxations will make a massive difference to people as there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

I seriously hope there are riots here. People have lost so much and there is still not exit plan being coherently set out. The Government is on a frolic of its own extending its powers to July with no debate. So there should be riots. And maybe then we will get a coherent plan.

@BubblyBarbara

It wouldn't happen here because the idiots most likely to cause a riot worship the ground Boris walks on even though he's driving the country into the ground.

You think?

Young men in particular are the likely rioters and I don't think politics in that sense comes into it

They are (and rightly) so pissed off about their futures and their lives and the lack of opportunity and will only contain it so long. A walk around the local park for an hour isn't going to erase 1000's of years of evolutionary spirit to 'achieve' and do things that is inbuilt into testosterone fuelled young men.

I agree with you Hamster on that.

@tillyandmilly

Please please let’s not do this - attacking vaccine centres! Come on people - if we stick together and just hold on for a couple of months we will have some normality - release lockdown too quickly back to square one - is that what you want? - and by the way I have been made redundant due to COVID-19 ! I want to get back to some sort of normal by summer with things opening up so I can get a new job!

It was "only a couple of months" last March.

How long do you expect people to put their lives on hold?

Fools - the fastest way out of this and the quickest way to rebuild the economy is to get the pandemic under control.

Most of us have been following the rules for 10 months now. How is that going?

I dont agree with rioting and setting stuff on fire but I can see that if you back people into a corner where they have lost everything and have nothing left to live for, they will come out fighting

@BonnieDundee

Fools - the fastest way out of this and the quickest way to rebuild the economy is to get the pandemic under control.

Most of us have been following the rules for 10 months now. How is that going?

I dont agree with rioting and setting stuff on fire but I can see that if you back people into a corner where they have lost everything and have nothing left to live for, they will come out fighting

I don’t agree with destruction but can see why people are fighting it too.

What is the financial support in the Netherlands?

How long do you expect people to put their lives on hold?

Exactly

We need to acknowledge that lockdowns aren’t pause buttons, they are time we don’t get back.

My don’t know how much time I’ll have with my elderly parents. I’m damned if I’m avoiding them once they’ve had the vaccine.

The restrictions affect everyone. And each individual will experience it in their own way according to their circumstances. How does anyone suggest that we move forward in a way that benefits everyone, rather than one group at the expense of another?

The virus isn't going away any time soon, as we've seen it's mutating. Yes it's rubbish, I'm pissed off too, but let's have some suggestions for what we do instead, rather than pitting one group against another.

Can I ask those who say they've had enough? Given the situation with the NHS, if we said this afternoon 'right, do what you want, fuck it, but we won't guarentee a bed for anyone with covid and we won't guarentee that any other treatments will be available because we will be over run with covid', will you be happy for you and your family to take your chances? Not just with covid but everything else? If you have a car accident? Or your child suddenly needs their appendix removing urgently? Or your mum goes from 'quirky' to 'downright bonkers' with dementia in the matter of a week? Are you prepared to take that risk?

user1497207191 I really don’t think we will be easing up anything until May at the earliest and even then the financial damage for a lot of families normality will mean something completely different than before.

We’ve had quite a lot of riots.

However we do tend to have a more British tendency. Which is quite. We stand in queues. Those kinds of things

I think civil unrest could come. But sadly I think the reason being is how poorly the U.K. handled this. We’ve seen other islands do a much better job. I realise it’s complicated. But in Russia for example. There’s protests about alexey nav (?!?). Which is quite a big thing for Russia.

The problem is. The world is in this together. Yes we’ve handled it badly. But apart from very tiny islands. No one had Eradicated it yet. I think that plays a lot into it

Plus lots of people are scared to go to shops right now. Let alone a riot.

will you be happy for you and your family to take your chances? Not just with covid but everything else?

I think you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think people are already put in that position. Speaking as someone whose (fit, healthy) FIL died of a heart attack 3 years ago because the ambulance didn’t get there in time.

I hope people remember when it comes to voting how much longer the various sets of restrictions have ended up being because of the slowness of Mr Johnson to react.

A week earlier in March would have meant most things resuming in late May not late June/early July.
End of September as SAGE recommended not early November would have saved a week or so, and would have been at times with a week's school half term and lighter evenings.
Closing schools a week or two earlier before Christmas might mean they were now open to more than the families of key workers, even if just part-time for each child.

@TheQueef

It's too cold for any civil disobedience in the UK. We only like sunny riots.

This made me truly laugh out loud

Ha. We’re British! . Only like sunny weather. The whole 7 days a year we get!

Bring it on, I'll be there at the front.

I'll join you. I've reached my limit today. And I can't take any more of the fucking hints about policy changes, it's being in a constant state of tortured uncertainty. Cruel bastards.

And I don't give a fuck about crying nurses.

Look how polarised the thinking on this thread is. We're getting as bad as the US:
It's Fascists, no it's Marxists,
If you care about the young you hate the old, if you care about the old, you hate the young
NoRth KorEa!
Can we not have a nuanced discussion where you can understand but not agree with rioting which doesn't descend into people being accused of being Antifa and/or wanting people to die or being told they're Covid deniers?