Protesters at schools

[Sadless]

Any one else noticed protester at or near schools recently. I was late coming back from shopping and drove pass a different school not the one my child goes to and there was loads of them. The signs where saying no vaccine for children.

Sal

"Section 547 of the Education Act 1996 makes it a criminal offence for a person who is on school premises without legal permission to cause or permit a nuisance or disturbance."

I hope the police get involved, tail

It’s nothing to do with the adults. The twelve year olds can make their own decisions about their bodies. I teach teenagers and I am quite certain that the type of people who are ‘protesting’ (the rank and file anti-vaxxers) will do more to push the children towards the vaccine than the government. Nothing like a teenager for identifying weird, creepy and sad. The manipulators who run these campaigns have misjudged this one (and as a PP said, they are much more cunning than the rank and file so I’m sure their tactics will change).

I have a year 7 child who would turn round and go home if she was faced with the prospect of having to walk past protesters like that outside her school. She's anxious enough about just being there in her first week without any adults intimidating her.

I also have a year 7 form. I can tell already that some would shout back at protesters (not sure if it would be supporting them or arguing against them), some would ignore them and carry on chatting to their friends, and some who would be terrified at the sight. I imagine the terrified ones would keep their heads down to walk past and then cry at the first safe teacher they see, which would be very stressful for all involved (except the protesters who would never know or care that they had terrified and upset that child).

Thankfully we don't have anyone uncaring enough to be protesting outside schools near me. There have been protests in the city centre (very small ones) but none outside schools.

That's very interesting Noble. I should clarify looking at it again that the leaflet is from a save our rights organisation, it doesn't mention UFT by name. Basically they are suggesting that asking a person exempt from wearing a mask to prove it, goes against the equality act. I think this may be correct, however UFT encourage parents to say their dc is exempt on grounds that would certainly not count as disabilities under the equality act!
Would be interesting to give them a counter leaflet about being on school grounds without permission if they come back

I find it very worrying that a general comment AGAINST the idea of anti vaxxers protesting outside schools and the comment AIMED AT THOSE PEOPLE has been deleted, and yet the easy to prove as a defamatory accusation against a well-known MNer is allowed to stand.
Where does MN stand legally on users who defame others I wonder?

I should clarify looking at it again that the leaflet is from a save our rights organisation, it doesn't mention UFT by name.

Those types of groups are all the same people co-ordinating behind the scenes. They'll get certain people/groups to take particularly actions of benefit other fronts, while maintaining that front's public respectability.

They're quite clever at co-ordinating, but sadly not clever enough to not make their private chat forums publicly accessible.

"Section 547 of the Education Act 1996 makes it a criminal offence for a person who is on school premises without legal permission to cause or permit a nuisance or disturbance."

Presumably they’d be outside of school grounds, not on the premises? Have protestors gone on school premises?
So far protestors seem to be just talking to kids and handing out leaflets? I wouldn’t think the police could do much about that outside of school grounds could they? I imagine if this happens outside schools, most schools will have staff outside keeping an eye out, they won’t be relying on police as there won’t be police available for every school.

Have protestors gone on school premises?

Yes, this was in response to the post where they had. Withdrawn, I assume because it named the wrong group, clarified in the next post.

The other ridiculous thing about protesting outside a school is it could lead to the school being shut. Only takes one or two protesters acting in a way that makes the children feel threatened for there to be a health and safety issue. I have a y7 form, most of them would be terrified at walking past protesters (to be honest it would make me pretty anxious too) - they'd be likely to try and avoid, potentially by crossing the busy road in a hurry rather than using the crossing...

So far protestors seem to be just talking to kids and handing out leaflets?

Which is totally unacceptable behaviour in itself!

Yes, this was in response to the post where they had. Withdrawn, I assume because it named the wrong group, clarified in the next post.

Ah, I didn’t see that before it was deleted then. Do you know where this was? Were they arrested?

Which is totally unacceptable behaviour in itself!

I would imagine there’s not much they can do about that talking and leaflets though.

I would be worried about parents taking exception to it though and things getting out of hand. I just don’t know if anything can be done to move the protestors on of until that happens, by which time it’s too late.

And if they get moved from right outside schools, they’ll just move around the corner where kids will still have to walk past them. I just don’t know what can realistically be done.
Schools may encourage parents to drive children to school, that happened when we had another issue locally, but obviously this isn’t an option for everyone.

Apologies if I've caused confusion, yes I asked for my post to be deleted as I had attributed the leaflets to the wrong group. This was in Scotland, I don't know what action was taken if any.