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Original poster

Would you allow teenager to go to anti restrictions protest

198 replies

Tobeirritatedhdeh · 16/09/2021 16:56

DS is 17 (just turned) and can drive and really wants to go to the protest on the 25th. Would you allow a teenager to go to an anti plan B protest?

OP posts:
Nietzschethehiker · 16/09/2021 17:32

I think the protests are ignorant and ridiculous but ultimately my opinion would be irrelevant. The right to non violent protest is important for a free society.

I think its important that if a DC feels strongly and is risk aware the they have a right to be heard.

We had this with Dnephew. We personally as a family have a rule we don't offer an opinion unless asked outright and he has the right to express his response to a political statement he disagrees with. Both myself and Dsis are not anti restriction or anti vax or any of the above but it's not our right to push our beliefs on him or prevent him protesting.

Risk wise about the actual event itself....as long as they have enough capacity to understand and assess the risk and are responsible enough to do so then personally I would let them.

thewhatsit · 16/09/2021 17:33

Yes. I don't think it is appropriate to stop a 17 yr old expressing their views in a non-violent way.
This. I don’t agree with a lot of what protestors seems to stand for and these protests seem to get taken over by conspiracy theorists but everyone is entitled to an opinion.
I am of the opinion that the young have given up the most in this pandemic and I think we should be hearing more from the young, on all sides of the argument.

Driftingblue · 16/09/2021 17:34

We are a vulnerable household. A 17yo spending hours in a crowd of people ignoring social distancing and probably not wearing masks would not be let back into the house.

duffeldaisy · 16/09/2021 17:34

I'd be deeply unhappy with it for several reasons:

  1. They'd be encouraging anti-science views, and so risking others' lives.
  1. They'd be putting others around them at risk during the protest and on the way there and back, and also putting themselves at risk by hanging around with people who presumably are taking no precautions elsewhere.
  1. If they get ill enough to be hospitalised then they'll be taking a bed - and all the staff to look after them - that they needn't have at a time when beds are really precious.
  1. I wouldn't want them back in the house until they'd isolated and tested.

A friend who's CV (double jabbed) is going through such a hard time, mentally, because the rest of the family have caught covid from their child (who caught it at school and is too young to be jabbed yet). They're quite distressed, and I'd hate to go through that worry (we have CEV grandparents). I'd be so upset it my own child didn't care about that.

I'm all for protests normally, but in the same way I wouldn't want my child to go to a protest if they had the flu or chicken pox and could pass it on to anyone really vulnerable, then I would also be against this. I'd feel I'd failed in explaining about responsibility, to be honest.

duffeldaisy · 16/09/2021 17:36

With no masks, no distancing and no mitigations outside of the protest before and after too, then I wouldn't count this as 'non-violent' protest.
It potentially has a good chance of making people around them ill, long-term disabled, or even dead. That's violent.

StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind · 16/09/2021 17:37

@duffeldaisy

With no masks, no distancing and no mitigations outside of the protest before and after too, then I wouldn't count this as 'non-violent' protest. It potentially has a good chance of making people around them ill, long-term disabled, or even dead. That's violent.
Wow. Do you accuse people who pass on flu to others as being 'violent'?
Redcrayons · 16/09/2021 17:38

I’d be pleased to see them so fired up about a cause to want to protest about it. I did my fair share of student marches.

Not sure I agree with this cause though, so would probably have a talk about it.

Geamhradh · 16/09/2021 17:38

Presumably the OP isn't in England as there are no restrictions anymore, are there?

I wouldn't stop my 17 year old from taking part in a protest, no. But they certainly wouldn't be going by car, and I'd be the same as pp. Disappointed in their choices.

FourTeaFallOut · 16/09/2021 17:38

Yes. I'd only be concerned about the risks involved in being a part of any protests. But I wouldn't let my political opinions get in the way of their political action, if that's what you mean?

duffeldaisy · 16/09/2021 17:41

"Wow. Do you accuse people who pass on flu to others as being 'violent'?"

No. I didn't say that.
I accuse people who go to an 'anti mask/vaccine' march for covid, specifically to hang around with other people who don't vaccinate or use masks or distance - of not caring about the consequences of their actions to others in the vicinity/on transport on the way/who they come into contact with afterwards. That's not a 'peaceful' way to behave.

Megistotherium · 16/09/2021 17:41

I just googled, and it said if covid surge, unvaccinated will be barred from indoor event over 500 people.

I don't think this plan is unreasonable. So I would not allow, because it's not something that anyone should be protesting against while people are getting ill and dying.

frozendaisy · 16/09/2021 17:42

Are you asking because of what the protest is about or the actual physicality of going to a protest?

He's 17, can drive, but protests do carry risks even peaceful ones.
So I would lecture about safety (don't get arrested basically because at 17 you can get detained at HMP as an adult!).
But I wouldn't stop them going.

If I was 17 I would go. I wouldn't go now but if you think of how stunted young adults's lives are right now and increasingly so if further lockdowns, I can understand why a 17 yr old wants to protest.

StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind · 16/09/2021 17:44

@duffeldaisy

"Wow. Do you accuse people who pass on flu to others as being 'violent'?"

No. I didn't say that.
I accuse people who go to an 'anti mask/vaccine' march for covid, specifically to hang around with other people who don't vaccinate or use masks or distance - of not caring about the consequences of their actions to others in the vicinity/on transport on the way/who they come into contact with afterwards. That's not a 'peaceful' way to behave.

Is it an anti vaxx protest, or a protest about further lockdowns?
ItWearsTheBatteriesOut · 16/09/2021 17:45

@Medievalist

At 17 he ought to be able to express his own views - whether or not you agree with them.
Agree
Againstmachine · 16/09/2021 17:48

*I'd be deeply unhappy with it for several reasons:

  1. They'd be encouraging anti-science views, and so risking others' lives.*
Except they aren't this has been a big problem, science isn't a big homegeous mass lots agree and disagree.

There is no such thing as "the science"

Antinerak · 16/09/2021 17:48

As an unvaccinated CEV person, I would say no. But if he's actually passionate about the cause and wants to go for a peaceful protest, rather than a violent hateful party, then yes. He's 17, he'll grow up and realise not everyone in the world is as healthy as him and it's unlikely said protest will cause any changes.

Againstmachine · 16/09/2021 17:51

Why are you unvaccinated after all what's good for the goose.

FourTeaFallOut · 16/09/2021 17:54

They'd be encouraging anti-science views, and so risking others' lives.

This is an anti-lockdown protest, isn't it? What does anti-vax have to do with it?

thewhatsit · 16/09/2021 17:59

@duffeldaisy

With no masks, no distancing and no mitigations outside of the protest before and after too, then I wouldn't count this as 'non-violent' protest. It potentially has a good chance of making people around them ill, long-term disabled, or even dead. That's violent.
But virtually no one wears a mask outside? We’ve never even been asked/ told to by the government?

I wouldn’t go to a protest myself but if that’s violent then any large gathering is.. are football matches violent? Wimbledon crowds? What about a large wedding?

FourTeaFallOut · 16/09/2021 18:02

Lots of violently breathy people wandering round the retail park today.

lannistunut · 16/09/2021 18:05

Oh nightmare, I would be so embarrassed if my teen was such a wally that they couldn't understand why the science and medical community think restrctions might be needed.

Sadly they won't wear a mask will they so they will be clearly identifiable Grin.

I don't think you can actually stop them but would explaining that they are being a bit of a dickhead possibly deter them?

lannistunut · 16/09/2021 18:06

@Againstmachine

Why are you unvaccinated after all what's good for the goose.
Some people can't have the vaccine, due to their complicated health issues Hmm
duffeldaisy · 16/09/2021 18:07

"I wouldn’t go to a protest myself but if that’s violent then any large gathering is.. are football matches violent? Wimbledon crowds? What about a large wedding?"

Because most of the population is vaccinated, then the vast majority of attendees will be vaccinated for any of those things, plus they usually insist on testing first.

An anti-restrictions protest is going to attract lots of antivaxxers, no-one is going to test or wear masks (because that's the whole point of the protest) so the risk level goes up.

userperuser · 16/09/2021 18:07

Yes I’d be very proud that I’d raised a child who was able to question and express their own views and on this issue I’d be joining him on the protest.

Disclaimer: I’d support his right to express his view whether a agreed or not.

Againstmachine · 16/09/2021 18:08

Some people can't have the vaccine, due to their complicated health issues

But if you expect everyone else to have it then so should you, otherwise it's fair enough if people haven't.

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