Was anyone else involved in direct action/protests in their yoof? How do you feel about it now? Just wondered 'cos ten years ago this week...

[AnarchyAunt]

...my 17 year old self was dragged out of the entrance of a tunnel in a derelict house on the Birmingham Northern Relief Road protest, arrested, kept in police cells overnight, and charged with obstruction of the undersherrif (some pics on my profile for a while).

We lost and the road was built - 27 miles of privately run toll motorway, destroying 40km of greenbelt land and 2 SSSIs, and perpetuating the madness that we can tarmac our way out of traffic chaos and environmental destruction.

I'm still damn proud of trying though.

oh. And you personally are targeted, or your workplace?

you don't work for that huntingdon place by any chance, do you?

That must be horrible for you.

Fillyjonk, I was being over simplistic. No of course people shouldn't provoke violence, harasses people etc.. (sorry I have house work to do so can not do a long reply)I will arrest people who are harming others and break the law and if there are victims involved etc.. (when it makes sense, rave laws what a load of rubbish that was beats per min etc..) I am so grateful to feminist who allowed me to be treated equally in my job (will sort of) and those that said we need more minority groups in the police. Without them I could not be doing my job and helping others I would still be a sales assistant on a very low wage.

Yes. Protests.

I still think it was a good thing. Almost regardless of the reason. Good to get involved amd outside your own comfort bubble.

I don't understand some animal rights activism at all, such as this sort of thing and acts that endanger human life, or hunt sabs spraying citronella into horses' eyes

It's it sad when you rarely meet 14-19 years who have strong feels about anything except money, material gains and not the world that effects them. I even like it when girls go up town and camp outside a pop-stars house screaming. Where has the passion gone. OR I'm I real old now.

or the anti-abortion campaigners who murder doctors and bomb clinics. Madness. You can't claim some mistreatment of person or animal is wrong, if you do things that are totally wrong yourself. how can it be ok for you to hurt, kill...if you are so against it?

heh, just found this hilarious audio clip of a hunt sab being interviewed - didn't realise it had that effect on them . . .

hilarious

more people must listen to that clip and laugh!

its affect effect spelling lesson time on here i think

argh

thought I was immune from that kind of mistake

mysterymoniker is right though isn't she?

'affect' is the verb, 'effect' the noun? So something can have an effect, by affecting something else.

See, my youthful fervour has given way to curmudgeonly pedantry

SantasHelperAtChristmas - I'm so sorry to hear that. FWIW, I am completely against the ugly bullying of individuals and their families that some animal rights activists have adopted. (And, to be honest, I'm not with them on the agenda either - I can't stir myself to anything stronger than an animal welfare position.)

how quick I was to doubt myself! thank you anarchy aunt!

stabs wildebeest in the FACE

never mind pedantry, Anarchyaunt, (though I love you because of it!) see my previous post - no-one has heard of Thornborough! [impressed]

I only do direct action these days if it involves flasks of hot chocolate and is child friendly [old fart]

Yes anti war stuff mostlly

miners strike ( yes i am old)

I loved it

so wish my dcs had my political awareness and drive

'maggie maggie maggie......'

Oh I have heard of Thornborough - not been there but saw it on the local news when I still lived oop north (Huddersfield) and read a bit about it in archaeology magazines. Whats going on with it these days?

Am busy defending the cause on the thread that calls anti-airport protesters 'eco nazis'

ah well, we lost on appeal...

But we do have nice music festival every summer now to ''raise awareness''