Why is a conflict 2,200 miles away allowed to cause mayhem on UK streets?

[OneMerryRedSnail]

Shocking moment violent pro-Palestine mob attack workers outside Bradford kebab shop after owner 'refused to boycott Coca-Cola' amid claims soft drink giant 'profits from Israel's war in Gaza' | Daily Mail Online

@Baileyscream Im with you on this one. We haven’t had a referendum and we don’t really know what “everyone” thinks. What good is the Uk bleating on about anything in the Middle East? We aren’t a major player.

Also MPs are not direct representatives of their constituents. Very few get anywhere near 50% plus of the electorate voting for them. They haven’t heard the views of everyone. They are also allowed to have their own views or follow the policy of their party. They are not the slaves of the electorate - thank God. It’s a representative Democracy. Not one that has referenda like Switzerland. Maybe we need a better understanding of how our democracy works. As for demonstrations. It’s too frequent. Too intimidating. Too ineffective. Therefore useless. One big demo is better.

In answer to your question @Baileyscream I want them to stop selling arms to a state that is murdering innocent people by the thousands, especially children! I want them to use whatever influence they have to calm the situation down and call for an immediate ceasefire. I want them to put sanctions on Israel. I want them to stop standing behind plinths telling the world that Israel has the right to defend itself while they murder innocent children and babies. I want them to vote for a ceasefire in the UN.

And I'm sick of people pretending that all of this is about getting rid of Hamas when all the evidence suggests that it is not. Hamas are terrorists and what they did was indefensible but you don't get to commit mass murder because you have been the victim of a terror attack.

There is absolutely no justification for the actions of Israel at the moment. Hamas offered the hostages back in return for a ceasefire remember and Netanyahu turned it down. Look at the horrific things coming out of the mouths of the Israeli government if you truly want to understand what their motivations are and what they want the end game to be.

Of course two wrongs don’t make a right. But this is the Middle East. It’s been this way for millennia. I’m pessimistic about any lasting solution.

If we don’t sell arms, someone else will. On that basis we sell. We keep our arms sector going. We didn’t vote in Netanyahu. We sold in good faith. As we do elsewhere. As other arms producers do. Do you think China or Russia would care? Or even France or USA? Obviously not.

So the basis of your argument is, sod them all. It's been like this for ages in that area. Leave them to it?

And someone else will sell arms to a state carrying out a genocide so we may as well accept their blood money? It doesn't bother you that bombs WE PROVIDED TO THEM are dropping on babies and innocent people right now? You're happy with that are you? Because plenty of people aren't and that's why we march.

Yes. Overall. I blame the protagonists. Not us. I don’t blame the USA or France either. I blame the people in Israel who could have given the Palestinians space and not occupied their lands. I blame the Palestinian Hamas for attacking innocent Israelis. Am I surprised: no. Herod did the same. I blame the Israelis for putting vast numbers of Palestinians in prison. It just goes on and on and on. These peoples must agree a way forward. It’s eluded every single diplomat that’s tried.

If this problem could have been solved it would have been by now. I despair of their leaderships and their history shows us they won’t compromise. And yes, I’m sick of it. It’s sickening so why don’t they care about each other? I cannot fix that or the conflict.

Actually, @Baileyscream, I'm not really sure that you have answered my questions as I still don't really understand what you want anyone to do about the protests, or what exact measures you would like the government to implement to make them stop. Irrespective of my view on the situation in Gaza, I want the right to protest to be protected. It is a fundamental tenet of our democracy.

As such, I don't really think my views on what's happening in Gaza are particularly relevant here, but since you have asked, I will answer.

I was sickened by the attacks on Israel on 7 October and remain deeply concerned about the plight of the remaining hostages. I believe that Israel had a right to defend itself and to respond to those attacks in a targeted and proportionate manner. I don't feel that the response has been targeted or proportionate, though, and I'm appalled by the indiscriminate slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians. I don't want our government to support that, or to be seen to support that, in any way. I would like them to make every diplomatic effort possible to stop this, including calling for an immediate ceasefire and for the release of all hostages. I would like them to stop selling arms to Israel and to any other state which uses and arms against civilian populations. And I want them to push harder for a two-state solution, including the use of sanctions if necessary.

I haven't been on any of the protests personally because I am concerned about aligning myself with a minority of protesters who are, I believe, motivated by antisemitism. I do believe that the vast majority of protesters are people like me, though, who are simply appalled by the horrific and unjustifiable suffering of innocent Palestinians, including Palestinian children. I completely understand why they feel called upon to stand up and voice their opposition to what is going on, and I support their democratic right to do so. I wish that I felt confident enough in the complete absence of antisemitism amongst the protesters to be able to join them.

Having said that, if people wanted to march legally in defence of Israel's response to the October 7 attacks - every week if they felt motivated to do so - then I would absolutely support their democratic right to do that.

@TizerorFizz is right that we haven't had a referendum on this issue, so we don't know what everyone thinks. However, in a healthy democracy, I think we have a duty to let our elected representatives know what we think, by writing to them, speaking to them and protesting as appropriate. Those who are apathetic will communicate that by not doing anything at all.

The first two are fine. The protesting is threatening and we all know what these people think. They cannot be described as “everyone” though. In Jewish areas there might be dissent!

If the protests are threatening in any way, then that should be dealt with. People should not be allowed to threaten or make others feel unsafe. I accept that this has happened in some instances and that is one of the reasons why I cannot join the protests, much as I would like to. However, I believe that this applies to a very small minority of protesters and the police have taken action against these individuals wherever they have been identified.

There is nothing inherently threatening towards Jewish communities in holding legal, peaceful protests against the actions of the Israeli government, and the suggestion that people feel threatened by such criticism cannot be used to shut the protests down. I certainly don't hold British Jews responsible for the actions of a foreign state, and I believe that many of them share my absolute horror at the tragedy that has unfolded in Gaza. Many have joined the protests too.

If there are people acting illegally, they should be reported and arrested. But people have a fundamental right to protest in a legal manner, and the fact that others might not like or agree with them doesn't negate that right.

Part of the problem is the lack if arrests. Tower Bridge was closed, Starbucks needed police protection and 'from the river to the sea' was plastered on the side of Elizabeth Tower among other incdents. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think any arrests were made.

The home Secretary has asked for them to stop due to security and cost but organisers still want to go ahead. It could be interpreted as we'll keep scaring mp's and costing millions until we get what we want rather than democracy in action.

@Baileyscream It’s quite clear there has been light policing. Yes people have been arrested but the demonstrators are going too far. Roads closed. People cannot get where they need to go. Why are roads closed? It’s a very slow response from the police and is playing into the hands of people like Anderson. MPs need to be safe and the public needs to feel safe too. It’s the job of the police to do this.

I don't support any curbs on freedom to protest but here's my view on the effectiveness of them.

They are becoming so common that people have got tired of the disruption or deaf to the cause.

Horrible as it is the plight of those suffering as a result of this war is falling on a numb public....life goes on in the west while suffering persists in Gaza.

My views are very clear we shouldn't be supplying arms to Israel and we should be using the pressures we can to put an end to this war. But I'm not on the streets protesting because I feel they are just a waste of time....maybe I'm wrong but I'm not seeing any changes in government policy.

Absolutely spot on.

These protests aren't going to get the 'moderates' or the 'not sure' on the side of the cause. They just alienate people.

Now the protesters are resorting to criminal damage

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/lord-balfour-portrait-slashed-israel-palestine-protest-1234699348/

which further alienates them from 'average' people.

I'd like to hear her justification for such vandalism. Really what's the point of it. Our history like every other nations is full of horrors and triumphs....it's not us to judge those deeds but learn from them and improve civilization.

It really is totally retarded to deface works of art.....how to alienate their cause is a stupid act.

It's been pointed out that she's got an expensive Mulberry backpack. She could have sold that, donated the money to a charity for Gaza and it could have done some good. It wouldn't got her the attention she appears to be craving.

Has she been arrested yet? It said not on the local news last night.

The blame of all this lies with a government because it failed to remain neutral and critically assess Israel's response. This has inflamed tensions and people feel they must have their voices heard. I honestly get it but at the same time weekly protests in the capital followed by far right counter protests who seem to take advantage at any opportunity to attack anything Muslim, seems to me too much and counter productive.

The people of Gaza have the support of the majority. We don't support the destruction of a nation in the fight against terrorism. It's illegal, wrong and should be met with the strongest force necessary to stop it.

If our government fails to listen then the best solution is simply to remove these people at the ballot box, stop buying products with links to Israel and protest outside businesses that have strong links with Israel.

We never were neutral! So “remaining” neutral was not going to be our position because it never has been. How we police here is what matters and we do historically support Israel. There are two sides to every argument and we don’t all support one side or the other. Jewish people will have different feelings. We must respect them too, as we respect Gaza citizens. What I don’t respect is intimidating behaviour from anyone.

I wonder if this is linked to recent activity ?

Interestingly the Met don't think it's a "hate crime" !

https://news.met.police.uk/news/appeal-to-find-man-following-stabbing-in-deptford-481066