Two questions about yesterday's march

[Sausagenbacon]

I'm sure that someone can help me on this, but why does [whoever gives permission for marches in london] allow 2 conflicting marches on the same day? It seems that keeping the marches appart was the biggest problem.
From the news, it looks as though Elon Musk was broadcast from the screen on the BFI. Why did they give permission for it, as it was basically an incitement to overthrow the government)?

Probably they can't allow one march and not another, which one should have been allowed? I don't actually think they can stop a peaceful march anyway.

The Musk thing was apparently 'a surprise' but it's just freedom of speech, although do we really need Musk telling us what to do? Don't they have enough problems of their own?

Do you think Elon Musk should be banned from speaking?

It would also mean anyone calling for sharia law should be banned as that too calls for the overthrow of the existing law and system of government.

Really?

Actively like Musk did?

The point is, who at the BFI (assuming they have control of this) gave permission. It felt very 1984.
And no, I wouldn't fancy anyone using it as a place to preach from.

I don't understand what you mean by "actively"

Calling for sharia law would be classed as sedition in the past.

We have freedom of speech here; anyone can call for a different system of government/justice if they want to. But The BFI using its facilities to broadcast Musk implies an endorsement of his opinion. It would be very controversial for an art council funded body to take anything political position other than on the arts

Musk can say what he likes but he has no entitlement for anyone to publish his ranting

@Sausagenbacon , free speech is the answer to both of your questions.

You do all get your knickers in a twist over a march. I don't remember this caring over the Palestine ones. No wonder so many suffer from anxiety.
It's not my politics either, but I don't care who marches. Besides, it's a fundamental British right to protest.

I do care when people sit in the road causing problems, throw paint everywhere, break into to military bases, chuck statues in a dock or set fire to a British flag.
Now who would do a thing like that!

Oh my!!! This is a scary perspective from OP

The government can not stop a peaceful protest in a democracy.

China stops protests, so does Russia but it doesn't stop there . People are put in prison to stop people overthrowing the government.

What you are advocating for is authoritarianism? It might start out OK but it means power gets concentrated to a few high power crazies and you end up in a situation of so many citizens struggling across the world - look at Iran as another example.

Had you been in London yesterday you might have felt differently. It was a fucking terrifying display of barely contained violent racism. You should mind.

In a democratic society people have a fundamental right to peaceful protest. The police’s job is to facilitate that while maintaining public order not to either ‘allow’ or ‘ban’ protests.

Anyone who spends time in & around central London, particularly on Saturdays between spring & autumn, knows that protests & demonstrations happen all the time. Only the very biggest, or those which spill over into significant violence, make the national news.

In which case I'm sure you will care about yesterday's march.

"Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said police faced a “wholly unacceptable” level of violence."

“They confronted officers, engaging in physical and verbal abuse and making a determined effort to breach cordons in place to keep everyone safe."

“The violence they faced was wholly unacceptable. 26 officers were injured, including four seriously – among them broken teeth, a possible broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc and a head injury.”

I saw only three Saltires, one Welsh Dragon & one Ulster Banner. There were probably more but overwhelmingly "Unite the Kingdom" seemed "very English"?

The English have hitherto not been particularly nationalistic about the English nation so it's nice to see English flags for once in a non football setting. The Scots always have their flags waving about.

Actually, thinking about it, given the issues raised on another MN thread the NI supporters of Tommy Robinson may not have had the means to attend.

It isn't nice. It isn't nice to hear people incite violence and tell a group of people they're not welcome in their own city either. Nothing about it is nice and if you're part of it and think you're doing something nice imagine what it felt like to be not white on any form of public transport in London yesterday. Not "nice" that's for sure.

It's good the English are standing up for themselves like the Scots do. What's wrong with that? I'm not condoning violence. As long as we treat all marches the same and ban the Anti Semetic marches too.

All marches are not the same. Scots stick up for Scottish independence not whiteness. If you don't condone violence you should not condone these fascist marches because everything about them is violent from the language to actions. However you'll note they were treated the same as other marches. It was allowed and it was policed. The demonstrators were the ones who made it different with their violence and by preaching hatred.

There were plenty of non whites on the March. Or are you saying you can't be English if you aren't white as that seems a bit racist?

Because despite the BS narrative from the far right, we have free speech and the right to demonstrate in the UK.

Define plenty. Were you there? How many? What percentage?

I don't give a fuck who's defined as English or who isn't. It is not a distinction I place any importance on whatsoever.

Can you say more about the broadcast. I am a BFI member and need to understand if they allowed or facilitated the broadcast.

Me neither

Can you say more about the broadcast. I am a BFI member and need to understand if they allowed or facilitated the broadcast.
You've read about Musk's speech i assume?
That.
And I would be interested to hear if you get an answer from the bfi

But, I would be very happy to be proved wrong about the bfi. I just got that impression from the news coverage.