Mayor Anderson again

[Juells]

This has nothing to do with feminism, but I found it strange and a bit scary.

uk.yahoo.com/news/liverpool-makes-stand-runs-far-183340268.html

"I want it to be peaceful, but I want people to be out on the streets saying they are not welcome in our city,” Anderson told the Liverpool Echo prior to the march. “Some people on Twitter have said to me: ‘What about free speech?’ Well that comes with a responsibility not to espouse hate.”

Is it normal for mayors to call people out to the streets for counter demonstrations?

As always Aspie nails it.

Aspie really does not nail it.

If we always disagree with a person because of who they are then we end up like the US.

People have always demonstrated against fascists for good reason. They march. There is a counter demonstration. I can't see how this is a freedom of speech issue.

Unless you think demos are mob rule, then I don't see why counter-demos are. It's peoples right to demonstrate, and other peoples right to show that they disagree with them via the same means! Of course, sometimes weight of numbers means that one or the other party ends up looking rather silly. I saw 4 hardy pro-brexit souls trying to have a counter-demo the day of the march in London and even they had the grace to be sporting slightly sheepish grins as they faced the hordes.

And as for the example of GC women, well yes, if we had a demo it would be fair enough for people who disagreed with us to hold a counter-demo! Not to intimidate or to threaten violence, obviously - but then that's never ok, either for a demo or for a counter-demo. Unless you think we shouldn't have the right to demonstrate at all, then calling for a counter-demo is by no stretch of the imagination calling for 'mob rule'.

Mayors are not apolitical. Why shouldn't they call for people to march and demonstrate (legally and peacefully) for or against the political causes fro which they stand.
There's a difference between democracy and majoritarianism. A mayor is there to serve and protect the rights of all citizens. And citizens should not be considered the foot soldiers of a politicians ideology

Anti-fascism isn't an ideology

Honestly, you are complaining because the mayor of Liverpool objects to fascists?!

Well! That's a nice confounding of 2 or more discrete things!

1.Anti fascist groups in Liverpool have stopped them getting beyond the train station more than once

1. Dear Joe always makes a noise, likes to claim that his people in his city are super cool . Even makes out that he personally arranges the anti demos, when actually they would happen without him!

1. He is a weirdly self aggrandising man who just want to stop people he disagrees with form getting their voice heard in Liverpool, where he likes to imagine he has some real control! Women, fascists, Everton supporters

It would be nice to think he is a caring sharing kind of mayor, but he isn't. He is the kind of militant, 'mythink' tinpot dictator of a politician that I thought had disappeared from Liverpool years ago! Tone deaf shop stewards, one and all!

Sorry, Bowchica, did you not get the memo? Your appointment as Lord High Decider Of What's Acceptable ran out the other day. I've been appointed in your place and as my first act I define you to be a fascist. Having been so defined, you're fair game; I'll get MNHQ to ban you, I'll arrange that your political views don't get to be heard, etc etc.

You don't get to define others as "fascists" and then treat them differently. That's how the right to free speech works.

Adropofreality Having seen the group in question and looked at their Instagram page I think that I can say with some certainty that they are fascists

Anyone who believes you can beat facism using the same weapons as the fascists doesn’t actually understand what facism is.

You have to be joking Betty. Are you seriously comparing the fascists’ tactics with a group of people singing and holding ‘No to rascism’ placards?

No.

Are you saying that people should not go out onto the street and, simply by their presence, protest fascists Betty ?

Cos that's a tactic that has been used by protestors forever, including Tank Man at Tianneman Square, Flower Power in general, a lot of anti racism marches too!

Silly.

What??!!

Betty, you posted something that doesn't make sense to me, so I asked if I had understood your meaning... now I have to ask if your 'Silly' response was to me, before I can understand that, too!

Closing down free speech is the environment that allows facism to grow.

Assholes show themselves as assholes when they are allowed to speak - Nick Griffin on Question Time being the perfect example.

That’s what’s so counter productive about the TRA #nodebate tactic. If TRAs are right and ‘terfs’ are wrong, it should be easy to demonstrate that via panel discussions etc.

Individuals should always be free to protest/counter protest, but facism is kept at bay by a free press and democracy.

Sorry, curious the silly was meant to be tacked to my ‘no’ - we cross posted, it wasn’t aimed at you.

So you are now saying that people should be allowed to counter-protest Betty?

No problem Betty Thanks!

That makes more sense, shutting people up is not a good thing ever.

Standing up and being counted is a good thing!

If I may be so simplistic

I haven’t said people shouldn't be ‘allowed’ to counter protest.

But carry on misrepresenting, Bowchicawowow, it only further illustrates my point.

Lisa Muggeridge’s videos about why the left identifying as ‘good’ can be problematic are worth viewing.

I am not misrepresenting you Betty. I am asking for clarification

vicviking
Struggling to see the problem with a counter demonstration against fascists.

There isn't a problem with a counter demonstration. What I find odd is that a city's mayor would encourage it beforehand, when so often there are violent clashes between marchers (of any ilk) and counter demonstrators. It seems reckless. Virtue-signalling without a care in the world for what could go wrong.

Bowchicawowow
Adropofreality Having seen the group in question and looked at their Instagram page I think that I can say with some certainty that they are fascists

It seems to be all about Brexit though.

WE VOTED. OUT NOW. END OF.

LEAVE MEANS LEAVE. WE WON'T BE SILENT
and other gems.

Thanks for the clarification.

Ah the good old UAF. The most fascist anti fascists around.