Protests in Glasgow

[dementedpixie]

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/25190874.live-protestors-occupy-glasgow-west-george-street-building/

Not sure what they think they'll achieve

Well aye, there's a certain niche for non violent passive resistence (including going limp and forcing police to carry you off to detention) and you should organise and decide ahead of time if that's the plan. Then you have people designated to be arrested and carried off, people to watch out and track their location and legal status, people to film. All that. None of which was done here by the sounds of it.

What you don't want to do, is get into a completely adhoc rammy with the polis. Which is what yesterday sounds like to me.

They are absolutely unused to anyone saying no, or not unconditionally excusing and sucking up whatever they do - they've had the all-purpose excuse to take no responsibility for anything or to have to in any way repress or control any impulses. The whole movement is about constant boundary pushing. Yes, they're going to be shocked when the police actually do something. Although from the video so far they appear to have had to work quite hard to push far enough to get a reaction.

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/25191734.six-arrested-connection-west-george-street-protest/

"Within the past month, there have been several protests at the EHRC headquarters in Glasgow, but the occupation by TKDB Scotland has been the only sustained action which hopes to show the anger and betrayal felt by the Scottish trans community by holding a permanent presence over their offices for the workweek. Alongside the Scotland group, TKDB England has also started an occupation outside the EHRC offices in London.
"Equipped with flags, banners and instruments to lead a series of chants emphasising their presence, the teenage activists are calling on their comrades and allies to show up and make some noise in support. They’re showing the EHRC that they won’t let their guidance dictate where they’re allowed to exist, in a very literal sense.
"The young activists are determined to get their rage, anger and sorrow out, and this action is the way to do it. Trans kids deserve to have a right to education without worry of being segregated because of their identity, so change that, go to the protest and be vocal about your anger because Trans Kids Deserve Better."

I wonder how a burglar yelling that if you insist he puts down your property and leaves your house you are 'dictating where they are allowed to exist' would go down with a magistrate?

Delusional.

The young activists are determined to get their rage, anger and sorrow out

An entirely emotion-based movement. All sentiment, zero rationality at all.

It's all 'big feelings' made flesh, isn't it?

Expressing emotions is fine, in the proper context. In a therapy session, or talking with loved ones, chatting with close friends we can all 'get our rage and sorrow out'.

It's not part of the social contract to expect everyone to listen to your 'rage and sorrow' by force, just because you want to express it, though.

In fact the very first and important part of all the 'active listening' stuff is to ensure that you are in a safe, controlled setting. It's highly irresponsible to encourage performative emotional splurging in public, especially encouraging children to put themselves at physical risk, either with dangerous stunts or by breaking the law and riling up the Glasgow polis.

Children are being used and put in harms way by this movement. It's grotesque.

Maybe I haven't seen the whole video, but it looked to me like those police were worried about the possible damage to their van. They stood between protestors and their van.

Maybe the protesters looked like they were going to vandalise it. Either by accident, or deliberately.

And I should imagine that bit of kit is worth tons. Not easy to explain to your boss why you stood by.

Absolutely. Up to now these young protesters have been handled with kid gloves - I’m thinking especially about the conference where they released insects and still people tried to talk to them kindly as the delegates recognised they were vulnerable.

From the video, it seems to me that the police still handled them much gentler than, for example, a lairy football crowd. They were shoving them out of the way, not charging in with batons out. But the protesters are heading rapidly into FAFO territory and as you say, because they’re not used to hearing “no” and words are literal violence to them, actual violence is a shock to their system.

I’d like to think it may burst some of their bubbles, but I have a feeling they’ll retreat further in. If adults in their sphere such as the 🦊 botherer are doubling down then they’ve not much hope.

Guess who would get the blame if one of these idiotic children injured themselves?

If you try to damage a police vehicle, or attack a police officer, and are taken to the ground and held there while handcuffs are put on - I'm not sure that's termable as 'violence'.

Arrest, yes.

I too am a little... surprised. But in a good way.

Me too. Any chance of a month in the nick for a short sharp FO session? Pour encourager Les outres (or however you spell it)

Well done to the police.

I don't want these kids to get in serious bother. If they're lucky bank of mum and dad will get a good criminal defence lawyer, and minimal sanctions arise.

Good if they realise how serious things can get, in the FAFO stakes, though.

The balcony/police van incident was in the city centre. There was a follow-up demo outside Govan police station, presumably because protesters were in custody inside. Govan is gritty but mixed: it has a strong tradition of lefty "omnicause" protests but it's near the Rangers stadium and associated Orange order zealotry. I'm not sure a major pro-trans march would get an easy reception in this part of the city.