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call me stupid but i feel like getting arrested...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6097802.stm
basically every time i hear of people getting arrested for protesting outside parliament i feel like going there with a giant placard saying 'this is not a protest'
i dont even necesserily agree with the protestors i used to meet outside there before this draconian law was passed but i supported their right to at least have the people with power have to pass some people who don't like them and who won't kiss their arse
this law is a case of making opposition 'out of sight, out of mind'
basically every time i hear of people getting arrested for protesting outside parliament i feel like going there with a giant placard saying 'this is not a protest'
i dont even necesserily agree with the protestors i used to meet outside there before this draconian law was passed but i supported their right to at least have the people with power have to pass some people who don't like them and who won't kiss their arse
this law is a case of making opposition 'out of sight, out of mind'
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I am against the new Organised Crime and Police Bill, but when you get pro-hunters bursting in to the commons I can, in a way see how they can justify having it. There are a lot of nasty people who could take advantage of a liberal society. However, people like Brian Haw are harmless and I don't see why those megaphones (or whatever they're called) aren't allowed.
There are still large protests, for example the current NUS protest, the anti-war and Guantanamo protests, the climate change protests ect that will have police permission and will still go on.
What scares me is the police presence in some of these protests, especially a Guantanamo march I was on... I am more afraid of the police in many cases than of rioters or "evil people" in society.
well just say at their own discretion they decide not to allow you to protest, just to be spiteful... where has your right to protest (somewhere where it'll get noticed which is the whole point) gone?
and where did i say i support violent protest or breaking into buildings, it's like the argument of dont allow anyone onto the streets so noone will get mugged - it's true but nonetheless stupid as break ins and some violence etc will always occur in society strangely enough, the idea is to deal with it afterwards in a careful, calm and safe manner
Who aren't necessarily any worse than "anti-hunters".
I'm a suburbiton, so i'll let some countryside person talk about that, though.
the hunting bill was simply an excuse to rush through the Civil Contingencies Act
http://www.ukresilience.info/ccact/index.shtm (a site that lovesssss security, strangely who helped write this law, a quango) or from here
http://www.spy.org.uk/cgi-bin/civilcontingencies.pl
both are entirely correct, very scary powers
I believe in freedom of speech, even for the BNP. I think anybody should have the right to protest, it is a part of democracy and our own human rights. I wasn't demonising pro-hunters but used them as an example because of what they did. Maybe you should read in to the case (or I can get you a link) to see what I'm talking about.
I wasn't making an attack on your beliefs, I believe the same as you... so let's run through this again...
I am against the new Organised Crime and Police Bill
Meaning I don't support the bill, not that you support violent protest.
but when you get pro-hunters bursting in to the commons I can, in a way see how they can justify having it.
'They' as in the government.
I am sort of playing devil's advocate. I'm a believer in the right to protest, but at the same time I can see the government's arguement too. That case was in the news around September 2004 (I think???) and is an example of where protests can turn nasty.
Now in theory the government can ban protests, it's all up to the police and what constitutes a protest is pretty equivical(spl?) under the act and I feel that the way our country is going, they will start clamping down. But it is as much the fault of people like the pro-hunters who broke in to the commons and anybody who breaks laws during protests as it is the government. You give them an excuse to tighten laws then they will happily do so.
Surbiton? me too... You at the uni?
Suburbiton, a suburb dweller
People tend to do that though, they subconsciously use examples of things they disagree with to underscore a point.
I could blabber on about a police state and shit like that but couldn't be arsed tbh.
Isn't that a contradiction?
But the two aren't linked, are they?
It's like in Russia now, if you are making a political party or pressure group - you need government permission and approval.
Ho hum. Freedom leaves the world slowy. It's already nearly dead in the USA.
I guess that's something to be proud of, Tony.
600? More like 80.
And maybe you shouldn't make digs, you have no grounds on which to say I support people like the Animal Liberation Front or any form of violent protest.
I don't believe that the government is just, but I also don't believe it has removed the right to protest, only restricted it. If you look at the Covenent for Civil and Political Rights you will see that protests can be restricted for public interest, which is what the government is arguing.
No it isn't fair, I've been on a fair few protests myself and it pisses me off.
ICCPR - Article 19, paragraph 3