to feel a little less in favour of equal rights this am.

I’ve heard there are organised groups which attend demonstrations purely to stir up trouble and clashes with the police. It’s easily done when emotions are high and a peaceful, dignified demo can deteriorate quickly, as happened yesterday.

I did wonder how on earth the test and trace programme will work when a couple of demonstrators test positive.

Maybe he got out of the car because, according to a report on ABC5 news, George Floyd and the police officer had worked together as security guards.

NfkDumpling
That's true. I attended many marches in protest against the poll tax. After a time I got to look out for them.
More often than not they weren't actually marching but would be standing on the side lines and then several of them would 'jump' into the March and in seconds all hell would be let loose.

I've read about the organised groups also! some people 'rent' themselves out for demonstrations! for instance
Extinction Rebellion, some of whom are paid to demonstrate.........glueing themselves to trains ect ect

Led by the violent far-left Lemsip, then whipped up into a frenzy by the gutter press.

Disgraceful headlines about those protests. Worse than the Bronx.

Now it's being said that those who didn't join the protests are racist.

I would actually say that the demonstrations over here really have little to do with the US. True that what happens over here will have little bearing on the attitude of those in the US , it's more a case of the fact that there have also been many people that have died in police custody in the UK and you never really got to hear about them.
It is also a fact that BAME people have long had to deal with predjudice in some form or other, mostly for all of their lives and they want to say enough is enough.
I have worked with many people of different colours and religions and as far as I am concerned, everyone gets treated the way that I would like to be , but unfortunately there is a large contingent of the general public and yes, the police, that think otherwise.
Everyone has the right to protest in a peaceful way and I know that at least one of my friends was in Manchester - she felt it was as important as isolation to get the message across.

I think Griselda that many people will feel as you do over this matter.If there is now a spike in virus deaths, it will do the black cause harm.
Easy to say ‘protest marches should have been stopped’ as the reality is that they would have gone ahead and happened whether it was banned or not,Then what? Water cannon deployed on black marchers? Police in riot gear with batons and dogs charging at them?That would look good ( not.)
There were 15,000 just at the one in Manchester yesterday, let
alone all the other cities where people took part.
I think the whole affair of these mass protests is idiotic given the present health circumstances, but have given up trying to understand why people do things.

If you’re now a little less in favour of equal rights, Griselda, I wonder how you’d feel if society decided that old women, such as you say you are, were of lesser value and should be discriminated against?

There are plenty of things that have not been done well during this pandemic. I don’t know whether these protests will have any effect on the disease either way, but one thing I’ve learnt is that I cannot control what other people do.

However, I can control my reactions to situations and what actions I take, and that is what I now concentrate on. It makes for a more peaceful mind.

While I completely understand the anger and frustration that led the majority of protesters into London and other cities yesterday, I also consider their actions ill considered due to the lack of social distancing. There are other, potentially more practical and useful ways of supporting those suffering from racism; there are many admirable groups that are raising funds to help finance court cases for victims, help increase educational opportunities, help to fund initiatives aimed at helping to open opportunities for young black men in particular, many, many far more useful ways of stopping racism. Groups like www.africanfamilies.co.uk, for example, and I believe that there is a funding page started by George Floyd's sisters to fund their fight. Yes, demonstrating makes the demonstrator feel better, maybe it will show solidarity, but it does little else, sadly.

As people in the BAME population are more likely to be seriously ill with Covid it seems irresponsible to gather in large groups to demonstrate.

If Black Lives Matter why put more of them at risk?

I understand why people want to demonstrate but during lockdown when the virus is still very much with us it seems the wrong thing to do.

Since people of colour are more likely to get Covid19 more seriously would it not have made sense to have demonstrated in a different way? Purple ribbons, purple lights, art works. Think how long the clapping for the essential workers went on for and how much support it got. Why did they have to travel across the country and put themselves in danger - and alienate the very people they want to understand them and set themselves apart.

When a country has allowed thousands of people to protest but only 10 people are allowed to mourn then something is very wrong.

I am appalled that these protests have been sanctioned, we are an economy on its knees, edging our way out of a pandemic and possibly into recession but because it’s a race issue it’s all OK.

I fear you may be right Missfoodlove.

How very inconsiderate of George Floyd to get himself murdered in the middle of a pandemic. It’s not as if it doesn’t happen all the time so why on earth couldn't the Black community wait for a more appropriate time to express their anger and grief?

And besides, what has it got to do with us in the UK? We aren’t racist at all are we? Stupid Black people protesting when they know they are more at risk - serves them all right if they catch it.

What did you read? It’s all a plot by the far left, really? Well if the POTUS says it, it must be true. He knows what he’s talking about. A wise man. And holy too. Did you see him marching bravely through all the looters and rioters simply to hold up The Holy Book. No, of course it wasn’t upside down.

It's sickened me, I am disgusted by the flouting of tgelawthe. Let America deal with it.

There are not enough police officers to deal with this sort of chaos. The army should have been brought in to quell the violence.

Well done protestors, hope you don't catch covid and give it to your families and friends. Fools.

Looks like some don’t get irony.

I think they just ignored it Furret.

Whatever the cause protests should not be allowed.

Many young people feel entitled to go about their usual group activities, ignoring advice, but feeling they are invincible.

In my county this week the hospital reported on number of Covid deaths since start of pandemic and it stated the age range of the fatalities was 41yr - 100yrs.
People below 40 could be thinking it’s okay to have group bbq’s , a meet up in the park, a demonstration even, as they are not at risk (and do they care if they are transmitters without being a casualties? Wish I knew.)

It is important life will be fairer after the pandemic. A fair and equal society is more important than the big lapses of hygiene at the public protests.

Do you think you'll still feel that way if you or your loved ones contract COVID Alexa? Especially if, with the new tracking app it's discovered that the source of the infection was at one of the demonstrations? Would you be happy to put it down to collateral damage?

I'm spending a lot of the time at the moment worrying about ageism, and taking people to task for generalising about our generation. But on reading this thread, I'm appalled to find that maybe people DO have a point. Because it seems that the gransnet generation IS more racist than the younger ones.

So I'm actually really ashamed of my age group right now.