Protesting … or vandalism?

I think peaceful/legal protesting is fine as long as they don't interfere with the comings & goings of other citizens and there is no damage to public or private property.

Those who cause the above should be arrested and charged!!

Oh golly some people have short memories. It isn't always middle or upper classes. Anyone remember the Brixton riots? the Toxteth riots.?
There's a long history of violent and destructive actions by people who feel oppressed. .
Violence erupts when people feel they have no voice and they are not being listened to. Any group or class can be driven to it.

flappergirl

Urmstongran

How much of this sort of thing is happening because the mob were allowed to throw the Colston statue into the water in Bristol? A fair bit, I reckon.

I'm answering this post as a born and bred Bristolian. I can assure you that the protesters were not a mob and that the slave trader statue had been causing division, hurt and shame since at least the 1920's for people of all backgrounds and heritage in our city.

The utter ineptitude of successive local councils, coupled with the unwieldy (and many would say immoral) influence of a very powerful and wealthy organisation of former slave traders known as the Merchant Venturers, ensured the statue remained an emblem of the city.

This despite innumerable attempts to reach peaceful resolutions from ordinary citizens right through to esteemed academics and historians. Countless voices of reason were summarily dismissed over decades of discussions and proposals.

What the world witnessed was the culmination of a highly complex and sensitive issue that I don't believe anyone can truly comprehend or comment on unless they live in our city and know the full history.

Actually I am also a born and bred Bristolian and the vast majority of Bristolians would pass the Colston statue without giving it a thought - yes that includes those of African/Caribbean heritage. I know because I lived in St. Pauls for many years and after the statue was taken down I discussed it with my friends there. I do agree about the successive council members (including the former Mayor Rees) who ignored the petitions asking for the statue to be removed

👍

Totally agree with you - silent protests is stronger -
Who is protesting in défense of a whole Taliban generation of girls deprived of education and confined to their homes.
Who is protesting for carers to get their just rewards of help
And those awful ‘just oil’ - preventing people getting to funerals or hospital!
Bet they all use the mobile phones, travel by car etc -
Awful
Police have to have greater powers -
The freedom of protest has become obscene

Bumface

What I couldn't understand was why the police were so confrontational with the women who mounted a peaceful, evening vigil for Sarah Everard in the park. They appeared to ignore much more serious civil disturbances.

I hope it was nothing to do with the fact that Wayne Cozens was a serving police officer at the time when he murdered SE.

A group of women are a soft target.
Thousands of people on a protest march are not.
Soft policing has allowed all these protests to disrupt normal life for ordinary people.

Mindless vandalism that does nothing to further the causes they claim to be 'demonstrating' for.

nanna8

Sometimes I think Singapore has it right. No graffiti, no vandalism because penalties are so harsh and unforgiving. Also safe to roam around on your own day and night.

Really - Singapore has it right?

www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-east-asia-and-the-pacific/singapore/report-singapore/

It's vandalism and so was pulling down the Colston statue. You can't re-write history by destroying statues and removing them. Also I think we need to remember the African chiefs sold their people in the first place. So do we boycott Africa, damage their country too?
No we learn from history that the slave trade was a very very bad thing.
All vandals should be in prison imo

Grantanow

I see that New Zealand has reversed policy about stopping use of gas because their electricity supply would fail to meet demand. It's obvious that we need to continue gas and oil until we have enough reliable wind, etc. power with adequate storage and nuclear back up for times when wind, etc. fails. Just Stop Oil are simple-minded. They need to think about the complexities and stop vandalising public assets.

I found these figures online, having heard something about imports from the US on the radio this morning:
"The next year (2022), the proportion of gas imports we sourced from the US jumped from 7.5% to 22.4%, and it rose again to 26% in 2023".
Obviously we need even more now, given that the Russian gas is no longer available. There is no way that solar, wind or water- produced power can make up this shortfall, so the protests cannot lead to any tangible change though we all hope that it will be possible in time.
Interesting that we are still not able to start producing power from water in the Severn, one proposed scheme which could work well. Wave power schemes in France have been operating successfully since the 1960's

Wyllow3

Former British colonies and Protectorates were rapidly formed into "states" with little regard for the consequences when lines drawn far too arbitrarily on maps.

If you look at the original Israeli borders and what was then left between Jordan and Egypt - without giving Palestinians their own state - it was a recipe for disaster and has been ever since.

I agree

What would you have called it 5yrs ago vandalism from spoiled rich kids wanting mummy and daddy’s attention. You don’t see kids from council houses doing it. You can’t wipe out our history because you claim it upsets you how can it you weren’t even born in them days. So how can you march in support of hamas but not in support of the Jews after all look what hitler did to them where is your march for them or for the African people who are also at war men women and children are also getting killed there. Bet you not marching on 27th

These people’s actions are vandalism and unacceptable and will hamper efforts to maintain our rights to protests peacefully!

Former British colonies and Protectorates were rapidly formed into "states" with little regard for the consequences when lines drawn far too arbitrarily on maps.

If you look at the original Israeli borders and what was then left between Jordan and Egypt - without giving Palestinians their own state - it was a recipe for disaster and has been ever since.

paddyann54

I march on the streets,NOT in support of Hamas but in support of Palestine .I have done for decades now as this mess didn't begin on Oct 7th it began in 1948 when Palestinians were driven from their homes and continued to be driven from their homes by the Israeli state.ITS BEEN A LONG TIME ,a time when Israel ignored UN sanctions and the world ignored the plight of the people of Palestine .
I and the people who march with me...including many of the Jewish faith are peaceful and law abiding and want to see this debacle resolved.We had hoped it would have been long ago .I am not supporting terrorist groups or indeed a terrorist State...
which is what Israel became quite quickly after 1948

My father was an ordinary sailor in WW11. Even when I was a child I remember him saying World War 111 would start in the Middle East If he could see that, why couldn’t the politicians see what they were doing.?

Bumface

What I couldn't understand was why the police were so confrontational with the women who mounted a peaceful, evening vigil for Sarah Everard in the park. They appeared to ignore much more serious civil disturbances.

I hope it was nothing to do with the fact that Wayne Cozens was a serving police officer at the time when he murdered SE.

It's the old argument about targeting low hanging fruit. If the police had moved against a crowd of men gathering to stage a vigil it wouldn't have been long before punches would be thrown.

What I couldn't understand was why the police were so confrontational with the women who mounted a peaceful, evening vigil for Sarah Everard in the park. They appeared to ignore much more serious civil disturbances.

I hope it was nothing to do with the fact that Wayne Cozens was a serving police officer at the time when he murdered SE.

I see that New Zealand has reversed policy about stopping use of gas because their electricity supply would fail to meet demand. It's obvious that we need to continue gas and oil until we have enough reliable wind, etc. power with adequate storage and nuclear back up for times when wind, etc. fails. Just Stop Oil are simple-minded. They need to think about the complexities and stop vandalising public assets.

I honestly don't see a lot more than we have going back historically, the difference is that we hear about it and both MSM and SM spread - often not accurately - those news or allegations.
There is a greater emphasis put on any "shock horror" allegations rather than describing the original detailed reasons for social unrest.

If people are aware of injustice and deliberate damage being done and feel unheard and unseen they may resort to extreme measures to get noticed.
I'm in no way condoning these destructive acts but at some level I understand that people are more and more frustrated at the way things are going. I think they reflect an extreme example of how many people feel.

Our world is being destroyed , in all sorts of ways, and not much is being done

As for the courts, well with our left leaning Judiciary , letting the scum bags off seems the norm. I don't see a left leaning judiciary? Examples of it?

Wyllow3

The problem with the O/P is that it includes a wide variety of incidents and each incident belongs to groups who don't by any means all agree with the more extremist tactics alluded to.

Two individuals have thrown stuff at Farage - simply isn't comparable with he complexities of the politics behind the statue in Bristol.

It seems to me that a "peoples army"sounds pretty violent, vigilante and lawless, and transgress the laws we live under. Give the police and the courts the resources.

Well I actually ascribe all those things you say about the peoples army to the lawless individuals who carry out these Acts.
I also agree that the security and police should be more pro active,not just stand and let them do it.As for the courts, well with our left leaning Judiciary , letting the scum bags off seems the norm.

The problem with the O/P is that it includes a wide variety of incidents and each incident belongs to groups who don't by any means all agree with the more extremist tactics alluded to.

Two individuals have thrown stuff at Farage - simply isn't comparable with he complexities of the politics behind the statue in Bristol.

It seems to me that a "peoples army"sounds pretty violent, vigilante and lawless, and transgress the laws we live under. Give the police and the courts the resources.

I don’t understand the King thing as he’s into ethical farming?

I can’t think of anything worse than a life without cheese

If the police refuse to do their job, perhaps the public should do it for them? These are national treasures which are being destroyed. Are we all just going to sit on our bums and let it happen? How long before someone organises a 'People's Army' to defend this country from the lunatics who are being allowed to just do as they please?