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Protest marches

(87 Posts)
Lindylou51 Tue 04-Jun-19 14:00:22

Why has it become fashionable at protests to have young children or toddlers in pushchairs holding up banners/cards. It doesn't feel right to me to involve young children in what could be quite a frightening experience with mass chanting and crowds. I do understand that some parents are unable to get babysitters or perhaps they feel it gives more oomph to their cause.

Urmstongran Wed 05-Jun-19 10:29:16

I agree gillybob

'NHS Worker apologises after realising she'd been photographed' more like!

Was she on annual leave or did she phone in sick ..Wonder how she is getting on at work today, How is she being treated by work colleagues and what are her bosses saying about bring the NHS into disrepute... ?

Grandad1943 Wed 05-Jun-19 10:30:27

Apologies for the mistakes above, I am just off to the office and rushing things again.

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 10:31:06

Anniebach, few people were marching because it was a weekday when all the children where at school and the majority of others working

Oh I thought they would all take (that seemingly never ending) "annual leave" for protesting Grandad1943. You know like they did for the climate change protests?

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 10:33:19

NHS Worker apologises after realising she'd been photographed' more like

My thoughts exactly Urmstongran . Imagine meeting her at an NHS appointment ? I bet her NHS trust employers are really proud of her.

NotSpaghetti Wed 05-Jun-19 10:45:30

Lindylou51 asks why has it become fashionable to take children on marches.

I don’t think it’s ever been fashionable and wonder why Lindylou51 think it is fashionable now.

My children came with me on marches when they were too small to leave behind, when they were big enough to make a choice, when they grew into adults and had children of their own. I am proud of this country for having the right to protest - and I promise you, “fashion” never came into it.

Anniebach Wed 05-Jun-19 10:46:00

I agree, Corbyn was campaigning - for votes.

Couldn’t dine with Trump but dining with the Chinese President? No problem for the great one.

Hm999 Wed 05-Jun-19 11:20:57

Last year, I found it quite moving to see 3 generations of one family marching for the child's future.
Answering OP, I saw one child with ear defenders on, but it was no busier than any other crowd. I saw no child upset by the noise, and as we were in the road, there was plenty of space on the pavement or down side streets to escape if it all got too much.
There's a lot of negativity on this site sometimes; surprising as we're in part the Sixties generation who wanted a better world.

Lindylou51 Wed 05-Jun-19 11:20:58

Interesting to hear the views of others. I guess, given the amount of media coverage of protests over the last few years, children in pushchairs are in the fore, more so than in the 60s/70s. I have never been on a protest march and am still not convinced it is a place for children, just my opinion.

With regards to EllanVannin's remarks regarding bullying in the NHS, I retired from the NHS 7 years ago and bullying was becoming quite commonplace. Not a very nice place to work by the time I left.

Urmstongran Wed 05-Jun-19 11:24:33

I read recently that the baby boomers were the marchers of the 60’s. And they’re still keen on protesting.

Admittedly it sends a message.

But in my opinion, no one in power listens or reacts.

Waste of time? I wouldn’t do it. But that’s just me.
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gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 11:26:03

With regards to EllanVannin's remarks regarding bullying in the NHS, I retired from the NHS 7 years ago and bullying was becoming quite commonplace. Not a very nice place to work by the time I left

I am quite shocked to hear you say this Lindylou and EllanVannin, as I know someone who works in the NHS and is being terribly bullied, to the point that she is seriously considering leaving, which I have begged her not to do. I have suggested she seek help via HR or OH or even her union, but she seems to think it would make things worse for her. I (wrongly) assumed it was unusual, but I must be terribly wrong.

whywhywhy Wed 05-Jun-19 11:34:15

All these protesters out there during the week - does nobody work anymore during the week/day?

Urmstongran Wed 05-Jun-19 11:46:07

Annual leave, zero contract hours, shift patterns, retirement .... plenty of reasons people can attend.
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Tinydancer Wed 05-Jun-19 12:05:04

I cannot believe the level of ignorance I am reading on here today. I take it the people sniping at "professional protesters" and wondering what these people do for a living actually bother to vote in elections. Well if you do then you will have that right to vote, and many other things because of protest. Sheeple? You need to step out of your right wing bubble and look at the truth and just what is at stake from Trump, the NHS for starters. May I suggest you stop reading the Daily Mail or any of the other trash that passes for a news these days. Try learning a balanced view of people. Also stop thinking you are somehow superior to other humans. With opinions such as you have expressed you most definitely are not.

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 12:22:42

Also stop thinking you are somehow superior to other humans. With opinions such as you have expressed you most definitely are not

….and you are I suppose TinyDancer ?

Oh and for the record, yes I do vote in elections. Sadly as an lifetime labour voter I could not bring myself to vote for the left wing, communist, union puppet that is JC.

JenniferEccles Wed 05-Jun-19 12:36:32

Well I guess this thread has set a record.

We have actually got to page 3 before the inevitable idiotic oh so predictable comments about the Daily Mail surfaced. Take a bow, Tinydancer

Far from being 'ignorant', people commenting on here are quite correct in stating that the rent a mob protesters are all left wing.

It is also perfectly reasonable to wonder how so many are not at work. I have often thought that myself.

Please stop spreading undue fear about Trump and the NHS. We have absolutely NO details yet, and anyway he appears to be back tracking on that.

It has probably escaped the notice of the protesters that Trump's visit here is primarily to commemorate those who lost their lives at the D Day Landings, so whether or not you agree with his politics is neither here nor there.

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 12:42:37

It has probably escaped the notice of the protesters that Trump's visit here is primarily to commemorate those who lost their lives at the D Day Landings, so whether or not you agree with his politics is neither here nor there

Indeed JenniferEccles well said.

JenniferEccles Wed 05-Jun-19 12:47:41

Thanks Gillybob

Are you hard at work at the coal face aka 'that place' today?

I bet you would quite fancy a day out in Portsmouth instead of working like most folk?!

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 12:53:14

Yes I am at "that place" today JenniferEccles but most definitely not hard at work (as you have no doubt guessed by my postings) . I spend most of my days sitting on my own waiting to respond to calls and emails. My accounts are all up to date and I am basically bored out of my tree so thank goodness for the splendid company of Gransnet.

I have a visitor coming in at 1.30 so will give a quick tidy around before he arrives. Oh joy of joys...…

I would love a day out in Portsmouth although it would take me a whole day to get there from here. Have fun... I'm only a teensy bit envy

JenniferEccles Wed 05-Jun-19 13:04:11

Oh I'm not there. It's only about an hour's drive from where I live, but I certainly wouldn't want to join the rent a mob crowd.

I joined the crowds in Sainsbury's instead. Much better behaved grin

Hope you don't get too bored. Is retirement on the cards any time soon?

Urmstongran Wed 05-Jun-19 13:31:17

Oh no, a tiny group of anti Trump protesters have turned up in Portsmouth apparently. Today is not the time or the place. I think it’s disres to say the least.

Trump has described the protests as ‘organised flops’

GrannyGravy13 Wed 05-Jun-19 14:12:33

I really hope any protesters in Portsmouth have been quickly rounded up.

How flipping disrespectful, if it wasn't for the sacrifices made 75 years ago by brave servicemen/women who knows where we would be today.

Chucky Wed 05-Jun-19 14:23:13

the only problem we have on Independence marches are from Unionists who come alongto cause trouble.

What a load of crap!! Just because you’re posting on a new thread paddyann doesn’t mean that you can turn round and ignore all the other threads where people have said how scared and threatened they have felt when coming across these peaceful protests you do seem to love!

Remember, you did get the referendum you wanted.....and lost!! However democracy doesn’t matter to individuals like you, whose only view is that if it’s not what you agree with it (and all those who voted against what you want) has to be wrong!

Chucky Wed 05-Jun-19 14:36:41

“JUST because its not YOUR way of doing things doesn't make it wrong”????

So protesting because you didn’t get your own way in a democratic referendum is right????

So, by your thinking paddyann we should just do away with all referendums and take to the streets to demonstrate until we get our own way?? I actually thought we were supposed to be a democratic country, not ruled by dictators!

Chucky Wed 05-Jun-19 14:53:52

Tinydancer “actually bother to vote in elections. Well if you do then you will have that right to vote, and many other things because of protest

Completely agree that we have the right to vote because of protest. That is what made us, and other countries such as the USA, democratic countries!

Unfortunately, it now seems that democratic decisions are what many of these protesters are marching against!

So I guess that as far as many of these protesters are concerned, this means that democracy is only okay if what they believe is what wins the vote!!

Doesn’t sound very democratic to me!

grandtanteJE65 Wed 05-Jun-19 15:01:44

Most of the children I saw in the 1970s at protest marches were enjoying themselves and they were with their parents, which is surely always preferable than being left somewhere while mum and dad go off and do something.

Admittedly, some of them as adults couldn't be bothered with politics or good causes because they said they were fed to the back teeth as kids. But that's the risk you run, when bringing up children.

We bring our children up to do what we feel is right, take them on protest marches, out collecting for charity, to church, concerts, the theatre etc. etc.