George Floyd Protests in Hyde Park

I posted this on the other thread but it’s probably more appropriate on here,

Those who have coordinated protests across the UK did their best to mitigate the risks in the crowd. They came equipped here with stocks of free masks and sanitiser. Imarn Ayton, 29, one of those coordinators, kicked off proceedings through a loudhailer: “We are not here for violence. If you commit violence today you are not for the cause. I don’t want to see no alcohol. I don’t want to see no weed. This is not a carnival. And keep your distance. You don’t need me to say that coronavirus is killing black people.”

I do wonder if the police were using their "kettling" policy again. It has led to violence in the past. Certainly a lot of their efforts were to keep the protestors away from Downing Street.

The police woman's physical injuries are serious enough to keep her away from work for a long period. I just hope we as a society don't lose another brave officer because her physical or psychological fitness doesn't recover to the extent she is fit enough for the demanding job she does.

In the past, Ive joined marches where police horses were used, and those where they weren't. I've worked with Officers from the dog and mounted units and seen the horses in training. As merlotgran said, only the most experienced horses would be used in a demonstration like the one seen in London.

The reason I don't believe its appropriate to conflate the Asian grooming gangs with the BLM demonstrations, is because they just don't compare. BLM is a response to institutional racism and this weeks protests a direct response to the murder of a black man by a white police officer. The fact it happened in the US doesn't make it only their problem. It's a universal problem.
To say that "we just took it" in relation to the Asian grooming gangs is incorrect. Many social workers, health workers, teachers, police officers etc were raising their concerns about the sexual exploitation of girls (and boys) from the mid 1990's. My experience was it wasn't fear of being accused of racism that stopped cases progressing, more the institutional dismissive response to children who were wrongly dismissed as "making life style choices". Yes, indefensible and eventually things began to change. Without protests from (mainly) women in public service that wouldn't have happened.

Sadly, I don't see how a rise in the R rate can be prevented and these demonstrations must add to the risk. Horrible events.

Wasn’t the police officer injured because she ran into a traffic light and was knocked off?

The genie is out of the bottle now. It seems to be every man for himself. Those of us who are determined to keep ourselves and our shielded loved ones safe will carry on doing so.

Some others will bend the rules a little in a way they deem to be safe. Can't blame them for that when they are having to travel on a tube to work, queue at supermarkets where social distancing is relaxed once you get inside and might be working on the front line anyway, why shouldn't they spend a little time with close family who have also been obeying the rules and unlikely to be spreading Covid?

Then there are the others who have no intentions of considering others and will do what they want, when they want with whomsoever they want!

Furret I dare say the co-ordinators wanted to do their best and also wanted a peaceful protest. I did see a young woman trying to hand out gloves and a few masks.

Needless to say some were hell-bent on causing trouble and walked by without wanting gloves or masks. Certainly alcohol
was in use and the empty bottles were thrown at the horses.
I did see a large number of people dancing (nothing wrong with that) but the mood suddenly changed and they started to rush at the police.
Disaster was always going to be on the agenda even if they all know that Covid 19 is not a disease that discriminates it takes all races colours and creeds regardless.

Furret the horse was hit on the head by a brick being thrown by a protester, the officer was knocked off when her horse bolted past the traffic lights.

The video of the horse being hit by the bike is on Facebook, the moron attacker was a black man and when it hit the poor police horse they all laughed and cheered.

Also if you can't say All Lives Matter only Black Lives Matter what a sorry state this world has become.

Black gang violence, black against black is rife in London.

Furret as GG13 says, the horse bolted after being hit by a brick, thrown deliberately at the horse. The officer was knocked off when she hit a traffic light as the horse bolted past it.

Firecracker, who have you heard say only black lives matter? Yes there is rife violence within the criminal elements of the black community in London. The same applies to the white community in London. Criminal gangs have been an issue since the 16th century, probably throughout time.

Also if you can't say All Lives Matter only Black Lives Matter what a sorry state this world has become.

Someone posted a very good explanation of the 'Black Lives Matter' slogan. We know how powerful three word slogans are, but it would possibly have been less open to criticism had it been 'Black Lives Matter Too'.

Of course, in theory, all lives matter, but black lives really do seem to matter less than white to many people.

Criminal gangs have been an issue since the 16th century, probably throughout time.

Indeed, Iam64

The North East, where I live, has one of the lowest percentages of immigrants in the UK. We still have gangs of criminals; they're just white...

Over the past 35 years in America, an estimated 324,000 blacks have been killed at the hands of fellow blacks, proving “racist” white cops are the least of their worries.

Quote Mayor Guliano

10,000 a year black on black killings from just 13% of the population, maybe it’s lack of respect for each others lives.

That's not really the point, Davidhs

We will always have people killing each other for whatever reason. Life is like that. Whites kill whites and blacks, Blacks kill blacks and whites

The difference in all this is the shocking record of the police killing black men

The US police are supposed to help. Not cause deaths of so many of their citizens.

This article might help

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/04/american-police-violence-against-black-people

Iam64, The Asian paedophiles that groomed these girls did not believe their lives mattered.

It took many years before the authorities realised this was a huge problem and a nationwide one.

Where was Madonna, Lily Allen etc etc?
No celebrities saw fit to associate themselves with this cause, yet thousands of British people are protesting on behalf of American.

How is that relevant Missfoodlove?

It sounds like exactly the kind of nonsense BritainFirst and Tommy Robinson are spouting.

3nanny6 I condemn the way some people treat the police too, but I fail to see how ignoring risks to your health have anything to do with that. Logically, the two aren't connected. Just because other people behave like idiots doesn't mean that anybody else should.

Missfoodlove - I can assure you, I don't need you to tell me anything about the value placed on those children, by wider society, reflected in some of those charged with keeping them safe.
It did not take many years for the authorities to realise the extent of this problem nationally.

In response to those who post "All Lives Matter" This is a way of silencing the conversation. Just saying "All Lives Matter" overlooks structural racism and injustice, it's a means of not having to deal with the specifics of racism.

Yet these clowns toss aside that sacrifice. To gather for something that did not happen in this country and to honour a man (who shouldn’t have been killed in the way he was) who was high on drugs, an armed robber and a criminal.

I suggest you do some research instead of mindlessly copying Facebook quotes. Also, maybe read the quotes you copy because this one makes it sound like George Floyd deserved to die, just not the way he did.

Why all lives matter is foolish right now

missfoodlove, racism is a global issue
Not an American one.

How lucky you are in the tower you live in that you don’t see that

I live in a deprived area of the NE MazieD and can honestly say we do not have a gang culture here .

Summer love I agree the issue is global

However, there are areas of the country where there are very few black people and there is a gang culture.

Summerlove,

You know nothing of my life, I do not live in an ivory tower.
I am fully aware of racism being a global issue.
It is arrogant to make such a comment.