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Protest marches

(86 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.

Ilovecheese Tue 04-Jun-19 14:05:27

Actually it happened in the 1970s, nothing new. Not everyone has or had access to easy childcare, but still wanted to express their feelings about an issue. Becoming a parent can make a person care more about what is happening in the world, not sit passively at home.

gillybob Tue 04-Jun-19 14:14:43

What puzzles me is what (if anything)do these professional protesters do for a living?

Sara65 Tue 04-Jun-19 14:16:49

That’s true, but it can’t be a very pleasant experience for a toddler.

Maybe older children would be keen to participate, but I don’t think it’s place for babies or toddlers

EllanVannin Tue 04-Jun-19 15:26:23

Gillybob I've often wondered that myself.

Those children in pushchairs in the 70's will have grown up to protests ( children being influenced by their parent/s ) and will naturally be todays protesters. Sheeples !

paddyann Tue 04-Jun-19 15:57:04

I've been a protestor since I was old enough to join the CND marches in teh 60's I STILL march with them AND have a job or threeGilly I also manage to find time for Independence marches .I think if people are passionate about a cause they will make time to show their feelings by taking part in protests/support marches and demos.

I march with a group of friends who have amongst them doctors and lawyers and nurses and teachers ,carers and shopkeepers etc ...just ordinary folk who want a better world .NOT scroungers or scum or jacobites or whatever insult you want to hurl.
Apart from the odd Nuclear base protest there have never been arrests ...not one at any Independence march .Many take children with them because its THEIR future we march for and most children I know are interested in things like the environment and plastic consumption etc .Theres usually a party atmosphere at the end of the march and the kids love it JUST because its not YOUR way of doing things doesn't make it wrong .PS I dont have nor have I ever had a shaven or even half shaven head

trisher Tue 04-Jun-19 16:04:06

I've always felt it was a bit hard on children dragging them round a supermarket but that seems even more common. I blame the parents grin

EllanVannin Tue 04-Jun-19 16:26:08

Paddyann a late aunt and uncle of mine never missed a CND or Aldermaston march/protest. They'd walked miles in their lives and died in their 90's. Uncle was a communist and had befriended the likes of Michael Foot and his enterage.
We thought they were all crackers.

Witzend Tue 04-Jun-19 16:35:56

I remember around 20 years ago when a colleague's daughter took her baby on a 'Reclaim the Streets!' march.

As my colleague said, 'Reclaim them from what '?

Ilovecheese Tue 04-Jun-19 17:00:01

Witzend As I remember, "Reclaim the Streets" marches were held during the time that Peter Sutcliffe was murdering women. The police advice was for women not to go out, but the women were saying that as it was a man who was the danger, shouldn't it be men that should be told not to go out.

crystaltipps Tue 04-Jun-19 17:12:22

Some marches are family friendly affairs with music, balloons etc, others are a bit menacing with threats of violence. I would expect parents to make a judgement as to whether their child would be happy on any particular protest. I know which type I prefer. No worse than parents who drag their children to church or take them to a music festival.

Nandalot Tue 04-Jun-19 17:13:47

Gillybob, my DD and her twins went on a recent People’s Vote march. This was her first march and she went on it as she felt so strongly about it for her children’s future. Neither she, nor the friends she met up with, are professional objectors though all work in the professions and are professional to a tee in their work. She took a day’s annual leave. The children enjoyed it, all the adults helped keep an eye on them. From what she said her group were representative of the large majority of the people on the march.

eazybee Tue 04-Jun-19 18:51:15

I have just watched some dancing chlorinated chickens practising in Portsmouth for a protest tomorrow.

Well, at least that is original and faintly amusing.

Urmstongran Tue 04-Jun-19 19:11:18

Corbyn has not made the step up from protester to statesman.
?

eazybee Tue 04-Jun-19 19:20:23

Actually, having watched the rest of the programme, which featured the stories of various young men from Dorset and Hampshire who had lost their lives in the D-Day landings, protesting chickens suddenly did not seem funny any more.
Neither the time nor the place.

trisher Tue 04-Jun-19 19:33:29

We had a "Rec;aim the streets march here last year. It's about making streets safe for women and everyone. So reclaiming them from violence and crime and making them safe places,

oldgimmer1 Tue 04-Jun-19 21:32:26

As I recall, the protests about the Ripper were called "Reclaim the Night".

I went on the Poll Tax March.
It was very peaceful until some idiot set the flag alight in Trafalgar Square and everything kicked off. That was definitely down to Rentamob.

paddyann Tue 04-Jun-19 21:46:09

the only problem we have on Independence marches are from Unionists who come alongto cause trouble,Saturday had them throwing screws under the wheels of the Bikers for Independence at the Glasgow march they were pulling flags off motorcyles almost causing accidents ,we've had clowns burning Saltires and assualting young women ...I'm very proud to say the Indy supporters have NEVER retaliated and we have aclean record .
I also march for local causes,our hospital which is undr threat of closure .Its important to stand up and be counted .Of course you could just sit on your bum and pretend you dont know whats going on ,its not my way

annep1 Tue 04-Jun-19 21:48:56

If you have to take your children with you then I think as long as it's a peaceful march/protest then fine. Can't all have babysitters and it's important to give your support to whatever your cause is.
Some folk are so active. I think that's to be admired.

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 07:47:00

Well it would seem that the vile woman shown on TV news bullying an older guy, shouting “Nazie Scum” in his face has been revealed as an NHS worker . She should be locked up. Poor guy must’ve been terrified.

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 07:50:31

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7105031/Trump-supporter-doused-milkshake-protesters-campaigning-protect-democracy.html

Apparently she has apologised via twitter. She should have been arrested along with plenty other left wing loonies !

EllanVannin Wed 05-Jun-19 07:59:51

There are a lot of bullies in the NHS !! Shameful.

JenniferEccles Wed 05-Jun-19 08:03:43

Well then along with the chlorinated chickens planned for Portsmouth today, there should also be chlorinated bagged salads as we have had those here for years with no-one getting in a lather over them!

gillybob Wed 05-Jun-19 08:31:47

I don’t actually think there are EllanVannin strange comment (or was it a poor crack at sarcasm? )

The point is I wondered earlier what some of these people do for a living ? And this particularly vile bully does happen to work for the NHS, fact .

MaizieD Wed 05-Jun-19 08:37:11

The problem with the chlorinated chicken, JenniferE has nothing at all to do with the actual chlorine. Chlorine is a commonly used anti bacterial agent which, as far as I'm aware, is non toxic and we've most of us been ingesting for years (particularly if you go swimming in public swimming pools)

The problem is that the chickens are reared and processed in very poor sanitary conditions (which would violate all the standards we currently adhere to) and the chlorine washing is an attempt to destroy the toxic bacteria they inevitably contain. The US rate of salmonella food poisoning per head is far in excess of the UK rate. Go figure, eh?

So, not only a higher risk of poisoning, but also a potential loss for producers of our more expensive, produced to higher standards, chicken and, once we've lost the NHS, the prospect of it costing a fortune for medical treatment...

Nothing to worry about at all, really...