"Protesting"? What's your view.

[cee-dee]

We've all seen "Protesters" at many sites of construction and civil engineering over time and the latest to hit the news is at the drilling ste in Sussex.

The "protesters" have also forced their way in to a company HQ in Staffordshire and some "protesters" have glued themselves to the company's PR HQ in London.

"Protesting" or "demonstrating" is one thing but when it comes to a mob taking what they call "Direct Action", I think it's gone beyond a simple "protest"?

It seems to me that the same old "activists" want to whip up "support" from any source they can and are hell-bent on causing trouble having gone beyond "civil disobedence"?

It's rare that such "protests" actually achieve anything other than wasting a great deal of police time costing a fortune in so doing and causing much inconvenience along the way.

A Public Order Act notice doesn't seem very effective because after being served with such a notice, the "protesters" see it as a reason to resist any attempts by the police to either move them on or shift them and think it's all jolly good fun to be arrested knowing they'll probably be either completely "let off" or get a small fine.

Mostly, these "protests" are against legitimate and legal operations which have been either authorised by local planning, by Government Licence or even an Act of Parliament.

Leaving aside the merits or otherwise of whatever the "protesters" are "protesting" about, what's your view about such things and what would you like done if such a "protest" hit your neck of the woods?

[millielilac]

Well at the moment there are a lot of people protesting on the boards re the new FVF s on postage due to start in September.

There have been petitions set up and a lot of shouty angry posts that are attracting lots of kudos hits.....so people can have strong views.

In some ways it is good that we live in a democratic country where people are allowed to express their feelings and I would defend their right to protest although I may not agree with their methods.

If such activities did hit my neck of the woods I would leave it to the relevant authorities to deal with ...I would not become involved.

[blackburn_stevie]

The problem with "protesters" is that it is sometimes difficult to separate the people that are genuinely concerned about a particular action that is going on, for example, villagers protesting about a road going through their village as opposed to a gang of low lifes who are called upon to go to any site where a protest is kicking off just to swell the numbers.

IMHO, the "proffesional protesters" should be rounded up and jailed until one of 2 things happen. 

1 ... the protest ends.

2 ... Their benefit cheques are cancelled.

[blackburn_stevie]

ps ..... I must learn how to spell "Professional." Doh!!

[cee-dee]

You had time to edit that?  

[blackburn_stevie]

CD ... I have yet to see an Edit button. Where abouts am I supposed to be watching?

[blackburn_stevie]

Ahhhhh, I found it under Options.

[joe_bloggs*]

So the professional protestors should be jailed,what about the unprofessional ones?

I think it's uplifting to see so many people get off their knees and show their disaproval of government policies,I,m afraid direct non-violent action seems the only way to get governments to pay attention and more of it will be happening especially in relation to the bedroom tax and cuts to disabled people,and obviously we'll see a lot more of these protests that we've seen over the past few days,none of the main political parties are listening to the voices of ordinary people,so direct action it has to be,unless of course the state attempts to arrest all protestors under the terrorism act as they did an innocent reporters partner:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/19/detention-david-miranda-keith-vaz-glenn-greenwald

[blackburn_stevie]

Joe_bloggs asked ... "So the professional protestors should be jailed,what about the unprofessional ones?"

Well, to be honest, you would normally expect the unprofessional protesters to be the kind of folk with a genuine desire to object peacefully to an action that is taking place either on or in their own community area. With that in mind you would not expect them to be violent towards the Police or anyone else.

Personally, I think that if needed, they should be escorted to an area where they can protest without being in any danger.

[cee-dee]

I think some people regard a "Democracy" as something in which you can pick and choose which Laws to obey or something where their interpretation of the Law and right and wrong is some form of "right".

"Protesting" in the way that we now see in Sussex isn't Democratic, it's attempted bully-boy tactics. It's mob-rule where, if the police were not there in large numbers the mob would invade the site and commit serious criminal damage.

Being free to mostly say what you like and raise objections to most things gets abused by many who don't appreciate the freedoms which exist in this country.

[joe_bloggs*]

The last opion poll i saw had a majority of the affected villagers against the drilling,so how do they show their opposition? write to their MP,they won't listen,organise a 100,000 strong online petition? they just ignore it,If you dig deep enough you will find links to the tory party concerning the drilling,Osborne announces :"most genorous tax breaks in world for fracking" Corruption.People are seeing through the agenda,make as much cash in the shortest time possible and stuff the aftermath,

Who voted for this?No-one the claim that opposing it is anti-democratic falls at the first hurdle.,what right have this company and government to overrule what the people want,especially those living in the locality?

Now we know why Cameron wanted planning rules watered down or dropped-For fracking,just as George Bush did in the USA,planning rules gave local people the power to say NO,so Cameron removed them,not very democratic is it?

protesting is recognised as part of UK democracy; to declare that it is anti-democratic is, actually, anti-democratic

:

[merehazle]

....... 

[cee-dee]

There we have it, a prime example of the "pick and choose" faction.

The general election elected a Government. Laws were already in existence regarding much about Public Order.

A company has the permissions necessary in order to go about their Lawful business and also the consent of the Landowner and it's quite OK for a bunch of people take it upon themselves to make up their own rules about what is and isn't permitted and to set about breaking Laws and (regarding the "protesters" from outside the area) inciting others to trespass and commit criminal damage?

In spite of asking for opinions about protesting (Leaving aside the merits or otherwise of whatever the "protesters" are "protesting" about) I see we're being hijacked in to specifics now? Not only that but the company is straightforwardly prospecting for oil and it's now been corrupted in to fracking too?

[joe_bloggs*]

I,m a proud pick & chooser,I used to love woolies for that,sadly now closed.

The general election did not elect this government,it was patched together hastily.

Remember Downing Streets  words? "The prime minister feels that it is very important that local voters are taken into account when it comes to windfarms … if people don't want windfarms in their local areas they will be able to stop them." Isn't it a bit strange that he doesn't feel the same way about drilling rigs?  If local voters don't like it,it seems they can go to hell

Just wait until one of Camerons JCB's turns up at the end of you garden,But give me a call and i,ll be down like a shot supergluing one of my appendages to your garden shed

[joe_bloggs*]

Interesting little blog from the people affected in Balcombe:

"We thank those who have come from outside the village to help defend our countryside, our air and water quality, and our right to a peaceful existence on tanker-free country roads"

http://gasdrillinginbalcombe.wordpress.com/

Also on their blog:
Balcombe MP Francis Maude appointed Lord Browne to the Cabinet Office in June 2010,Browne is also a director of Cuadrilla Resource Holdings. (Probably just a coincidence)

In January Maude visited Balcombe to talk to consitutents concerned about hydraulic fracturing in the village. Those who attended described the MP as ‘non-committal’.

At the meeting, Maude failed to disclose his association with a senior member of the Cuadrilla management team, nor their close working relationship.Tch,Maudes a bit absent minded isn't he?

[cee-dee]

Here we have the "experienced activists" inciting public disorder and criminal damage:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-23744365

Then there's the harassment of staff by forcing entry in to the Company HQ and chaining themselves to filing cabinets.

All that by people claiming to be "Reclaiming the Power" and giving "Power to the People". What they really mean is promoting Mob Rule.

If you read the comments in the link at #15 you'll see that 77% of the people in the village didn't bother to vote in the Parish Council survey so are the activists behind that blog truly representative of the people?

I think this was an interesting comment:-

"Caroline Lucas says the quality of debate at the protest site is better than in the House of Commons. Could this be because all the professional protestors agree with her but the House of Commons regard her as a fool?"

Were I seeking "support" for some cause or other, I wouldn't want any of those "professional protesters" anywhere near my "protest" because all they would do is attract unwelcome attention by showing up supposedly peaceful protests in the worst possible light and degrade (even destroy) any legitimate argument I might have had.

[al**bear]

ALL UK Governments(& some Police) constantly ignore or circumvent British & International laws, when it suits them. So if it's good for the goose

Loads of these laws on demonstrating/protesting/congregating, are catch alls, some not even written for Demonstrations or protests, but brought in , in time of War and never repealed because they are 'useful' tools to use against 'annoying/difficult' people, Strikers/Pickets/Football fans/protesters/activists etc etc, even the Partners of Journalists (very pertinent at the moment).

These demonstrations get massive public attention and most protests, are organised to garner that.

But 'Direct Action' is a group that will turn up and cause trouble anywhere, to further their Anarchic views for nearly any cause.

[mr-expresso]

I want to "protest" about the number of   "         "   in your thread.....

[**caution**opinion_ahead]

Direct action got women the vote ... and has probably changed the course of history many times across the world.  People have given their lives for various causes over time.  Here we don't have to do that ... and we are lucky.

[cee-dee]

Direct action didn't do anything but attract attention and it wasn't always welcome or fruitful.

What actually got anything changed was continued debate.

Here (on the RT) the idea (well, mine anyway) is to put forward points as they arise, not to try to batter "the opposition" in to submission.