Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:46 am  

In a surprisingly low key news story, Parliament Square has suddenly been "cleared" of the anti-war protest encampment. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16588305 This seemingly follows the coming into force of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. I understand one tent remains while the occupier mounts a legal challenge, presumably Human Rights based. Boris said "No matter how important the right to protest is, and everybody defends people's ability to legitimately make their point, you can't have the continual desecration of a world heritage site." I tend to agree, though it could easily be the thin end of a very large wedge.

In a surprisingly low key news story, Parliament Square has suddenly been "cleared" of the anti-war protest encampment. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16588305 This seemingly follows the coming into force of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. I understand one tent remains while the occupier mounts a legal challenge, presumably Human Rights based. Boris said "No matter how important the right to protest is, and everybody defends people's ability to legitimately make their point, you can't have the continual desecration of a world heritage site." I tend to agree, though it could easily be the thin end of a very large wedge.

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:31 pm  

They cleared off City Square in Leeds because it started to get cold and wet and the christmas tree nearly fell on them one windy night.

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:33 pm  

Given that most of the tents were empty, I'm not surprised it's low key.

Also, giving this story publicity, is giving those who carried it out in the first place the publicity they crave. Right decision.

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:40 pm  

ROBINSON wrote:

Given that most of the tents were empty, I'm not surprised it's low key.

Also, giving this story publicity, is giving those who carried it out in the first place the publicity they crave. Right decision.

Yeah, we don't wanna be giving publicity to those idiots who think war is wrong.

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:53 pm  

Rock God X wrote:

Yeah, we don't wanna be giving publicity to those idiots who think war is wrong.

Glad you agree.

On a serious note, that statement of yours is very silly, isn't it?

The point here, is not the war, its the fact they've pitched tents in a public place, which is evidently OK.

If a bunch of travellers turned up and pitched tents in your back garden, though I bet your opinion would be different.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, surely.

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:01 pm  

ROBINSON wrote:

Glad you agree.

On a serious note, that statement of yours is very silly, isn't it?

The point here, is not the war, its the fact they've pitched tents in a public place, which is evidently OK.

If a bunch of travellers turned up and pitched tents in your back garden, though I bet your opinion would be different.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, surely.

Now that's a silly statement.

To begin with, my garden is not a public place, so the two are not remotely comparable. We have a right to peaceful demonstration in public places - that right does not extend to private property. Secondly, I don't suppose their message would be very widely received by them pitching their tents in the back garden of a South Yorkshire bungalow.

And your original post stated that you disagreed with their message being heard. If they're clearing the site anyway, what harm is there in the anti-war message hitting the headlines again?

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:11 pm  

Rock God X wrote:

Now that's a silly statement.

No it isn't.

Rock God X wrote:

To begin with, my garden is not a public place, so the two are not remotely comparable. We have a right to peaceful demonstration in public places - that right does not extend to private property. Secondly, I don't suppose their message would be very widely received by them pitching their tents in the back garden of a South Yorkshire bungalow.

Not sure I ever said you shouldn't demonstrate. What I said was leaving tents, caravans, cars, graffiti or whatever is NOT an acceptable way of protesting. Having a day out whilst carrying flags and chanting slogans is a peaceful protest, whether walking or just sitting down.

Rock God X wrote:

And your original post stated that you disagreed with their message being heard. If they're clearing the site anyway, what harm is there in the anti-war message hitting the headlines again?

I think you need to learn to read. Where did I say Anti-war messages are wrong? Where did I say I was or wasn't anti-war?

What I said was that there is no harm in the message being heard, but there is a right way to do it, and a wrong way. This way is, IN MY OPINION, wrong and should not be encouraged.

A rule of thumb is, if the protest makes people think "dickkheads", as this did, then it's the wrong type of protest.

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:26 pm  

ROBINSON wrote:

No it isn't.

Comparing peaceful public protest to camping in someone's back garden? I beg to differ.

ROBINSON wrote:

Not sure I ever said you shouldn't demonstrate. What I said was leaving tents, caravans, cars, graffiti or whatever is NOT an acceptable way of protesting. Having a day out whilst carrying flags and chanting slogans is a peaceful protest, whether walking or just sitting down.

Right, I see. So people have the right to protest, so long as that protest fits your narrowly-defined criteria of what a protest ought to entail.

ROBINSON wrote:

I think you need to learn to read. Where did I say Anti-war messages are wrong? Where did I say I was or wasn't anti-war?

What I said was that there is no harm in the message being heard, but there is a right way to do it, and a wrong way. This way is, IN MY OPINION, wrong and should not be encouraged.

You said that they shouldn't be given the 'oxygen of publicity'. I would have thought that, if you were anti-war, any publicity that cause received would be a good thing.

ROBINSON wrote:

A rule of thumb is, if the protest makes people think "dickkheads", as this did, then it's the wrong type of protest.

By that rule of thumb, you'd be banned from opening your mouth. And have you taken a comprehensive poll to establish whether or not 'people' did think that? What percentage of the population were of that opinion?

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:44 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

though it could easily be the thin end of a very large wedge.

It's called the "Olympic Wedge."

Re: Parliament Square protesters cleared : Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:55 pm  

Tbh, I have no thoughts as to what they were protesting about in the 1st place, but, apparently, they have made a fair few quid from donations from the public, and, unfortunately, these sit-down/ in protests, marches, walking down a road with a placard protests, ultimately achieve 1 thing...nothing... The only thing I can think off in the last 30 years, that has changed things/ perceptions 1 way or another is, unfortunately, violence. Toxteth, Wapping, Miners strike, last summer's riots off the top of my head.