A thread about protesters

[bluethrunthru]

Solid red tags on shoulders are. Crossed wires though, I hadn't seen those images. City of London police, I think.

That would make sense - identifiying the specific force?

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Except Corbyn is not dead yet lol.

I take your point though - if you have the ERG and CRG bellends spouting their nonsense about covid vaccine passports and re-opening plus the likes of Swayne and so on then I think to single out Corbyn is somewhat inconsistent and clearly politically motivated. Swayne has made speeches in the HoC defending peoples right to protest against lockdown and in support of anti-lockdown groups

I wouldn't mind, but the same folk who like to hold Corbyn to account forever more on the basis that he used to be labour leader seem to think Cameron, May and even BJ should enjoy a free pass.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

That would make sense - identifiying the specific force?

Yes.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Tbf I think Corbyn has the privilege of not being the leader now so he can do what he likes surely? Otherwise my dead grandad is also clearly an inappropriate choice to do his previous job too.

no, he demonstrably can't as proven by him breaking the rules today.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Thank god we instead got a leader so tough on lockdown rules that he [checks notes]... awarded a pay rise to his most senior adviser who flagrantly broke lockdown rules whilst infected with Covid! That’s leadership for you...

someone else breaking rules doesn't excuse another person doing it. He's in the wrong and it sums him and his ilk up that they're still at it instead of behaving.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

someone else breaking rules doesn't excuse another person doing it. He's in the wrong and it sums him and his ilk up that they're still at it instead of behaving.

Are you sure Jeremy Corbyn is breaking covid rules?

 

[paulchapo]

I'm not sure if my experience counts as protesting but I guess it does in a way so here goes.

In 1988 I was a young seaman living and working on the ships in Dover. Prior to getting this job with Townsend Thoreson/P,&O Ferries I had been on the pool, an employment agency for seaman, for eight months. This was a result of the majority of shipowners putting their ships under the flag of convenience, meaning they laid us off and employed foreign seaman for a fraction of our cost. I only got this job because a ship called the Herald of free Enterprise had capsized off the port of Zeebrugge and 38 crew members were amongst the dead meaning they had to be replaced quickly, plus they were also bulking up crew numbers for the busy Easter period and summer season coming up.

I quickly settled in and being a good worker I was kept on for the winter period. After so long out of work I was delighted and started to rebuild my funds and establish myself in the company. Unfortunately for me though this was during Thatcher's period of breaking the union's. The miners were first, followed by the print workers, them it was my turn as the NUS was targeted. Townsend's had been fully taken over by P&,O by this point and at its head was Thatcher's good friend Sir Jeffrey Sterling. We were fucked. Less than a year after the Herald disaster the company tried to bring in a load of new working practices which would make the job harder and compromise safety even more. The inevitable happened, a strike was called.

So I was plunged into the world of picketing, protests, marches and fundraising, not to mention soup kitchens.

At first it was quite exciting. The area was swamped with the world's media, we were on all the news channels and front page of the tabloids. Loads of people nothing to do with our strike turned up to lend support. Socialist workers party members with their paper, all manner of other groups and ex miners who were veterans of what we were now going through. Now being honourable seaman we told the more militant people that turned up and started more direct confrontational action with the police and scabs being bussed in to do one. This led to a tense stand off with ex jailed miner Terry French and his very heavy mates until he left, telling us we would regret turning down their help. Sadly he was right.

No violent confrontations and friction ,= no media interest. The media wagons slowly dwindled away until there were none except the odd visit. Aside from the local news we weren't reported on. That strike continued for a long bitter ,16 months until it was called off. P&O had had their ships back running almost fully in around 5 months. It was estimated to have cost them 25 million but the personal cost to everyone involved was greater.

What I learned was you will never win any battle with peaceful protest. The media stop reporting your cause, you are not embarrassing governments into action, you become invisible. The other edge to that sword of course is that if your protest is confrontational and at times violent as a result, although reported on, you will be condemned as scum and anti everything. It is a real catch 22 situation when you're in it.

 

[bert38]

Red tags are commanders.

Red denotes a PSU commander, the rank of Inspector who is responsible for 3 Sergeants (white) each in turn in charge of a serial of 6 pcs plus a driver. I was a PSU commander for a number of years; it’s not an enjoyable role, seem to recall I was ‘volunteered’ to do it-you wear loads of protective gear under the boiler suit, you can’t hear a thing on the police radio, your ears get squashed under the helmet and your visor constantly steams up. Made worse as an inspector by not getting overtime so I was frequently working rest days at short notice for only time back.

 

[Newman Noggs]

I'm not sure if my experience counts as protesting but I guess it does in a way so here goes.

In 1988 I was a young seaman living and working on the ships in Dover. Prior to getting this job with Townsend Thoreson/P,&O Ferries I had been on the pool, an employment agency for seaman, for eight months. This was a result of the majority of shipowners putting their ships under the flag of convenience, meaning they laid us off and employed foreign seaman for a fraction of our cost. I only got this job because a ship called the Herald of free Enterprise had capsized off the port of Zeebrugge and 38 crew members were amongst the dead meaning they had to be replaced quickly, plus they were also bulking up crew numbers for the busy Easter period and summer season coming up.

I quickly settled in and being a good worker I was kept on for the winter period. After so long out of work I was delighted and started to rebuild my funds and establish myself in the company. Unfortunately for me though this was during Thatcher's period of breaking the union's. The miners were first, followed by the print workers, them it was my turn as the NUS was targeted. Townsend's had been fully taken over by P&,O by this point and at its head was Thatcher's good friend Sir Jeffrey Sterling. We were fucked. Less than a year after the Herald disaster the company tried to bring in a load of new working practices which would make the job harder and compromise safety even more. The inevitable happened, a strike was called.

So I was plunged into the world of picketing, protests, marches and fundraising, not to mention soup kitchens.

At first it was quite exciting. The area was swamped with the world's media, we were on all the news channels and front page of the tabloids. Loads of people nothing to do with our strike turned up to lend support. Socialist workers party members with their paper, all manner of other groups and ex miners who were veterans of what we were now going through. Now being honourable seaman we told the more militant people that turned up and started more direct confrontational action with the police and scabs being bussed in to do one. This led to a tense stand off with ex jailed miner Terry French and his very heavy mates until he left, telling us we would regret turning down their help. Sadly he was right.

No violent confrontations and friction ,= no media interest. The media wagons slowly dwindled away until there were none except the odd visit. Aside from the local news we weren't reported on. That strike continued for a long bitter ,16 months until it was called off. P&O had had their ships back running almost fully in around 5 months. It was estimated to have cost them 25 million but the personal cost to everyone involved was greater.

What I learned was you will never win any battle with peaceful protest. The media stop reporting your cause, you are not embarrassing governments into action, you become invisible. The other edge to that sword of course is that if your protest is confrontational and at times violent as a result, although reported on, you will be condemned as scum and anti everything. It is a real catch 22 situation when you're in it.

That's a sad story. The other side of the coin, however, is that having learned that lesson, self-interest groups with very nasty political agendas can draw attention to their cause, generate inordinate publicity and create victim status for themselves by causing or threatening violence at their protests and then bleating about "police oppression"

 

[Vic]

That's a sad story. The other side of the coin, however, is that having learned that lesson, self-interest groups with very nasty political agendas can draw attention to their cause, generate inordinate publicity and create victim status for themselves by causing or threatening violence at their protests and then bleating about "police oppression"

Or the Tory self-interest group with a very nasty political agenda can criminalise peaceful protest, and use the police as a tool of oppression. And it seems that some of the police like that role.

 

[Rascal]

so Corbyn leading the protests, sums up what this cult is all about, and yet people feel he was appropriate choice as leader and PM...breaking all the lockdown rules. Tut. That's leadership for you...

lol

 

[urban genie]

so Corbyn leading the protests, sums up what this cult is all about, and yet people feel he was appropriate choice as leader and PM...breaking all the lockdown rules. Tut. That's leadership for you...

He wasn't leading the protest, he didn't arrange the protest, he isn't part of some committee running the protest.

He turned up, made a speach then fucked off.

If you want to accuse him of anything I would say opportunism not leading a rally

 

[Rascal]

They'll be plenty on here to defend the rioters

Protestors

Horrible scenes in London. People clearly think police officers are fair game-vilified by the media and abandoned by the government. Sickens me.

I will defend the protestors and i will defend the Police, its not a game between the two, there are no sides.

The Police have been left in the awful position of being defenders of a fucking awful piece of legislation that has to be protested about because it is anti-democratic.

I do not condone violence of any sort from protestors or police but the simple fact of the matter is that neither should be there in the first place and they are only there because of this authoritarian legislation and the behest of a government sliding into dictatorship.

It should not be the Police's job to defend legislation, but they have been politicised and it is disgusting because they are just ordinary lads and girls just like all of us doing the best job they can under dreadful circumstances.

 

[urban genie]

What I learned was you will never win any battle with peaceful protest. The media stop reporting your cause, you are not embarrassing governments into action, you become invisible. The other edge to that sword of course is that if your protest is confrontational and at times violent as a result, although reported on, you will be condemned as scum and anti everything. It is a real catch 22 situation when you're in it.

I have been on many organised marches and protests both here and in London, and I stopped with the last one as I came to the conclusion that, while protest marches happen weekly in this country pre-covid coverage of it is reduced to 5 mins at the end of the news or non existant.

Unless a fight broke out between police and a small group of protesters, the voices of many protests and groups in this country are ignored in general.

Hence why you eitger get tiny minorities causing trouble to get coverqge or over zealous coppers being heavy handed, both will cause a confrontation and then national coverage

 

[Zuriblue]

what does the red chequered cap band indicate as opposed to the usual black and white ones?

City of London police rather than the Met.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

They'll be plenty on here to defend the rioters

Only riots this week have been in Northern Ireland (Loyalist community burning snatchback Land rovers)
haven't seen anyone criticise them. Or do you only care when it's crusty lefties?

 

[oman0115]

Protestors

I will defend the protestors and i will defend the Police, its not a game between the two, there are no sides.

The Police have been left in the awful position of being defenders of a fucking awful piece of legislation that has to be protested about because it is anti-democratic.

I do not condone violence of any sort from protestors or police but the simple fact of the matter is that neither should be there in the first place and they are only there because of this authoritarian legislation and the behest of a government sliding into dictatorship.

It should not be the Police's job to defend legislation, but they have been politicised and it is disgusting because they are just ordinary lads and girls just like all of us doing the best job they can under dreadful circumstances.

They’ve been hung out to dry by the media who all in unison have either cheered or ignored the heavy handiness with lock down laws or protests, did a 180 when a feminist got arrested ( and subsequently got treated like anyone else would ) and screamed outrage. These protests aren’t just about legislation, look at their banners and chants it’s all imported via Twitter from the states. We live in weird times

 

[xgorton]

They’ve been hung out to dry by the media who all in unison have either cheered or ignored the heavy handiness with lock down laws or protests, did a 180 when a feminist got arrested ( and subsequently got treated like anyone else would ) and screamed outrage. These protests aren’t just about legislation, look at their banners and chants it’s all imported via Twitter from the states. We live in weird times

Unison the trade union ?

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

what does the red chequered cap band indicate as opposed to the usual black and white ones?

Different police force