George Floyd murder | Clashes between US police and protestors

[Bigga]

Might not work in the UK, but...

Does with a VPN! :)

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

It is true.

As someone who has not benefited from this disgusting trade, I’m not sure. I know those of African decent who find themselves all over Europe and USA have never been paid any compensation so maybe that would be a start?

It should be remembered that the money to pay-off the horrible slave owners in this country was the equivalent of billions of pounds in today’s money. It dwarfed what we paid out to save the banks 10 years ago.

You have benefited, anyone living in a western society, or even now more globally because of the transmission and dispersion of wealth across the globe has benefited from it.

 

[inbetween]

I take your point and agree mostly. I’ve not felt the need to join the protest in Manchester. One that has been totally peaceful and hardly, if any arrests.

What is hard on social media of any form is to sound balanced in your response to anything.

If you say you are worried about the social distancing, then you don’t care about BLM and silently support white oppression.

If you say you worried about BLM matters, then you don’t care about social distancing and don’t care about your elderly relatives.

This isn’t exclusive to this particular juxtaposition. This is the curse of social media and the power of memes to easily lead people.

Social media debates in the extreme. Either you are awesome or you are deplorable. (Synonyms of these superlatives are available)

Most posts are to affect, rather than debate. This is why we aren’t getting anywhere, whilst getting people angry and not getting close to changing anyone’s opinion.

For me I am sick of the word debate, sick of the fact that we all want our say and to debate everything, there was a time when the most British trait was quiet respect and dignity. It is a fact that with racism there is no debate, it needs to be stamped out in all institutions and that be the end of it, there is no argument against it, no debate to be had.

The toxicity that social media brings on debate is what we have seen over the weekend which is young people brandishing phones goading and throwing things at the police or defacing landmarks such as the cenotaph. None of this was done to show that Black Lives Matter, it was done as a display driven by the weird obssession people have in obtaining 'likes' and attention.

Social media in my opinion is the catalyst behind all of societies current problems and funnily enough it is also a major platform for racism.

 

[Bigga]

There'll be some in the BAME community waking up in 2 weeks time unable to breathe.

And unless those people say 'yeah, I must contracted it at the protests', you can't quantify such a statement.

They may have contracted it before or after attending.

 

[Mike N]

You have benefited, anyone living in a western society, or even now more globally because of the transmission and dispersion of wealth across the globe has benefited from it.

Fair point.

I’m not however a descendent of the 10,000+ who were paid out by the state. I’m pretty sure my tax has gone into paying the debt back though.

 

[Bigga]

With respect are we now responsible for piss poor governance in Africa now and are you suggesting we interfere with the colonialist tag that would follow?

With respect, the West plundered Africa for its minerals and riches, draining it and inputting leaders that were sympathetic to Western greed or influenced by it.

Rather than work with nations, countries like the USA raid and rape countries with wealth, but poor defence.

 

[stonerblue]

Interesting you're finding every little negative possible!

standard practice.

 

[Mike Cledford]

With respect are we now responsible for piss poor governance in Africa now and are you suggesting we interfere with the colonialist tag that would follow?

??

 

[Bigga]

For me I am sick of the word debate, sick of the fact that we all want our say and to debate everything, there was a time when the most British trait was quiet respect and dignity. It is a fact that with racism there is no debate, it needs to be stamped out in all institutions and that be the end of it, there is no argument against it, no debate to be had.

The toxicity that social media brings on debate is what we have seen over the weekend which is young people brandishing phones goading and throwing things at the police or defacing landmarks such as the cenotaph. None of this was done to show that Black Lives Matter, it was done as a display driven by the weird obssession people have in obtaining 'likes' and attention.

Social media in my opinion is the catalyst behind all of societies current problems and funnily enough it is also a major platform for racism.

Precisely why I don't own a FB, tw@er, Snapchat, Instagram or whatever kind of 'social media' account, despite my thinking about it.

Except for YT, which is slightly different.

 

[blueinsa]

For me I am sick of the word debate, sick of the fact that we all want our say and to debate everything, there was a time when the most British trait was quiet respect and dignity. It is a fact that with racism there is no debate, it needs to be stamped out in all institutions and that be the end of it, there is no argument against it, no debate to be had.

The toxicity that social media brings on debate is what we have seen over the weekend which is young people brandishing phones goading and throwing things at the police or defacing landmarks such as the cenotaph. None of this was done to show that Black Lives Matter, it was done as a display driven by the weird obssession people have in obtaining 'likes' and attention.

Social media in my opinion is the catalyst behind all of societies current problems and funnily enough it is also a major platform for racism.

Completely agree.

 

[inbetween]

With respect, the West plundered Africa for its minerals and riches, draining it and inputting leaders that were sympathetic to Western greed or influenced by it.

Rather than work with nations, countries like the USA raid and rape countries with wealth, but poor defence.

I think this is largely a stupid sentiment to make given history didn't begin and end today with the west plundering Africa.

Should Italians pay the UK reparations for the damage caused to the UK by the Roman empire?

What about the Norwegians and the Vikings?

What about the Spanish and the US/South America?

 

[Ban-jani]

I understand she is, fingers crossed she is okay. I am also not a fan of horses being used at protests and I also think that mass protests during a pandemic is hardly the most sensible move, but the spark was lit and here we are. There is an air of inevitability about it and if a few statues get defaced along the way I can’t say I’m that arsed. And the protests here are as much about our police as the US police. Let’s not pretend there aren’t any grievances closer to home.

For what it’s worth I personally think we are buggered on the virus, protests or no protests, unless we get lucky. The Govt seems to have given up, it’s quarantine plan won’t last the week, and you can almost smell it’s blood in the water.

Horses are always used to control large crowds, whether you agree with the tactic or not, it doesn’t excuse people throwing stuff at them.

I‘m not on about the statue in Bristol, I’m talking about the Cenotaph primarily and secondly the statue of Churchill, who whilst having a chequered past, did more to fight fascism than any leader in Western Europe. But primarily, vandalism of war memorials is disgusting behaviour and it proves the extreme left were involved.

I understand there are grievances here too, however the protests aren’t happening without what’s happened in America and it’s very unwise to compare our police to theirs.

It’s why I think we need to look at ourselves and society objectively and whilst doing so, let’s not forget the progression we’ve made without the hysterics that we’re as bad as America.

Based on the above, I don’t think the protests at this time are a reasonable response, given the fight against Covid-19.

Your last paragraph I think is a bit of a cop out to be honest mate. The death rates and infection rate has come right down and we’re slowly getting back to normal and opening things up. It’s still very important to social distance and the government haven’t given up, Cummings certainly acted a prat but two wrongs don’t make a right and we need to take individual responsibility.

 

[mcfc1632]

Say whatever you like. I didn't accuse you of you anything I asked you "Because...?" and you went off on one. YOU decide not to explain something YOU started.

And as for slurs, you got none from me until you told me to "fuck off!", so don't play the martyr now, fella.

If you can quote where I berated you about a viewpoint that you never talked about, by all means, I'll apologise.

But, you won't find a reply to an answer you never gave.

Why are you always so 'shouty'?

Have you not considered that, of itself, might be a reason why a poster is not inclined to get into an exchange with you

 

[Bigga]

I think this is largely a stupid sentiment to make given history didn't begin and end today with the west plundering Africa.

Should Italians pay the UK reparations for the damage caused to the UK by the Roman empire?

What about the Norwegians and the Vikings?

What about the Spanish and the US/South America?

What's stupid about Africa being directly in its state with current interference by western democracy?

It's not as if they pillaged it and got off, is it? Heavy influence is still there now.

 

[Bigga]

Why are you always so 'shouty'?

Have you not considered that, of itself, might be a reason why a poster is not inclined to get into an exchange with you

Three letters in caps is "all shouty", is it? Myself and the said poster have had our debate. He's been battered by everyone else since.

Why are you involved?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

IMHO, the Bristol authorities should have taken the statue down and sold off /melted down the scrap with the proceeds going to local charities.

Of course the statue could be replaced with one of a real legend, Gerry Gow.

Or Shaun Goater!

 

[DazWA9]

I'll just leave this here for people to ponder...

And it's true before anyone thinks it's BS.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sla...r the terms of the,owners of the freed slaves

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

I think the reinforced police fans that helped to keep Blues safe at Napoli away might have been appropriate. I am not sure though they would have done at the latter end of the protests when most of the decent protestors had gone home.

The police did seem to be professional and brave. As I said in another post, I am not convinced it was the best idea for so many officers to be in low protection uniforms but I guess that was to help engage with the public.

Luckily for them it was "largely peaceful".

 

[urban genie]

What do you suggest? Tanks? Horses and dogs have been used for decades in crowd control and public order situations. The alternative was to allow violent protestors to continue to attack officers.

These protests have shown large parts of the public who usually have no contact with the police just how professional, calm and restrained UK police are. And then one wonders why all the ACAB signs and brutality claims? Yet there are those who think it's acceptable and a big laugh to attack people simply doing their job as well as potentially exposing themselves to the virus. I am no fan of Johnson but he is correct, a large minority have ruined these protests and subverted them with thuggery.

25 years service and my overwhelming experience is of brave, dedicated people, many very young, doing their best in a very hard and frequently thankless job. And they should not be the subject of abuse and attack.

The reputation of our police force was damaged in many eyes during the 80s when maggie turned them into a heartless force used to impose her will.

The 81 and 85 riots, Orgreave, wapping, hilsborough poll tax riots etc.

Add to that society has changed, I remember being respectful and fearful of police on the beat, and you would see PCs down our street every other day and even on horseback at times but you never see any hardly round my way unless it's the helicopter or cars speedingthrough and if you call them for crimes seemed small you get a crime number and probably never hear back, let lone a visit. And all the local stations are now closed

For example tge otger tear I was assaulted in town and went to the police to report it, the reply I got was "were you badly injured" answer no so it was sugested no harm dine then
"did you hit them back"? Yes well then you could be also done for assault
"Is it worth months of court time if we could even find them"

Basically it wasn't deemed worth the while to look into it.

This lack of local visible community policing and lack of time and resources to look into all crimes I believe has made them more distant and less repsected, and that is not their fault but a failiure of successive home office policies.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

I'll just leave this here for people to ponder...

And it's true before anyone thinks it's BS.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_Abolition_Act_1833#:~:text=Under the terms of the,owners of the freed slaves

Can't really take that seriously with the "RACIST BRITAIN?" tagline at the top.

This doesn't do anything to refute the issues with racism in Britain.