Irish travellers rounded up in Manchester.

[Mr Kobayashi]

Let me ask you a question; in the late 80s-early 90s I know of police turning around skinheads and known footy rivals back onto trains because they caught wind of possible activities ahead; since they hadn't 'broken a law' and were profiled for their background of previous actions, do you think the gangs should have been allowed to engage in whatever activity they went to town for since they hadn't broken a law yet?

Just wondering on your scenario.

The key detail is included in your question. They were profiled as individuals not as a group of people with protected characteristics.

Football fans are not a protected group, skinhead culture isn't either. I'd suspect the exclusionary nature of skinhead politics would potentially exclude them from claiming their politics qualified as a protected characteristic.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Hitched a lift with a gypsy many years ago. Absolute nut case but he fed and watered me and drove 90 miles to my front door.

He knows where you live!

 

[Bigga]

The key detail is included in your question. They were profiled as individuals not as a group of people with protected characteristics.

Football fans are not a protected group, skinhead culture isn't either. I'd suspect the exclusionary nature of skinhead politics would potentially exclude them from claiming their politics qualified as a protected characteristic.

Actually, scratch that question.

If the group redirected back onto the train were all 'profiled as individuals' and got together as a group, where would the police stand?

 

[tosh1]

Possibly from Newark on Trent / Lincolnshire?

Nope, judging by my night last night they were all out in Brigg.

 

[jrb]

Apparently 2 came to Manchester in a taxi from Nottingham.

I hope the taxi driver asked for the taxi fare first.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

So what was the "protected characteristic" of this recent event?

Irish travellers or gypsy is an ethnicity.

As I alluded to earlier though, I suspect the gypsies were misbehaving themselves on the trains and British transport police were informed.

And dispersal orders can stop large groups.

You should already know this.

When you worked as a bouncer you were entitled not to admit people based on them being in a large group. You weren't entitled to deny admittance based on their ethnicity.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I believe in the rule of law. No one should be persecuted because of their background.

By the same token, no one should get a free pass because of their background. If you break the law you should be dealt with, whether you're the Duke of Devonshire or Tim O'Reilly the 'horse dealer.'

What about the Duke of York?

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Actually, scratch that question.

If the group redirected back onto the train were all 'profiled as individuals' and got together as a group, where would the police stand?

It doesn't mean they can claim protected characteristics because the police have lawfully enforced a dispersal order.

If another large group of people turned up they'd get the same treatment.

Those people aren't being discriminated against because they are travellers.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Viz got it right all those years ago!

 

[Rory Bluelow]

Some? You're being generous there. I've seen the state of the vast majority of sites over here after they leave. . They resemble a bomb site. They plague local shops, bars etc. Trust me, the majority of "settled" people in Ireland do not like them. But if you criticise them, you're then disrespecting their "culture".

I’ve met some that are okay individually, quite polite and friendly but in a large group they’re a fucking nightmare. Thieving nasty bastards. I live in small place of around 3000 people and we had the pleasure of two big groups of travellers setting up camp on a playing field. They stayed for a weekend, strangely (must’ve been a coincidence) loads of stuff stolen that weekend (including a caravan and horse box) and big piles of human excrement appeared around the children’s play park, the sports field and various other places which some poor fuckers had to clean up. It was like being under siege. Totally anti-social.