Following a thread on DIf I'm wondering if any folks here do actively participate in protest, namely going on demonstrations. I've not been on one since the Countryside Alliance, not that I care for fox hunting but that I saw it as a protest against freedom of choice and an erosion of rural affairs. The hunt ban was only instigated to gain support for the war monger liar anyway but that's not the topic here.
I think participation is important, it's the numbers game and it doesn't have to mean violent protest although as things turn out, the old bill like to wade in in typical cowards fashion. If I get the chance the next protest I go on I will take a couple of old film cameras and do a bit of people shooting.
I also sign the petitions sent out to me by Avaaz,Change,38 degrees,Greenpeace etc. I'm not scared of being monitored, ****, I want to be noticed, isn't that the whole point? When an issue as important as our liberty and well being are threatened protest is one thing we can all do,think fracking,GMO,Mandela...you know the script. Others may have their strengths in organising , anyone can join in though.
So, a worthy cause,a duty or just an indulgence for spotty students? Or is there a very real fear for us in taking part and a threat by the authorities to our well being?

You're vulnerable to a degree, attending demo's, but yet there's some safety in numbers, with a decent chance of being able to maintain anonymity. I'm not sure how much that chance is diminished by broadcasting your activities on a public forum.

How can it be a risk? If that was the case nobody would post anything on forums out of fear, nobody would go on a march out of fear, the game doesn't change unless people stand up and be counted.Rolling over and surrendering at the first hint of danger contributes little of substance.
This is not a criticism of people here, genuine question, be a part of it or be apart from it.

I was told that they used some shots on the demonstrators/protesters in the Ukraine.... nobody questioned it cause they got paid cash.
So yea... it's not a good idea to attend demos, that's how TPTB manipulate and play people. When you think about it, nobody in their right mind would put himself in the line of fire, unless for money....

I disagree. You can do things without announcing your activities on forums, and consequently making yourself easier to track down.

You're calling it fear, but I'd call it common sense / self-preservation.

Plus, people should be able to act (or not, for their own reasons) on their own integrity, without others wanting to monitor & judge them, or try to tell them what they should be doing.

But it is fear, when you give in to fear the other side win. A million people demo'd against Iraq for instance....have they all been compromised?

Why would not posting about activities on a forum equate to fear?

See - judgments about people, based on no actual knowledge. Assumptions & accusations.

Even if we were talking about actually demonstrating, rather than posting about demonstrating (remember? I said it can be done without any necessity to broadcast it on a public forum) there can be many reasons for people to think it's not the right course of action for themselves - such as a sense of the futility of it making any effective difference. Or the need to prioritise the safety of their own dependents (bear in mind the threat of interference from social services). It can be because individuals aren't physically well enough to go standing around demo'ing. It can be for lots of other reasons.

Trying to guilt people into it because of your views, by using the implication of cowardice isn't productive imo. And though I'm not actually casting aspersions about yourself, because I don't know you, trying to urge people to post about their involvement is a bit dubious imo.

Vambo wrote:
What did they achieve though Vambo, waving a placard and saying you dont like something did not prevent them invading iraq..

No, it may appear futlie but we have a right to peaceful assembly. A right to protest as we have a right to vote, hard won right and it's there to be used. I don't claim it will change the world but sometimes events sway decision, poll tax was scrapped yes, in came another tax but do you see what I mean?
Gilly, I'm not trying to 'guilt' anybody here, I had hoped I'd made that clear, choice is for the individual, I just asked a question.......
I couldn't care less what any snooper might deduce from my posts/admissions, like I'm #1 target for MI5 spooks. I pulled somebody up over there for tarring the UK with the spineless brush before admitting they're not going to stick their head above the parapet-the culture of fear has won. Of course I don't expect the physically unfit or those under suspicion to risk themselves, most of the UK population won't fall into that bracket.
It was just a question, you've made it clear that's not for you, that's cool, I don't knock you for that, you ain't calling me out to be spineless, even Stevens!

But you see, no, I deliberately haven't made it clear whether it is or isn't for me.

Locally, demonstrations can still work. Over the years I've seen many a hospice, small school and other local facilities stopped from closure due to public outcry . On a national level they seem to achieve squat but I still go to ones that matter to me - albeit not as many as when I was younger. Just my way of making my voice heard.

Not too bothered about being photographed or having my movements noted. I was nicked at a Docklands Weapons Festival a few years back so John Law knows who I am: No-one. A mouthy git from Slough.

Goldenprince13 wrote:
No it didn't, but it certainly made it more difficult for them to go in willy nilly into other countries I think. It also 'woke up (hate that phrase) a lot of people to the shenanigans of our politicians. People question things more and don't just take things on face value. So a demonstration might not bring the changes you want there and then, but in bigger matters it can certainly have knock on effects.

No doubt the teachers strike and protests in London will be the first to get water cannoned this summer.

I also agree with Hugo, local action can most definitely make a difference to small communities.

I have been on numerous demos. I invariably found them ineffectual. The only one I remember actually affecting anything was the poll tax march....
Direct action is a far different beast. In it's many forms.

Whilst some folk were (quite commendably) standing in town centres with posters and postcards of dead foxes, I was running through the woods with a pack of hounds that I'd nicked off the huntmaster Hunt protestor or hunt sabateur?
Both have merit but only one gets things done.

Edit: fuck it. Do em both. Many do

I do

I don't do it to part of a political agenda, I do it because sometimes somethings are so shit and annoy me that I want to do openly show my disdain for it.

I'm one person though in a sea of hundreds/thousands I highly doubt MI5 have spotted me and put me on their radar. I will continue to protest and take part in demo's, someone has to

I'm glad to see others agreeing, not from an ego point of view but from a participant side. Of course, I know I'm not the only dissident and am not admonishing or waving a accusatory finger. I believe it does make a difference, when tens of thousands take to the streets it's impossible to brush under the carpet.
And it completely refutes the accusation that the UK consists solely of invertebrates.
As ever the choice is the individuals and those who disagree are free to make the choice. I just believe it's important because acquiescence is not an option for the most part and can be very damaging for us all.

It refutes the accusation from whom. I ask because despite saying it's the individual's choice, you're still implying that if people choose not to demonstrate, it's because they're invertebrates.

Gilly wrote:
Gilly, I'm referring to a poster in the greenzone (DIf) who stated the UK population was spineless, I opined that unless you (that poster) were prepared to do something themselves they can be considered the same. It was the irony of the two posts from the same person stating that others are all cowards while in the next post refusing to do anything pro-active themselves. If you have access to the greenzone you'll see what I'm referring to by checking my posts out.
I don't think I can make my feelings any clearer on this, I haven't accused anyone of anything, if you believe otherwise please quote or highlight my words to that effect.

Just throwing a bit of humour in....

My first demo was as a sit down protest at girls not being allowed to play football or wear trousers at school

In the 90's I participated in quite a few demo's - lobbied parliament (huge waste of time) a spot of sabbing and some 'yoof' initiatives set up by the local council to find out what youngsters wanted some money spent on in the community (another waste of time - instead of a safe house for teens to go to we got a statue of an egg in the town center - fuckers!!)

Of late I cannot say I have participated as much as in the past - I don't know if it is apathy or a sense of utter disempowerment that prevents me from being as actively involved as I once was - the march against the iraq war was a huge turning point for me - all those voices united against war were ignored - I think I lost a little of my naive idealistic self that truly believed that if enough people said no the government would listen.

You're clear now, thanks Vambo.
angelchemuel wrote:
Angel, you've misspelled 'snideness'.