Should The Home Secretary Ban All Such Demonstrations?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/390969/Battle-to-stop-the-sick-Margaret-Thatcher-hate-mob

Why are the Met not concerned enough to request the Home Secretary to ban all anti-Thatcher activity in London, as they were in their successful ban on EDL marches?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/26/edl-march-london-banned

[China Doll]

'wonder what the great unwashed'

^^^ You know em, for someone who dislikes all people on benefits being labelled as scroungers, you're very good at labelling other people. If there are demonstrations and/or riots then I'm willing to bet that not everyone taking part of the 'great unwashed'... whatever that actually means.

[dave50]

These socialist demonstrators will know doubt claim the moral high ground leading up to their demonstrations next week, however as soon as one brick is thrown or one shop is looted then they have lost that position and any respect they might have had. I can confidently predict it will end up as a thieving and looting spree.

[chaptazbru]

China Doll - don't always agree with you, BUT love your comment at 13:46.

[emmie]

first and only time i believe i have used it, however you do hear the terms scroungers constantly. some think it's ok to bandy it around, without knowing the peoples circumstances. let us hope there isn't trouble on the day. next time i will be more circumspect.

[China Doll]

Whether you use it or not, it's clearly been your attitude that there are one set of people likely to cause trouble. As I said, whether there is trouble on the day or not, it won't be just because of one set of people. Many people have been upset recently, and as you say, don't tar everyone with the same brush. We all have a right to a voice and peaceful protest if that is what people wish to do. I have lived in the capital, I still work in the capital... it's quite rare that everything comes to a complete standstill because of protest. And a small amount of disruption is acceptable for the right of the level of free speech we have.

Peaceful protest is entirely different to riots and if that is what peolpe want to do then they should be allowed.

[anotheoldgit]

jackthehat

/// There will be the usual rent-a-crowd Protesters, however it is doubtful that the blue-rinsed ladies of the Tory faithfull will be hurling bottles, stones or spittle-flecked invective in their direction, and thus little likelihood of 'oppositional' disorder. ///

Please to see you accept that the Tories wouldn't stoop so low.

Although the 'Left's' actions have to date been absolutely disgusting, in a way it has done some good, in so much as it has shown that the Left really deserves their name 'The Dirty Left', it has really shown them up in their true colours.

[jake-the-peg]

Oh yes the 'dirty left'

You still a fan of the Ghandi-like EDL AOG?

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Columnist/Columnists/2010/8/28/1283010407496/EDL-demonstration-in-Brad-006.jpg

[anotheoldgit]

LazyGun

/// Banning the right of protest and free assembly on the grounds of inconvenience is absolutely the height of represssion. You want to sacrifice democratic principle on the altar of convenience? ///

Did you actually read this link?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/26/edl-march-london-banned

Haven't the EDL the right to conduct a peaceful protest, perhaps it should be the far-left groups such as The Anti-Nazi League and the Socialist Workers Party who should be banned, seeing that is is them who prevent the EDL from peaceful protest?

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// List of EDL demonstrations. The cost of policing them is considerable.///

Most of them were caused by counter protest by Far-Left Wing Groups, who gathered in huge numbers to prevent peaceful protest.

[LazyGun]

I am happy for all legally recognised political and protest groups to arrange for demonstrations, provided they pass the legal tests. That includes the EDL. I am not the one calling for them to be banned.

In the case you describe, you should be asking Theresa Mays why she banned it, not me.

From the article;
"heresa May banned all marches in Tower Hamlets, east London, and four neighbouring boroughs in the capital for a 30-day period, following a request from the commander for the event, which was passed on to May by Scotland Yard's acting commissioner, Tim Godwin.

The move comes amid fears of violence and disorder if the march was allowed to go ahead.

May said: "Having carefully considered the legal tests in the Public Order Act and balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, I have given my consent to a ban on all marches in Tower Hamlets and four neighbouring boroughs for a 30-day period."

So as reported, she banned it because of fear of violence and damage to property, after consideration of the legal tests in the Public Order act. So on that basis, it seems fair enough to me...

[Zeuhl]

British traditions from the past will continue and should be protected at all costs

Reactionaries such as the EDL will continue to be repressed just as we did with Mosley's Black Shirts in the 1930s

Anti-fascists will be tolerated if not whole-heartedly embraced as those were who joined the International Brigade 1936-39 to fight the Nazis in Spain

And people will be free to express their views on politicians in Trafalgar Square as they always have done


And it will really p1ss off the more reactionary and embittered amongst us

What a great country this is!

[anotheoldgit]

And why should Tower Hamlets be any different fro any other areas, this seems to speak volumes for those in Tower Hamlets, perhaps it would be them who would cause the trouble not the EDL.

[LazyGun]

@AoG You should be petitioning the Home Sec with your grievance... It was her decision.

[Zeuhl]

the furniture in aog's house must be well-chewed by now LOL

I hope he hasn't dribbled on his EDL tee shirt

:-)

[Gromit]

AOG.

I have already said that EDL marches should not be banned. The EDL never march in Chipping Norton they target areas full of the very people they are protesting about. It is a deliberate ploy and is meant to be provocative because the EDL like a good fight as most of them are football hooligans. So a large police presence follows them.

I am all for free speech, but 24 marches in 2011 was excessive. I would rather the police budgets were spent on more police officers than thrown down the drain protecting kn0bheads.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

Has I have said many times before I am not a EDL member, but I do support their concern on the spread of Islam in this country, as many others do.

Providing they protest legally I have no grievance against them, there are many groups who protest on a number of issues why should the EDL be singled out any different? Mainly it is those opposing their right to protest that cause the trouble.

Unlike other so called 'Far Right' organisations, they do not call for the deportation of all non indigenous persons, or conduct racist attacks on individuals just because they happen to be of a different skin colour, they just do not want this country turning into an Islamic state.

[THECORBYLOON]

Anotheoldgit, you have said in the past a black person can't call themsel English so maybe you'd be too extreme to join the English Dense League.

[FredPuli43]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Defence_League

aog, please scroll down to "Formation" and "Association with violence" and say whether you believe that the EDL does not promote violence.

And please explain why the EDL chooses to demonstrate only in places where there is a very high percentage of Muslims. After all,arguing against the threat of "Islamification" is hardly an arguable, or locally winnable, cause when the people around are already Muslims. Surely the EDL would be better demonstrating where the threat is still nascent?