Have You Ever Taken Part In A Protest March?

[naomi24]

If so, what were you protesting about and was your experience positive or negative?

 

If not, given a cause you felt strongly about, would you?

[jno]

I'm not British, Deskdiary.

Yes, they wanted Britain to join in, and LBJ offered to cancel its WW2 debt to the USA if it did so. Harold Wilson said no thanks. Remarkable, a prime minister who would sooner pay debts in full than send British soldiers to die instead.

It was finally paid off in 2006. (There was a loan from Canada to pay off at the same time, but not so much.)

[Deskdiary]

Ta - good to know.

[237SJ]

What about you Naomi24 - have you?

[NoseyNose]

Yes,in 1965 I was on a "Ban The Bomb" march in London.

The police were very laid back,and tolerant of us. 

I think they thought we were harmless loonies!

Maybe we were?LOL

[tomus42]

If the government banned them would that be a good or a bad thing?

[ynnafymmi]

You say that you are not British,jno,so who is the"us"you refer to in your posting @20.00?

[naomi24]

237SJ, I've been involved in organising one but I didn't take part.  Protesting in such a way isn't my sort of thing at all.  I did happen unexpectedly upon a march by the far right in Paris once - just turned a corner and there they were - hundreds of angry skinheads shouting and clomping along in their great heavy boots.  Terrifying.  

[Redhelen72]

Yes gay rights and women's abortion rights 

[rowanwitch]

Does gay pride count, it was certainly a protest in the early days, it only really became a carnival in the 1980s.

[Ken4155]

As i've mentioned a few times on these pages, i went on a few 'Poll Tax' marches and all were peaceful ones apart from the one i attended in London. That one was hijacked by a minority of morons whose only intention was to cause aggro. Not a very pleasant experience.

I didn't attend these marches expecting the Government to cancel their plans, but i did hope that they might listen with one ear to what some of us were saying and gradually increase the monies we were being asked to pay - i was paying just over £100 per year, then was expected to find almost £600.

[retrocop]

Lol

Quite a few hundred I would guess. Being a Police officer was part of the job. Greenham Common,Vietnam (Grosvenor Sq), Sinn Fein (IRA) I got kicked in the shin by a renegade Police horse on  the Crown Crickelwood to No 10 IRA march. I forgave him later when the bruising went down. It was a nasty march 😊.

Count me in for the cauliflower Cheese march. I have a colonoscopy tomorrow and have been on a no fibre diet for the last three days.I had cauliflower cheese on Friday with steak,cauliflower cheese with Grilled Mackerel on Saturday and my last supper today at 11am will be Cauliflower Cheese.

Like Ben Gunn in Treasure Island. 'I would give anything for a bit of Cauliflower Cheese'

[jourdain2]

Mmm  - Cauli cheese w. grilled mackerel sounds good; possibly even better with smoked mackerel?

[jourdain2]

^^^^ Hope all went well Retrocop.

 

[Roobaba]

I am known for being a something of a 'free agent' and subscribe to freethought. I have to agree that Cauliflower Cheese is something worth fighting for if ever under threat from some authority claiming the right to ban it. Similar to the OP I came upon a protest march on the Embankment in London, I was escorting my brother-in-law 'across town' to the British Museum, he suffers from Parkinson's so it was quite an ordeal. I decided to head the opposite way towards the Tower of London.. thankfully we just about manage to avoid becoming swamped by the masses of placard carrying protesters. I agreed with their protest and with their right to demonstrate on the streets of the capital. Interesting to hear jno confirming to us that protesting can change peoples minds.

So, no reply to tomua42 @ 05:12 'If the government banned them would that be a good or a bad thing?'

I would suggest that no government in a democracy could ever ban protests, trying to forcefully would lead to a revolution!

My experiences of people having the 'urge to protest publicly' in these times of chaos and calamity were given to being expanded somewhat by an older woman at a 'deep thinking' discussion group being exasperated by the fact that her daughter couldn't be bothered to protest about anything at all (abject apathy!).. in the internet age we are both individuals and can be 'as one' all at the same time. Maybe online petitions will replace protests on the streets en masse?

I have to say despite the often spiky reactions to my comments here on AB, I do find it in some way resassuring to be part of a 'rag tag' group of 'retro reprobates' that do their utmost to get along and enjoy each others company.

[fiveleaves]

People's march for jobs in Liverpool, a long time ago

[Deskdiary]

I've just clicked on the link where the member (if she is) of the Eastbourne PLP is holding a placard with the Star of David merged with a Swastika.

I don't get disgusted often, but that picture is utterly disgusting.

I hope the Labour Party do the right thing, and I also hope she is arrested.

Hate is now a crime, and that's one of the most hateful things I've seen.

She should be disgusted with herself, but no doubt she'll come out with some bullsiht to justify it.

Disgusting hateful excuse for a person.

[quizoholic]

No of course not - afterall I am British! In the unlikely event I ever got that worked up over a subject I might resort to a letter to the Times but it's never come to that yet.