The thugs who give protest a bad name
Further to the demonstration against police powers to limit protest that turned into a riot in Bristol (Metro, Tue). People who organise demos or vigils (such as those for Sarah Everard in Clapham this month) must remember that there are groups out there (the far left, Antifa) who have no interest in your cause except to cause the maximum disruption against society and the rule of law.
Organisers have no control who shows up so I couldn’t give you any suggestions as to how to control it.
There is a section in society who want nothing more than to have a ruck – and most will get away with it. This puts the public’s back up against the original subject of the meeting.
It seems peaceful protest is, sadly, a thing of the past.
Alan Bayley, Southend
■ It’s good that we have freedom of speech but nasty bullies rioting should be tackled by the Army.
The police should not be injured and urinated on by these awful people, as happened in Bristol. Demonstrating peacefully will always receive support from the people. It’s time to toughen up against violence.
Julia, Belper
■ What a disgrace. Times are hard enough at the moment. The police should find all these vile people (vile isn’t really the word I’d use but at least it’s printable). They should be found and prosecuted and not just given a silly fine! To these people, I really hope your parents are proud of you because you are a disgrace to the human race. And to the police, I thank you for doing a thankless job.
Janet, West Yorkshire
■ The younger generation have had a difficult time, from unaffordable housing to zero-hour contracts and seeing the option to live and work in 27 other countries taken away from them.
Then there are the increased costs of education, a reduction in highquality roles and job opportunities, liberties being taken away with no right to public demonstration (it’s worth noting that the government totally ignored a demonstration of more a than a million people following the EU referendum), the possibility that the UK will break up, the country facing an economic crisis and the planet they inherit going through the worst threats from climate change it has ever faced.
Is it any wonder they no longer trust politicians and decide to ignore lockdown rules and demonstrate?
Tony Howarth, London
■ I agree with L (MetroTalk, Mon) that huge public gatherings have led to some of the most positive social changes the world has ever seen but they have also led to some of the most negative (the Nuremberg Rallies, Ku Klux Klan meetings).
Most of the people who attend protests do so for good reasons but they also attract a number of people who will attend any mass gathering because they see it as an opportunity to attack the Old Bill and impress their mates – as we’ve seen in Bristol.
Mick, London
■ L says if ‘so-called law-abiding citizens’ did what they were supposed to do then we would not have had 1,425 women killed by men between 2009 and 2018 and, by implication, make women want to ignore the lockdown and gather at the Sarah Everard vigil to protest violence against them.
If so-called law-abiding citizens did what they were supposed to do maybe, just maybe, the UK wouldn’t have 126,000 deaths and counting.
I totally agree that women’s safety needs to be addressed but how many women were put at risk on vigil night?
Jay, via email