Balancing Protest and Terror...

[cgannon64]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031111/ts_nm/bush_britain_dc_1

While I don't like the idea of stopping legitimate protest, you have to admit it is a tough job to let a protest go and still keep the President safe.

 

[newfangle]

Everyone has the right to protest, but as soon as they harm an individual or property, its fair game. By choosing to become animals, they are choosing to be treated as such.

 

[Speedo]

Their right to free speech doesn't supercede his right to safety. Along with the safety of all the other innocents who would be affected when such a protest gets out of hand.

 

[Dr. Dr. Doktor]

Originally posted by newfangle
Everyone has the right to protest, but as soon as they harm an individual or property, its fair game. By choosing to become animals, they are choosing to be treated as such.

I find that to be an offensive statement, only superceded by this from the article:

"Protest if you will. That is your democratic right," [Blair] said. "Attack the decision to go to war, but have the integrity to realize that without it, those Iraqis now tasting freedom would still be under the lash of Saddam Hussein."

It is frustrating to witness how once pseudo-religious references are now being replaced by crypto-sexualistic imagery. Freud would have a field-day being witness to this continuing descent into rhetorical obscenity.

 

[Little Raven]

Originally posted by newfangle
Everyone has the right to protest, but as soon as they harm an individual or property, its fair game. By choosing to become animals, they are choosing to be treated as such.

I am confused. The protest hasn't even happened yet. Nothing planned is going to damage anything other than pride. How have they "chosen to become animals?"

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by Little Raven
How have they "chosen to become animals?"

Four legs bad, two legs good.

 

[newfangle]

Originally posted by Little Raven
I am confused. The protest hasn't even happened yet. Nothing planned is going to damage anything other than pride. How have they "chosen to become animals?"

Hmm, I suppose I didn't make myself clear enough. As soon as they choose to make themselves animals, they will be treated as such.

 

[Richard III]

Originally posted by Dr. Dr. Doktor
It is frustrating to witness how once pseudo-religious references are now being replaced by crypto-sexualistic imagery.

I'll take crypto-sexualistic imagery over metrorural new-era sheriff "ranch talk" anyday.

 

[EdwardTking]

It must have been very much like this 2,000 years ago, when Empereror Claudius came over to inspect his imperial conquest.

 

[Stile]

So 100,000 protesters want to get together and topple a statue of another country's leader and drag it through the streets? How can they complain when they are denied? It took us 150,000 people armed to the teeth to get it done at the cost of 100's of billions of dollars and people still say we should have committed more troops! America hated Saddam and we got it done (with some help from our friends). If Bush is the most hated person in England as the article states, you'd think they'd put some effort in to it.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by EdwardTking
It must have been very much like this 2,000 years ago, when Empereror Claudius came over to inspect his imperial conquest.

Much better back them, with elephants and naked dancing girls.

 

[Revolutionairy]

I'm going on this protest and I know many woman and children who plan to go. You who are saying that it might or will turn ugly have not got any of the facts. Also with 5000 police babysitting the protest any sign of trouble would quickly be stopped.
If the people of England wish to protest the fact that we are not happy with the way the run up to the war was handled than, surly we are allowed by law?

 

[Little Raven]

I can't speak for English law, but President Bush does not like to see protests. They make him sad. Maybe you could set up a "free speech zone," like we do in this country? Somewhere out of sight. They can hold the protest there; make it as big as they like. As long as it's out of sight. It's good for security too.

But if any people want to show up to cheer for him, that's ok. We allow that here in this country. People that are there to cheer don't have to go to the free speech zone. They make him happy. And they don't pose a security risk, because obviously anyone who is cheering would never hurt the president.

 

[delsully]

Originally posted by Little Raven
I can't speak for English law, but President Bush does not like to see protests. They make him sad.

Boo freaking hoo. Trampling over civil liberties makes me sad. People have the right to be heard

 

[MrPresident]

Originally posted by Stile
If Bush is the most hated person in England as the article states, you'd think they'd put some effort in to it.

You underestimate the British people on two counts. Our hatred for the American President (which sadly is very high) and our ability to put effort into anything.

Originally posted by Little Raven
Nothing planned is going to damage anything other than pride.

There are plenty of groups out there whose dedicated goal is to create chaos and destruction. They may be small and extreme but they exist and will be at this protest. Also given the recent history of such protests I think the police precautions are necessary. Remember when some May Day protesters did a little unauthorised interior designing of a McDonald's?

I fail to see the point of the protest. Everyone knows that some people hate Bush and really hate his policy towards Iraq. No one's mind is going to be changed by the reading of some mass-produced sign. Name-calling serves no intellectual purpose. However people have the right to protest and they will be allowed to do so. A line has to be drawn though as the life of the President cannot be put at risk to facilite this. I would let the protesters march through London in full view of the camera, which is why their doing this, but keep them a safe distance from the President.

 

[bobgote]

Originally posted by Little Raven
I can't speak for English law, but President Bush does not like to see protests. They make him sad. Maybe you could set up a "free speech zone," like we do in this country? Somewhere out of sight. They can hold the protest there; make it as big as they like. As long as it's out of sight. It's good for security too.

we closed down our national capital for him

 

[MrPresident]

You stopped people from using the letter A? Fascists!

 

[Mrogreturns]

Originally posted by MrPresident
You stopped people from using the letter A? Fascists!

The Australian Amalgamated Aardvark and Ant Appreciation Association (AAAAAA) were particularly miffed.

 

[zippy]

Tony Blair doesn't like free speech. He has already spent 6 years ignoring parliament and the views of the elected representatives of the British public, as they are likely to disagree with him.

He has orchestrated widespread manipulation of the media, to such an extent that the 9/11 tragedy was primarily seen by the Labour party as "a good day to publish bad news"

Furthermore, the Metropolitan Police illegally suppressed legitimate protest by war veterans against the Japanese Prime Minister for not apologising for their treatment as POW's during the 2nd World War.

If you are not on message in New Labour's Britain, you are shouted down, accused of being a Nazi, (Tony Blairs comment that conservatism caused the 2nd World War among other things), and oppressed by a Police force exceeding their authority. And you Americans complain about infringement of civil liberties. Try living in Socialist Britain for a while

 

[Case]

Originally posted by Little Raven
I can't speak for English law, but President Bush does not like to see protests. They make him sad. Maybe you could set up a "free speech zone," like we do in this country? Somewhere out of sight. They can hold the protest there; make it as big as they like. As long as it's out of sight. It's good for security too.

Hey, that sounds like what they did here in Canberra when Bush visited. I attended the protest at Parliament House, and they had actually placed a double row of plants in pots between Bush and us protestors so that when he got out of his car he couldn't see us and we couldn't see him