Israel / Palestine
- Thread starter Beebo
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Pross
Active Member
Feels a bit unfair on the Met to blame them for carry out instructions from the Home Secretary. I doubt they particularly wanted to waste time, money and manpower on this sort of thing. The protestors also deliberately turned up with signs having specifically been told that doing so would lead to their arrest so presumably wanted this to happen to make their point. The Government are making themselves look stupid with their stance, I think some of the protestors are also a bit naive in the potential impact even a 'slap on the wrist' punishment can cause.
glasgowcyclist
Veteran
And yet it was persistent breaking of the law that gained Emmeline Parkhurst a place in history as a revered activist for women’s right to vote, with a statue honouring her placed within view of and pointing at the Houses of Parliament when, just a few years prior, she was part of the suffragette movement’s bombing and arson campaign, activities which were far more violent than anything PA members have done.
PA’s attacks on equipment destined for use in the genocide can be adequately dealt with under existing legislation without resorting to mislabelling them as terrorists for the sake of appeasing Israel.
Unjust laws require civil disobedience, and even breaking of those laws, to have them rescinded.
The proscription of Palestine Action is an unjust law.
spen666
Senior Member
You can dress it up in cute trendy names, but its still criminal behaviour and actions supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Its nothing to do with supporting or helping those in Palestine
The Crofted Crest
Active Member
What do we want? Gradual change!
When do we want it? In due course!
When do we want it? In due course!
spen666
Senior Member
Unjust laws?
Who decides the law is unjust
Motorists may feel its unjust to allow cyclists to use the road- so you will support any motorist who runs over a cyclist as its only civil disobedience?
The problem with your stance is that it is very subjective.
It is anarchy when people can choose to disobey any law they don't like.
Whilst its the law, we have to obey it. By all means campaign to change the law, but that is different to breaking the law.
if you break the law, then you must expect consequences
PurplePenguin
Active Member
Trendy? It's been around quite a long time which is why it includes so many historical figures.
PurplePenguin
Active Member
Who decides which laws are subject to police time? There's a lot of bike stealing, phone theft etc. that the police do not have time for, so who decides where they should direct their resources? This is a genuine question.
Ian H
Squire
Did you notice the bit about bringing in reinforcements from as far away as Wales?
glasgowcyclist
Veteran
Not wasting time on your daft whataboutery. The subject here is the misuse of terrorism legislation against a protest group with only humanitarian goals.
And tell me, what is an effective way to campaign against unjust laws?
Pross
Active Member
If the Home Secretary is specifically telling them to deal with something it is pretty hard for them to say 'no'. Other than that I guess it's up to PCCs and Chief Constables to determine strategies and what they want to target but I suspect it is usually dictated by political pressure which it shouldn't be. It must be frustrating being a frontline police officer, you are under-resourced but get the flak for not doing what you should be doing, stopping people for 'minor' crimes instead of 'real' criminals and then after you arrest someone they seem to more often than not get released without charge or get a fine / suspended sentence at most because the rest of the system is also under strain (you then have stupid things like this Palestine Action stuff that wastes those scarce resources).
Pross
Active Member
What are they supposed to do? The Met are far better resourced than any other force in the UK but when they are pushed into the spotlight like this by a ridiculous Government policy they don't really have a choice but to be seen to uphold the law (no matter how stupid people think it is) and the sheer scale means they need extra resources. It's pretty standard practice, when the NATO summit was held near where I live we had officers from every force in the country based in the area.
Last edited:
C R
Guru
Of course, writing a placard is the same as running someone over deliberately.
spen666
Senior Member
Police main function is to prevent / stop a breach of the peace