The Good News Only - thread...

[mudsticks]

hmm... so, you disagree with Nicola's proposals to limit protests outside of (certain) medical facilities?

Afaik, she's proposing an area specific curtilage to avoid harassment of people who are accessing healthcare facilities .

 

[Rusty Nails]

Afaik, she's proposing an area specific curtilage to avoid harassment of people who are accessing healthcare facilities .

Exactly. It is not the, rather minor, noise issue she is stopping.

 

[fozy tornip]

In this situation, as was alluded to earlier, protest is anything you agree with, harassment is anything you don't.

If I set up a loudspeaker and had some placards made outside Farm Mudsticks, then followed her and her colleagues to the shop shouting obscenities at them because I disagreed with her farming practices (which I am sure are above reproach) that is a protest so fine is it not?

Not quite.
Setting up a loudspeaker, waving placards and braying obscenities in opposition to farming practices which you're sure are beyond reproach would be psychosis, not protest.

 

[BoldonLad]

Afaik, she's proposing an area specific curtilage to avoid harassment of people who are accessing healthcare facilities .

Indeed, my understanding too.

So, harassment is not acceptable? and/or is it only certain groups of people who should not suffer protest?

 

[BoldonLad]

Exactly. It is not the, rather minor, noise issue she is stopping.

does that mean there is no "harassment"

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I like this forum more and more! There is no moderation ... except for when you want it.

Tremendous irony considering the posts on the last couple of pages. Good work.

I think you’re fully aware that I’m not seeking the moderation of content in the sense of controlling the tone or content of posts. I am referring to the purely administrative function that only a moderator has to put wrong posts, for example, into the correct thread.

This forum still needs structure, even though it’s a behavioural free for all.

 

[matticus]

wrong posts

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Crikey, do I have to spell it out? 🤦‍♂️

 

[icowden]

In this situation, as was alluded to earlier, protest is anything you agree with, harassment is anything you don't.
If I set up a loudspeaker and had some placards made outside Farm Mudsticks, then followed her and her colleagues to the shop shouting obscenities at them because I disagreed with her farming practices (which I am sure are above reproach) that is a protest so fine is it not?

As ever, you fail to see the nuance.

If you chose to protest about farming practices outside someone's farm, you have the right to do that, although under the new legislation if you affect the farmer's business then they have a legal remedy to remove you.

If you choose to make personal attacks on the farmer and and follow them shouting obscenities then you are no longer protesting, but are harassing that person and thus you should be arrested and a restraining order put in place.

 

[mudsticks]

Not quite.
Setting up a loudspeaker, waving placards and braying obscenities in opposition to farming practices which you're sure are beyond reproach would be psychosis, not protest.

Well, a guy has to have a hobby right ??

I particularly liked this capture with the helmet guy, and London bus, and in the background..

Despite appearances to the contrary this pols was quite jolly, and approved the overall message of our march..

Was planning to retire to Dorset to a smallholding by all accounts..

 

[matticus]

Crikey, do I have to spell it out? 🤦‍♂️

You've been crystal clear thanks! What someone else sees as "Good News", you've decided to the contrary.

(You might be shocked to find there are plenty of posts further up the thread which some people would not consider Good News. Apologies for spelling that out ...)

 

[glasgowcyclist]

What someone else sees as "Good News", you've decided to the contrary.

Wrong.

 

[icowden]

So, harassment is not acceptable? and/or is it only certain groups of people who should not suffer protest?

I think we have to be careful here not to conflate two different things.

Yes Nicola Sturgeon is concerned about the US decision on Abortion energising protests in Scotland around the same issue.
Unfortunately because it is an emotive subject backed by the baby Jesus, people who want to protest about a woman's right to a termination more often than not, cannot do that without unduly harassing women who really couldn't give a monkey's about the protestors views and just want to get on with what they are doing.

Because of this difficulty, NS is proposing buffer zones around clinics so that people cannot turn up and harass the women using those clinics. This is not about their right to protest. They are more than welcome to march up to Holyrood and protest, but they are not going to be permitted to abuse and harass women attending clinic to make a difficult decision.

This is not about banning protest, it is about preventing harassment. This applies to any protest. If Extinction Rebellion want to camp out on the M25 and cause mass disruption that is a protest. If they start dragging people out of cars and shouting abuse at them that is harassment.

 

[Rusty Nails]

does that mean there is no "harassment"

I wouldn't know. I am not in Scotland, and have not seen any such demonstrations on the TV, but if they are anything like those "pro-lifers" (sic) in the US, yelling and waving placards in the faces of women and staff at these facilities, then it is harassment

 

[Rusty Nails]

Indeed, my understanding too.

So, harassment is not acceptable? and/or is it only certain groups of people who should not suffer protest?

Those are two separate questions there. You are conflating harassment and protest. It is possible, and usually preferable, to protest without harassing individuals or groups of them.

It is not possible to make generalisations and a more detailed answer would require more specific examples of the protest/harassment.