Yeah, a group of white people complaining that they can't spread a virus around in a pandemic is perfectly non-threatening but black people in fancy dress are terrifying.

Were they all dressed up like paramilitaries too?

I'm guessing.... no.

You can spread disease, just as long as you aren't in fancy dress!

An organised group of proud black people, using their rights to peacefully march and demonstrate, a beautiful sight, needs to happen in every city

Help, I’m scared of a vest!

don't bring that past pls

and you know i am also against that, so no point in discussing that either

Are we...?

can't make it through the thread title without turning into scREAMING HYSTERIA

if it hand been white nationalists dressed up like that and marching ... i wonder what those who say it's perfectly fine would be saying then :think:

I mean, they're bulletproof vests and black people don't exactly have a great history with protesting and "not being shot by police" do they...

Articles of protection aren’t threatening, but I’d imagine the people claiming black people wearing them is ‘worrying’ probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid if racists were doing it

white people have nothing to complain about with all their privilege

C'mon, you should have realised the flaws in that statement before you clicked send.

I'd have opposed what they were marching for but they would be in their rights to march. Trying to flip it around doesn't work when the other side of the argument isn't saying the same thing in a flipped perspective.

If you're trying to compare this to the armed marches in America than the comparison becomes even more flawed.

also calling it ''paramilitary style'' when what they wear is actually correct and fitting within covid-19 regulations with the face coverings

there is seriously nothing wrong with a good march against racism

Well it is Paramilitary style...has nothing to do with whether its fitting with Covid regulations :laugh:

No one said otherwise...

I think it's a uniform and uniforms inherently come with certain connotations and are designed, if not to be threatening, to at least hint at an organised "front" or a battle line being drawn. I'm not intimidated by it, I don't think it's unquestionably intended to intimidate, but I do think that it's inevitably going to be misconstrued and thus might not have the intended effect. I think it pushes the movement further towards the fringe and makes it difficult for the bulk of "mainstream peoples" to continue to empathise, so those people will disengage, and at that point :shrug: the battle is lost.

As I've said before I understand the motivation, I understand the frustration, I understand the DESIRE to "force change"... I'm just a realist and have to point out that you can't force change without mainstream support, and thus, any action that erodes mainstream support is going to be counter-productive.

tl;dr I get it, but I think sadly a lot of the mainstream support gained lately is going to get nervous and exit via the side door.

If people turn their backs on the cause because of the visual of a group of black people organising and coming together, because of what they’re wearing, then frankly, they never really truly backed the cause and they’re part of the problem imo

White nationalists?

Well I hope you'd look beyond your first impression to the context... are white nationalist and this group comparable?

Effectively if you choose to remain ignorant to this or any cause, it's not your fault.

You're comparing racial justice with white nationalism. Couldn't be me.

no, i'm just comparing different people marching, and all the excuses being dreamed up are extraordinary