[Jack_]

Originally Posted by kirklancaster

Fair points Jack, but I have met Nigel Farage numerous times and have also found him always friendly, ultra-civil and polite, sincere, very intelligent and knowledgeable, and very approachable, but such DIRECT personal experience would not sway any anti-Farage members on here to change their dislike of him.

Also, I agree that PEACEFUL protests ARE a part of 'Democracy In Action' but, experience has shown us - time and time again - that these protests are anything but peaceful, and that is down to the Anti-Democratic factions which are behind these protests, the Political Agitators employed by them to take control of the way in which the protests develop ensuing violence and anarchy, and the mindless unknowing sheep who go along with the protests.

I would also argue that Democracy In Action could also be defined as accepting State Protocol.

That doesn't surprise me, I can imagine that Farage would be a perfectly decent person to go for a pint with. And while I agree that may be the case with a lot of people, it's not for me. My point is that just because people disagree with someone's political opinions it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person, and many of the comments in here were just absurd. I'll add the caveat that this is less so the case with people who are exerting direct influence over people's lives (i.e. a sitting PM and ministers), but Owen and to a lesser extent Farage aren't doing that.

Most of the protests in question are peaceful, with respect Kirk. As with any protest that attracts a significant turnout, there will always be a minority of opportunists looking to cause trouble. It's also important to point out the role that the police often have in provoking violence and unrest - kettling is a deliberate and almost surefire way to antagonise people and in a lot of these scenarios that's how it begins. The problem is of course is that you only get to hear of the unrest, whilst there are thousands upon thousands of people from all walks of life who have turned up with their family, friends and kids to walk down a street with a few banners. The demonstrations being organised (that provoked this thread) will be much the same thing, and I don't see a problem with that. I won't be attending one, but all power to those who do - I hope they enjoy exercising their democratic right to be there.

With regards to the last sentence - unless I've misunderstood, I totally disagree. Making people accept the status quo with no dissent Just Because is a very slippery slope...

Originally Posted by Brillopad

Democracy when it suits as the very same people are those desperately trying to overturn a democratic vote by British people to leave the EU. So please don’t preach about democracy whilst one of our oldest acts of democracy - the vote - is being ignored by those who insist on having their way despite the result.

How many times do I have to explain this to you? Democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. If it did, what would be the point in having an official opposition to the government in parliament? Why not just let them get on with it without scrutiny or criticism? That always works well!

If democracy begins and ends with elections and referenda, then how come those who wanted to leave the EU have been campaigning to do so for the last four decades? After - funnily enough - the last referendum we had on the matter? At what point does it become acceptable again to express one's opposition to a particular political issue? A year? Five years? A decade? Who decides this? You?

The fact is Brillo, in a fully functioning democracy, political dissent and scrutiny is not only permissible - it is encouraged. General elections and referenda are not the only democratic tools people have at their disposal. They have a number of other things too - enshrined into international law in fact. One is even that thing you protest to love so much - free speech! Freedom of assembly and the right to protest are others. If people disagree with any political agenda, whether that's Brexit, the cuts to the NHS, a town's youth centre being closed down, a Mosque opening in a local area - you name it - they're entitled to protest about it. And you will have to learn to accept that.

You got what you wanted. We're leaving the EU. I don't think any of the protests are going to make a blind bit of difference, and quite frankly I'm sick of hearing about Brexit altogether - but they are still entitled to oppose it, protest it, call for another vote, for it to be overturned, whatever they like. Why are you so scared about that? My only advice would be to let them get on with it, it's going to make no difference to you.