[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

I agree and it is almost clear that again this govt; is not going to listen no matter his more gentle tones at present.

Now, I hate protest marches, I refused to take part in any as Student,even when the Lib Dems voted to treble tuition fees.
I was absolutely furious but would not take part in any protests publicly.

Why, because the vast majority of people who do march and protest, are doing so legally and appropriately.
However, what then happens is you get hangers on, who go way over the top, it may be as small as only a handful of people on the protest,who then get 'all' the protesters branded all sorts of wrong and disgraceful names and branded as louts and hooligans.

It gives the people who will never ever at all admit protesters have any genuine grievances at all, the opportunity to focus only on the negative side of the protest, such as a broken window or grafitti being daubed on places that should be respected.
They will never admit,the establishment help strongly to fuel such things as protests by their total unwillingness to listen, compromise and realise they could just have it wrong sometimes.

Protests will be pointless against this govt; some people say anyone has the right to protest but if they themselves don't agree with what is being protested about, then the protesters all of them, for only the actions of a tiny few, will be branded anarchists or militants.

People have every right to be furious at this election result, with so many rotten,heartless welfare cuts to come from a party that failed to win an outright majority last time in 2010, could only add 0.8%.less than 1%, to its vote this time, the opposition adding a measly near double that, 1.5% to their vote.
Yet now they can get, for roughly the same votes, more power to inflict more of their heartless policies,getting only around the same support they had in 2010.
People still actually wonder why voters and citizens are angry at that, lord help us.

Nearly two thirds of the UK voted against the policies of this govt; and uniquely for the first time, 'all' the opposition parties with that 64% of votes, are all against more severe austerity and welfare cuts of an extra 10 billion pounds.

Yet again, people wonder why some get really passionate and angry when that happens.
We again have a govt; falling well short of even just attracting 4 in 10 voters to their cause.
That is now 3 elections in a row where around two thirds of all voters have not supported the main party in govt:
If the leaders realised that and compromised, no protests would be necessary.
That is not sour grapes of someone being on the losing side, it is simply facts.

Marches are not the way however in my view, nowadays you can never be sure who will tag along just looking for trouble or who will join it on the way to cause destruction and get noticed for the news.
The media then get the chance to focus 'only' on the trouble rather than the valid argument being presented in the first place as to the march/protest.

It's all relative though isn't it?... Look at the 'graffiti' all over the pages of the Mail when they carved into Ralph Miliband.
Was he not a victim of war? It seemed acceptable then to scrawl offensive comments all over the place.
Being over cautious and not expressing your feelings publicly is entirely your right, there are those who are more demonstrative through words than deeds, activists and everything in between it has no baring on strength of feeling that they protest in this manner.
I totally agree that as with the student protests it will be this example of social disorder that will be used to tarnish anyone who chooses to march, protest or demonstrate against the proposed cuts.
This divide and conquer mentality is a proven formula and as such will be replicated to suit any issue sadly.