X R idiots blocking roads

[Mito Man]

Ordnance Survey says the UK motorway network has 666 junctions. Realistically you’d only need to block half the slip roads to completely get it out of action and this could probably be done effectively with just 1200 people.

If a country which doesn’t like us very much wants to really mess with us, say Russia or China, that is a very practical way of just killing the economy right there with no consequences for them

[jamcg]

Everyone in this country has the right to peaceful protest. I would argue that what they do is not peaceful- I would say it’s disturbing the peace and should be arrested, charged and fined as such

[DaveE]

Ordnance Survey says the UK motorway network has 666 junctions

There's a conspiracy theory waiting to happen.

The devil owns the motorways!

Repent!

[Explosive Newt]

The police did eventually shut them down.

In fact I heard on the news that someone had to be carried off after “going floppy” which seemed harsh to me - I would struggle to keep it up at the side of the M25 too, although you never know when the passions will strike.

[DaveE]

IMO, we should support the right of people to protest - whether we agree with them or not

And by definition almost, protests cause disruption - if you didn't it out in the country where it bothered no one, it wouldn't really have the same effect.

And yes, a lady missed an operation because of someone's direct actions - but everything we do has consequences. Someone driving slowly on a motorway can cause a tailback that might have the same end result.

In the same way, we have no idea of the potential positive impacts we have either. A kind word to a stranger etc.

And yes, I've been inconvenienced by people, and it pissed me off, but IMO the alternative is worse - the state (police) restricting the right to protest, or worse, the public being able to physically intervene.

I know this all may sound a bit "perfect world" and I know that's not where we live....

[Simon]

Ordnance Survey says the UK motorway network has 666 junctions. Realistically you’d only need to block half the slip roads to completely get it out of action and this could probably be done effectively with just 1200 people.

If a country which doesn’t like us very much wants to really mess with us, say Russia or China, that is a very practical way of just killing the economy right there with no consequences for them

Christ David, don't give the fuckers ideas.

On a related note I cheered loudly when one of the soap dodgers got dragged off the tube train roof by irate east-londoners a couple of years or so back.

[Pete_]

Doesn't matter if it's XR or the far right, there needs to be a consistent approach for all protests. We can debate what the 'best' approach would be, but I have a feeling the right wingers would be the most butt hurt if the PCSC Bill came into effect.

[Simon]

Here's said vid to brighten your day.



After the first is dragged off "you're next you cunt". Lovely stuff.

If you play stupid games you're gonna win stupid prizes.

[Rich B]

IMO, we should support the right of people to protest - whether we agree with them or not

And by definition almost, protests cause disruption - if you didn't it out in the country where it bothered no one, it wouldn't really have the same effect.

And yes, a lady missed an operation because of someone's direct actions - but everything we do has consequences. Someone driving slowly on a motorway can cause a tailback that might have the same end result.

In the same way, we have no idea of the potential positive impacts we have either. A kind word to a stranger etc.

And yes, I've been inconvenienced by people, and it pissed me off, but IMO the alternative is worse - the state (police) restricting the right to protest, or worse, the public being able to physically intervene.

I know this all may sound a bit "perfect world" and I know that's not where we live....

what about people's right to stop the protest then? If you're pushing for the rights of one group to be able to break laws to demonstrate what they think, it opens up the other side to break laws too.

[Jobbo]

You can block their route home in protest, Rich.

[Simon]

Rich is right. Does your protest actually break laws. AFAIK deliberately blocking the carriageway is an offense. So protest or not, it's arrest for you. Same for blocking Oxford Street or the road into an airport.

Wanna protest? Go make some noise outside Downing Street or outside whatever lunatic country's embassy is pissing you off. Crack on. Wanna hold traffic hostage with its myriad unknown consequences? Then it's arrest and criminal record. Actions have consequences.

[Rich B]

You can block their route home in protest, Rich.

out of interest, is there any right to stop crime happening? Like a "using reasonable force" type thing?

[Mito Man]

What seems odd to me is that the police do eventually arrest them/move them on but it seems to take them 3 hours to do it. With XR the nutters had glued themselves to the roads and there were thousands of them which took a while to sort out but this is just a small bunch of people sitting on a road…

[Jobbo]

You can block their route home in protest, Rich.

out of interest, is there any right to stop crime happening? Like a "using reasonable force" type thing?

Not really - you can use a bit of self-help to pass a blockage on a highway though so pushing them out of the way without injuring them is legal.

[Rich B]

You can block their route home in protest, Rich.

out of interest, is there any right to stop crime happening? Like a "using reasonable force" type thing?

Not really - you can use a bit of self-help to pass a blockage on a highway though so pushing them out of the way without injuring them is legal.

so if a couple of big lads carried them out of the road, no laws broken? I guess the police are just shitting themselves because there's so many cameras on them.

[integrale_evo]

Massive digger with the bucket lined with mattresses would be my solution.

Scoop them up and dump them in a river.

[nuttinnew]

Walk up to them calmly showing interest. Ask to be educated about their cause.

[Broccers]

Massive digger with the bucket lined with mattresses would be my solution.

Scoop them up and dump them in a river.

Granted.

[jamcg]

What seems odd to me is that the police do eventually arrest them/move them on but it seems to take them 3 hours to do it. With XR the nutters had glued themselves to the roads and there were thousands of them which took a while to sort out but this is just a small bunch of people sitting on a road…

They’re terrified of getting a wrongful arrest charge thrown at them and getting dragged in front of a court as fucking everything is filmed on a smartphone these days and twisted to suite someone’s narrative.

As with every situation if they make enough noise that the bottom rung employees did something bad, whether it is bad or not they’ll be used as a scapegoat to sweep it under the carpet, so if it’s not career ending, it’ll certainly prevent progression

[Gavin]

That explains the Daily Mash headline I saw "Gammon more annoyed by XR road closure than by roads by flooding" Going by some of the answers on here....

It may well be a pain but we are not far off being seriously fucked as a planet so trotting out Daily Heil style BS is probably not going to do much good. Not sure how being concerned about the planet makes it a "leftie" cause though. Does that mean right wing are absolutely thick pricks who don't care about the planet?