If you and four mates burned a pub down, you weren’t ‘just there and didn’t do anything’. You burned a fucking pub down. So your analogy is bullshit, in that it isn’t an analogy. You’ve described a criminal act. Being on a protest isn’t a criminal act.
Let’s try and adapt this.
You go to the pub. While you are there someone else sets fire to the pub. The police turn up and can’t identify who set fire to the pub. So they decide you look like the sort and twat you round the head with a baton and arrest you.
You shouldn’t have been in the pub. You were asking for trouble.
There has been something a bit unpleasant about Klopptimist’s arguments here this afternoon about how people on protests should expect to be batoned by the police for being there.
I’ve haven’t been able to put my finger on it.
Then I realised, it’s exactly the shit women have to deal with when it comes to rape and sexual assault.
What were you doing wearing that short skirt? Why were on your own in that part of town? Why did you let him buy you a drink?
“Do you want to build a strawman?” To the tune of Frozen’s second greatest song.
Some of us don’t think that protesters taunting and attacking the police is a sensible thing to do. Further, associating yourself with people who do (you know, standing next to them) might lead you to trouble. What’s tricky to understand here?
Unless of-course you’ve been (what was it?) a formal demonstration observer.
It seems to just be you that thinks it’s OK for the police to twat you if you’re near someone who commits a crime. I don’t think you can claim to be a movement on this one.
And I don’t think it’s a strawman either. You’re attitude towards being on a demo is that you’re asking for it if the police twat you. Are women asking for it if they go down a sketchy street and get attacked?
No, you’re not asking for it. Do please read what I post rather than infer what you think I mean. Otherwise here’s a pile of clothes and a bale of very corse hay.
As for your last point, why even ask? What’s the point? Why even attempt to insinuate otherwise?
You could protest for the right to straw-man of course, can I come and be an independent observer?
So, the Tories have declared the UK to be free of racism. Hurrah! Now we can sleep soundly in our unprejudiced country. That’ll show those lefty whingers.
I’ve been increasingly worried for some time to be honest.
We’re on a really dark path at the moment and it seems to be getting darker quicker. All current politics seems to be about creating division while shouting from the roof tops, flag in hand that we are together.