Two teenagers were arrested during a day of action against education cuts in Colchester town centre. College students blocked traffic in Colchester High Street and North Hill as they protested about government cuts.And yet, only two were arrested? I guess that spells doom for any whinging about 'lack of license to demonstrate' and 'our growing police state', then...
At its peak about 500 to 600 students waving placards were in the town’s high street, bringing traffic to a standstill.
The crowd passed peacefully along High Street to Castle Park but once in the park, groups of demonstrators broke off and returned to the High Street to stage a sit-down protest outside the town hall. They remained there for about an hour until they were forced down West Stockwell Street by police on foot and horseback and back to North Hill where they eventually dispersed about 3pm.Via the miracle of the Internet, we can hear first-hand from the parents of these students, disgusted at their disruptive behav…
Oh.
Not ‘mumof4girls, stanway’ it seems:
I have just had to go and collect my daughter and her friend, both of whom were quite upset.What did you think they were going to do, you dozy mare, when your spoilt little brat refused to move? Say 'Oh, OK then...' perhaps, and turn around to the waiting motorists with a shrug and a 'Well, we asked nicely..'?
They are both studying for their A levels at the Sixth Form college and both are very bright, intelligent young woman.
They took part in the protest in the High Street and I was horrified to hear how they were treated by the so called people who are there to protect them. I sat in astonishment, while they told me how they were physically picked up and moved by the police. They were given a 5 second warning to get up.They were sitting peacefully protesting, which surely isnt a crime in itself. They were not being violent or causing harm to anyone. They were also told if they didnt get up they would be arrested, something which has horrified my daughter. They were also physically pushed by the Police and my daughters friend who had a sign reading "dont cut our EMA" was physically picked up and shoved him. In my daughter and her friends words, he was yanked about just because he had a sign.
I do NOT agree with violence in these protests and do not condone any sort of violence. I do however, feel maybe the police antagonise these young people sometimes. I am absolutely disgusted by the behaviour of violent silly students who spoil protests, but today I am equally dusgusted by the policeman who were supposedly protecting the peaceful students !
I think we can see why they've grown up into obnoxious little hellions who believe the world owes them a living and they should never be forced to hear the word 'No' applied to them then...
And then ‘pinkish’ wades in:
Yes, those motorists and shoppers and shop workers going about their lawful business should just sit down and shut up while a group of massively over-indulged and privileged-beyond-belief students create havoc over 'cuts' that won't even affect them...And then ‘pinkish’ wades in:
As the parent of a student at the sixth form college who was also at the demonstration today, i take offence at the labelling of the demonstrators as spoilt and selfish. These young people, like the rest of us, have been let down and lied to by a government that the majority of us voted against. They are seeing their future opportunities and their right to an education snatched away from them, and they have every right to protest. It's those who are complaining about being slightly inconvenienced that are the selfish ones.
And as Sam Duncan at 'Counting Cats...' points out, an education is NOT a 'right'. It's a privilege. Or, in their cases, yet another privilege...
An excellent point.
ReplyDeleteSay 'Oh, OK then...' perhaps, and turn around to the waiting motorists with a shrug and a 'Well, we asked nicely..'?
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, this is what happens with demonstrators of no appearance.
This sanctimonious, spoilt bunch (and their parents) are not helping the overall cause.
ReplyDeleteSad stuff Julia -I don't agree the slant, yet I often feel this way. It's easy enough to hate youth, or the cabin crew who screw up your holiday flight.
ReplyDeleteI almost feel 'I expect more from you young woman' on this - though with intent that we would both collapse in howls of laughter!
The farce is well-exposed, yet surely the answer is not to prevent protest or for cops to treat protesters badly, even if they are spoiled brats.
We used to practice these techniques on each other. I can tell you that the sit down protesters would have been given a fair warning, which may even been read from a card.
ReplyDeleteIf they refuse to move after the warnings it goes hands on.
Just thinking that the Police may not have been in a position to arrest them all for obstruction, but they could well be reviewing video tape to see who can be identified. Sounds as if mumof4girls has helped ID two of them......
Wonder what will happen on Tues......
I think some of the problem might be for a third party, such as the police, (as opposed to the actaul overly indulgent and unrealistic parents who will excuse them) to tell if they are "Innocent" protestors - or less innocent protestors.
ReplyDeleteMaybe some of them could be either, depending on the opportunity being available to run riot or not.
"To be fair, this is what happens with demonstrators of no appearance."
ReplyDeleteQuite!
"This sanctimonious, spoilt bunch (and their parents) are not helping the overall cause."
No, they aren't. And every new demo that lapses into (well planned?) violence tarnishes it still further.
"...yet surely the answer is not to prevent protest or for cops to treat protesters badly, even if they are spoiled brats."
But they don't seem to be doing anything like that. In fact, they seem to be very 'hands off' in comparison to the policing of the G20 riots.
Odd...
"I can tell you that the sit down protesters would have been given a fair warning..."
ReplyDeleteIn their world, though, orders are merely suggestions, which they are free to argue or ignore. That's what they've been used to.
"Maybe some of them could be either, depending on the opportunity being available to run riot or not."
I don't doubt there are some who get 'caught up in the moment'. But I also think there's a hard core of serious people intent on maximum disruption.
I'm getting a tad annoyed hearing constant complaints that they are being denied an education. THEY HAVE ALL HAD AN EDUCATION - what they seem to think is their "right" is to have FURTHER education.
ReplyDeleteAnd when you read about employers having to run classes for new workers to give them adequate reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, it would be nice to think our taxes had been put to better use.
Thinking about it, for many middle class students their experience is probably that orders from authority figures can be safely ignored, circumvented, or negotiated into something else. Some give the impression they think the world owes them a living. They have importance
ReplyDeleteThe Authority figures mostly being parents and teachers, are probably fairly laid back. An instruction is issued. The student or child considers it, possibly disagrees - there is then time to argue, negotiate, or throw a tantrum - and taking their time shows they cant be hurried.
A nasty surprise running up agianst the real world one suspects. A case of "who do they think they are treating us/my child like that".