Minority Report is here, and not in a cool way

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

Excuse me?

 

Well, I do disagree with your style of arguing sometimes, but this time I couldn't have said it better myself.

[The Mad Monkey]

You are very biased by your ill feelings towards this event.

 

This happens all of the time. We had a big student protest this year, and people who were particularly troublesome got arrested. It makes sense to me, they could have hurt someone, and I believe they were defacing/damaging property.

 

It's like the Westboro crazies picketing at people's funerals. Do you not agree that there should be an area restriction so that they can't get too close?

 

There will always be people getting arrested at protests, and rightfully so. If they were really warming up to a police state, they would arrest EVERYONE involved. Not just "three anti-capitalist activists".

 

You're free to criticise it, but I think you're getting a bit out of perspective?

 

It's on the way, the police state that is, the police FIT teams are watching people all the time, anybody who attended more than one protest gets attention from them. The right to free speech will be slowly taken away from us, this is just the start. The actual wedding itself I admittedly have a problem with, not the idea of two people getting married, but what it represents. A distraction from the sad state of affairs this country is in.

 

Cost the nation a fortune? I thought it was announced that the families themselves were paying for it.

 

What families would that be, the ones we pay our taxes to?

 

Admittedly we are funding the security but it's been calculated to cost each taxpayer an extra £1. I know I don't like paying a whole pound extra for a wedding that has nothing to do with me and that I don't care about but that's the cost of protecting public figures. An extra £1 isn't going to make much of a difference as a one-off event.

 

This is just what I've found out from Google so if I'm wrong do let me know.

 

 

Pretty sure you've got your figures wrong, factor in what we're paying for the wedding too.

 

Hahahahahahahahaha

 

I think it's funnier that you're ignorant of what is coming.

[The Peeps]

What are we paying for the wedding? Every article I've looked at says the wedding itself is being paid for by the royal family (out of personal fortunes) and the brides family (who I don't believe we pay taxes to do we?).

 

Oh please do tell me what's coming. I promise I'll try and keep a straight face.

[Aimless]

So, how would you have the public react to a government decision they disagree with?

Just lie down and give up their rights?

First off, that's just my opinion on the majority of protests. I'm not suggesting they be banned, I simply don't approve of most of them; I don't drink alcohol, doesn't mean I'm lobbying for prohibition.

 

Protests are attention grabs. Their purpose is to make a scene, not present a coherent or valid argument. There are numerous other ways to contest things; ultimately protests are just a form of PR.

 

Anyway, stop being so melodramatic. We're hardly living in a police state simply because law enforcement are more vigilant about protests for a one-off occasion. In fact the very notion is somewhat insulting to those people in the world that are genuinely oppressed.

[The Peeps]

It's a security job rather than policing anyway so they will be broadening the terms with which they deal with people.

 

As I've already stated I don't think anyone should've been arrested but I think it would be justified to remove certain people from protests.

[The Mad Monkey]

 

Oh please do tell me what's coming. I promise I'll try and keep a straight face.

 

The right to voice an opinion against something you disagree with.

Oh wait, that already happened.

 

For the rest, just wait and see.

[The Peeps]

The right to voice an opinion against something you disagree with.

Oh wait, that already happened.

 

For the rest, just wait and see.

 

No it hasn't.

 

The rest? Again you're being vague and I suspect it's because you haven't thought of anything yet.

[The Mad Monkey]

As I've already stated I don't think anyone should've been arrested but I think it would be justified to remove certain people from protests.

 

 

But why, because they are figureheads of movements?

Didn't they do that to Nelson Mandela?

I suppose you agree with that too.

[The Peeps]

I think you're exaggerating things.

[Aimless]

Godwin's law to be invoked in: 3, 2...

[The Peeps]

I've resisted temptation so far ^

 

[The Mad Monkey]

I think you're exaggerating things.

 

Not really.

Free speech is free speech.

You may disagree with people using it at this time, but the governments action against it is clear.

[The Peeps]

I don't disagree with freedom of speech. It's not their opinions they've been arrested for.

 

It's not exactly a government decision though is it? The police are acting of their own accord, it's not like David Cameron ordered the police to arrest all protestors.

[The Mad Monkey]

I don't disagree with freedom of speech. It's not their opinions they've been arrested for.

 

It's not exactly a government decision though is it? The police are acting of their own accord, it's not like David Cameron ordered the police to arrest all protestors.

 

I'm sure there were directives put in place for the occasion by the government.

But it is their opinions they are being arrested for, as there has been no actual physical laws broken. Pre-crime is not yet an offence.

[Magnus]

This thread is ridiculous.

 

Just... wow.

[ipaul]

 

I dislike public protests. To me it's like swearing: an admission that you either have nothing interesting to say or lack the faculties to do so.

 

 

Less of that

[Emasher]

This is quite disturbing. Arresting law abiding protesters is never a good sign. In a democracy, everyone should be allowed to voice their opinion whenever they want. That's how democracy works. As long as you're not harming others, speech should be allowed.

 

In the west in general we seem to be loosing more and more freedoms everyday. In the US the constitution has effectively been suspended for nearly a decade by the patriot act, this sort of thing happening in the UK, and here in Canada, the Conservatives have said if they're elected again they're going to pass a bill within 100 days that makes it legal for the government to spy on us at the ISP level without any sort of warrant. I'm worried about what this all will turn into eventually. I'll proudly be voting Liberal on Monday.

 

Its sad that conspiracy theorists will go on and on about reptilians and inside jobs while real government based threats to our freedom are looking at us right in the eye.

[The Mad Monkey]

This thread is ridiculous.

 

It sure is.

Lets hope people remember when the government is doing the same to people protesting for student rights, or those of the disabled, because they will be the same people who are getting arrested now.

[LegoMan1031]

Sounds to me like they were arrested for potencial breace of the peace. Which is an arrestable offence if an officer can prove that their actions could lead to the peace being broken.

 

It doesn't happen everyday but obviously more attention is provided with these type of events.

 

E.G. They demostate a mock execution of a royal family member, other people don't like it and start shouting/fighting with them, the mockers fight back = a breace of the peace.

[MoogleViper]

Is Mad Monkey just trolling?

[Cube]

This is quite disturbing. Arresting law abiding protesters is never a good sign. In a democracy, everyone should be allowed to voice their opinion whenever they want. That's how democracy works. As long as you're not harming others, speech should be allowed.

 

Protests are a security issue. Which is pretty dangerous when near a place of immense terrorist interest.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

I'm the first to speak up when peaceful protesters have been unfairly treated, but in this case I think it was completely fair. Being obviously provoking is not the way to go if you want to make a peaceful protest.

[The Mad Monkey]

Sounds to me like they were arrested for potencial breace of the peace. Which is an arrestable offence if an officer can prove that their actions could lead to the peace being broken.

 

It doesn't happen everyday but obviously more attention is provided with these type of events.

 

E.G. They demostate a mock execution of a royal family member, other people don't like it and start shouting/fighting with them, the mockers fight back = a breace of the peace.

 

Nobody can predict the future.

This is where the problem starts.

Lets face it, in real situations of actual protest they do the worst possible thing by kettling and provoke a confrontation, we can't trust the police to predict when they next have a shit.

 

Is Mad Monkey just trolling?

 

No, I have real beliefs.

Don't like them, fine, no need to be cunt though.

[Happenstance]

Don't like them, fine, no need to be cunt though.

 

[Ashley]

Can we keep personal insults to a non-existent level please?