Trout

iTrader: (1)

I drove up from York to Newcastle today and was amazed by the police presence in service stations and in town when we got there. The whole of the city centre (which is a huge perimeter) was ringed by police. There were even more than on a bad match day!

It became clear that there were two groups - the UAF who were having a rally and some rather noisier and significantly more yobbish EDL. At the end there were around a 1,000 in each group and large parts of the city centre was closed including many of the pubs in the Bigg Market.

The HUGE police presence prevented some of the trouble seen elsewhere and the police seemed to be funnelling the EDL into a highly controlled pen opposite the Central Station. The UAF were left much more to their own devices.

In spite of the EDL declaring themselves as simply against Sharia law, the behaviour was generally more generally racist than this single issue.





Protest


PS At one point some police (from the five forces present) got out of their Volvo and left the engine running and door open as they wandered off down the street to talk to their mates. I was so tempted just for a moment to drive off with it!

my94wrx

iTrader: (4)

glad it wasn't next weekend as i am up there on a stag do, there was a documentary about this the other week on bbc 'i watched the repeat on bbc3' you would be amazed at the splinter groups and others giving the old bnp chants and the **** salutes and racist remarks, when the organizers saw this they were quick enough to tell them to do one.

Lee247

I saw a bunch of skinheads following a traditionally dressed Muslim family down the front street of Chester le Street today. Chanting and being really nasty!!!!
Why!!!!!
Live and let live is my motto.
Oh and Sharia law will never happen in our Country, so why do people insist on getting upset about it???

Trout

iTrader: (1)

As I am not entirely 'white' I got some abuse as I drove past the EDL bull pen. The car was getting lots of admiring looks and then they focused on me and the whole tone changed. Abusive would be being kind to them!

Truda said it was probably worse for her - I was born this way but she had chosen to be with me!

It also gives to the lie that the EDL on 'only' against Sharia law...

The Rig

iTrader: (13)

Dont see a problem with it, if Muslims can protest at coming home parades, then the EDL can protest as they like IMO

Free country,free protest, free will, free speech (oh wait, scrap that last one)

Trout

iTrader: (1)

So you think that is fine that as I drive through a city on my reasonable business that I get shouted at and abused with threats of violence? Truda was very worried that we may have got stuck in traffic next to the main group. Is that not a problem? *

That is the one thing missed one thing off your list. Free violence?

If you check out the media on EDL 'protests' they are more often than not associated with random acts of destruction and violence.

So, unfortunately the EDL don't seem to be able to protest without tens of thousands being spent on absurd levels of Police presence.

As I observed yesterday - the 'other' side - the Unite Against Fascism had a peaceful rally, some music, some speeches and a much more limited Police presence.

It was like predator and prey with the EDL running around in groups 'stalking' the UAF, trying to break through the police lines.

At least to my eyes, that is the problem with it - right wing groups 'seem' to be much more likely associated with violence than moderate or left wing movements.


* I am not a Muslim and I don't even remotely look like a Muslim - so why do I get abused by a group who are theoretically only against one dimension of Muslim belief?

bigsinky

your freedom is only an illusion. we are never free to do what we want.

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

I saw all the cops yesterday as I was driving past St James Park, & thought there was a match on, but there were coppers patrolling a lot further out of the the town centre than usual on a match day.

I thought there may have been a Dunkin Donuts grand opening

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Try going to a country that really limits freedom and you will see the folly of your remarks!

bigsinky

i was being all mystical n thought provoking n well read. With Super Unleaded at 141.9 round my way nothing is really free ffs

bigsinky

ahhh Trout, you only need to be slightly "tinted" to be on the wrong end of a mouthful from these guys. the fact that you drove by in a GT3 probably didn't help matters either

The Zohan

I am not a fan of the UAF or EDL or any extremist groups really. A Uk under the control of any of there groups would be a terrible, scarey place.

However, as you point out you do just put one side Trout, the EDL attracts and seems happy to have its own share thugs and loons.

Google Weyman Bennett sometime, head of the UAF and a far-left nutter himself - just as bad as the EDL, just as bad as the BNP and all should be allowed to protest and show their true colours (so to speak) so people can make up their own minds.

All as bad as each other IMHO.

GC8

Probably fitted with a Dipol David. I had one fitted to my 968 in the early nineties; and Id probably have one fitted to a GT3, if I owned one.


Simon

Leslie

I can understand your feelings Trout and agree with what you say.

If we want to live in a reasonable society, we can only expect that there will be some rules for behaviour to go with it. We have to recognise that we can't just do exactly what we like without reference to other people's feelings. It is all down to what we would see as good behaviour and manners coupled with thought for other people as well as ourselves.

Behaving like a prat shouting at people because they are a bit different etc. is certainly not included in that. Its a matter of live and let live as long as others are not doing anything anti social etc. We are all entitled to our own beliefs and lives coupled with tact and tolerance.

This sort of thinking seems to be disappearing in so many ways now, there was a time when it was regarded as a normal way of life and we could all co-exist without any significant problems showing up.

Les

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Paul,

I can only go by what I saw.

The UAF were being pretty peaceful and the police were leaving them to their own devices. They weren't looking for trouble specifically (or at least behaved that way).

The EDL on the other hand were trying to break through police lines, shouting abuse and generally being yobbish.

In the last few months the EDL have not garnered the best of reputations.

Trout

The Zohan

I do think they are both as bad as each other with some dangerous and vile people just there an 'in it' for trouble.

I do think it a real shame that you where abused verbally your other half felt threatened on the streets of the UK. I understand your POV and you can only go on what you see

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

coin spins both ways ,, try being white and walking through some cities in this once great country . its just a small part of human nature all be it a rarther vulgar small part

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I think it still is a great country

Maz

iTrader: (34)

It is a great country. It's a shame we have some people hell bent on destroying the very ideals that made this country great.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Both on the streets as proved yesterday and also in the houses of parliament.

Maz

iTrader: (34)

It's not confined to any one group unfortunately. What's it going to take for people to start toeing the line?! I'm all for freedom but sometimes people are given too much freedom. Conversely on occasion we are denied basic rights on stupid and illogical grounds.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

I'd agree with that.

The Zohan

+2

itr786

It is still a great country. Was in Bolton city centre yesterday (heard there was a nice curry house there) on my way back from the lake district, and saw first hand the meaning of 'white trash'. The quicker their taken care off, the better.

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

You are either a troll or a moron, every post you have made seems to be stirring things up in threads like this.

my94wrx

iTrader: (4)

fool!

itr786

My translation seems to have gotten lost somewhere; What I was trying to say was... The chavy towns around England which consist of 'white trash' that are stretching the police force to its limits on Friday/Saturday nights and clogging up hospitals with their yobbish behaviour whilst intoxicated is what is turning this country into a ****hole. They NEED to be taken care off.

Hope I've cleared up any misunderstanding from my previous post .

Dingdongler

There was an interesting programme on the EDL week before last called 'white, english and angry', or something like that. Was well made and well researched, worth trying to see if you can find it on the web.

The EDL are far more 'interesting' than the BNP in that they have a number of black and muslim members. Their main spokesman is an Indian sikh called Guramit Singh!

When they first start to talk they seem quite 'reasonable' in that they want a balance in society and have issues only with Islamic fundamentalism and its effects in this country.The leaders insist they have no problem with immigrants in general, just the disproportionate effect they feel they may have in some parts of life.

The problem is 90% of its followers are beer swilling, baseball hat wearing brainless morons. They would probably not read anything other than The Daily Star and wouldn't know a muslim from a sikh, jew, buddhist etc

They seem to view the rallies like football matches, ie drinking lots of beer and chanting lots of rude and aggressive songs

Petem95

Sharia law is more and more common in this country now. There are now Sharia courts in places like Dewsbury, Birmingham, Bradford etc.

Dingdongler

Do they have any power over you and me? ie non muslims.

Have an Sharia laws been passed into UK law?