Mick, I can’t comment on your assertion about the nature of the protest & protesters. But I saw the Police at Fiveways and they were fired up, aggressive, and spoiling for a fight. However perhaps the greatest contrast is between your calm, articulate comment and the imbecile’s one line insult delivered yesterday by an employee of the Police. It all points to one thing – people don’t listen when you shout, and they tend to bloody-mindedly take the opposite point of view, even if it’s not heart-felt, when you resort to any kind of violence. By the time you’ve even prepared to raise your voice, you’ve lost the argument. And of course that applies whichever side of the fence you’re on.

If the police had allowed the marchs progression we would have been out of the town very quickly causing minimal issues. The people dancing on the store at the pier at the end of the day were mostly local kids. We took precautions in regards to the public, for example, telling everyone to go around the childrens park rather than through it. The police were outnumbered but continually blocked routes rather than minimise disorder.

I feel the protest was proportionate given the fact the EDO factory makes weapons delivery systems to be used in illegal wars and McDonalds owns 16,000 shares in EDO. A million people or more marched in London against the war in Iraq, but it went ahead. Complying with the powers that be leaves your cause ignored; doing the opposite gets you negative publicity but you have to get the issue out somehow. If you think we got it wrong, my challenge to you is to get out on the streets and show us how its done.

So good, you said it twice. Ah well, at least you spelled my name correctly the second time.

Such brilliant, intelligent, incisive debate, Jamie. Well done.

What an excellent idea – perhaps we should take a vote on it?! 🙂

Too many people are convinced our politicians are beyond help and the act of giving away your power once every four years does not represent a sufficient stake in the power making process.

Its this disconnect that protest has always been about addressing, and its been a vital part of the democratic process.

If i could make a single change to our society it would be remove our elected politicians and replace them with an internet based system of open voting for specific issues.

You’re so right, on every count. Self-policing sounds stupid, but if it worked they’d have the admiration of the public on their side. As for which laws you’d uphold – now there’s a slippery slope!
Yes, people are apathetic. Most people don’t care either way on most things, and it’d cause them hernias if you pressed them to express an original opinion borne of individual thought. Yes, people don’t feel empowered to change anything. It’s strange, given all the new opportunities presented by the Internet for freedom of speech, debate and self-publishing. We really need to start making ordinary people realise that they have as much of a voice as they want – but that that voice should always speak, never shout, and to always be connected to listening ears and an open mind.

With the amount of apathy and (in the nicest way) ignorance, i encountered, is it better to have people talking about your issue even in a negative light rather than completely ignored.

However i dont believe the ignorance and apathy of the public come from a genuine lack of care about the issues. Most people seem to be of the opinion what is the point of protesting when you know it cant change anything.

Yes it’s true, the protestors didn’t exactly get their point across clearly to the people of Brighton, or indeed the rest of the country. But thugs will always be drawn to a good fight, and this was no exception.

1,000,000 march peacefully in london to protest out involvement in the Iraq war. No result.

Thousands peacefully form a climate camp protest at the g20. Although bigger than the violent protests, it attracts little media attention. Having agreed with police to a 48 hour protest – it is instead violently evicted by police during the evening once the bored media journalists have left.

A few young kids learn over a few years that by extreme acts of violence they can attract the worlds media attention, and so do, and do.

It was the same in Paris the day Sarkozy got elected, there where riots and burning cars, and it was pretty much 100% kids doing it.

So where lies the middle ground for those who wish to make a stand on these issues. Peaceful and your issues are ignored. Violent and you are not ignored but your issues will be replaced by only discussion of violence.

Personally i spent the day talking to shop keepers and passerby about the reasons people where protesting. I found *nobody* who knew about the issues involve, the closest i found was one group of lads who told me its about banning the bomb – very 70s(!?). I found that once told 100% of shop keepers expressed support, although few thought it would change anything. Out of the passers by less interest was shown in the issues.

I don’t think I’ve got it wrong at all. I don’t hold protests, or indeed join in with them. Never mind the protestors – they’re just anti-establishment anarchists. But the Police scare people – people who are nothing to do with the protest – I’ve seen that with my own eyes.

Tell you what, we’ll stop coming to your protests and see how it all pans out.