So our prisons are so overfilled that we're letting some people out early, but we have space for this?
Well obviously.. What's more important? The well being of the population, or the ability of the ruling class to suppress any resistance? Gotta keep those oil barons happy!
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable“ - John F. Kennedy
I want a peaceful revolution more than anything, but it’s clear that it’s impossible. Join the IWW today.
So you've tried basically nothing and are ready to reach for a gun?
I’m doing a lot, I’m a trained union representative in the IWW and I’ve been active for a few years there. Lots of grass roots organising and direct action. But this isn’t about me, it’s about systemic issues and those in power aren’t going to be willing to give up that power without a fight. We have to be ready for that fight or we will lose and have to deal with the consequences. Do you think violence was justified against fascism in the 20th century? If so, why not in the 21st?
I don't know what the laws are like in the UK concerning firearm ownership, but I can't imagine they're on the side of arming the peasantry.
You can obtain guns, but there are limits and requirements to try to make sure they're being stored properly and only bought in reasonable numbers for legitimate purpose.
I assume if you write in "I want to provide security for protestors" on your application, they wouldn't be too inclined to consider it a legitimate purpose.
By and large guns don't provide security.
There are a lot more creative ways to protest violently though!
It's not about protesting with the intent to commit violence. I think the police would be less inclined to escalate things if people were carrying long guns at the perimeter of the protest. It's easy to commit violence against a group of people if you're reasonably sure they're all unarmed.
I think we kinda misunderstand what the other person is saying/what they imagine the outcome to be. There's a crass culture difference here.
In the UK (and presumably most other European countries) the police would 100% escalate things if they see someone with a gun near a large aggregation of people. Carrying guns like that is simply illegal and the only reasonable deduction is that you carry a gun because you want to use it - i.e. you are about to commit murder.
Police violence against protesters is usually limited to water cannons and tear gas, maybe rubber bullets. Protester violence is rare, sometimes throwing rocks, maybe Molotov cocktails and burning cars.
Police violence against protesters is usually limited to water cannons and tear gas, maybe rubber bullets. Protester violence is rare, sometimes throwing rocks, maybe Molotov cocktails and burning cars.
It's the same in the US. The question is "How do you organize your protest such that the police won't attempt to disperse/subdue you and give you a 5 year prison sentence?" The power the police (and the state in general) has is derived from their ability to commit violence without reprisal. That's how it works in every country on Earth. The only meaningful way to deter them is to be organized in a way that says "We have protection. Fuck around and find out."
I would assume the police would have the tools to fend off people using "mechanical weapons," like bows, maces, spears, etc. They also have gas masks and the like to deal with chemical agents, like pepper spray. I'm not an advocate for using fire or explosives as a weapon, as they tend to cause too much collateral damage. So what else is there to be done than having a number of people carry around firearms, possibly loaded with less-than-lethal rounds (if they're even legal), and hope that they won't have to use them?
The reality of the situation, as far as I'm aware, is that the state has grown tired of people protesting. They're sending out their goons to subdue people with violence (or the threat of violence) and ruin their lives with indefensibly-long prison sentences. Marching around completely defenseless while under this type of rule is pure folly.
They would not be amused.
4-5 years in prison each for discussing a highway protest (that never happened) on a Zoom call...
The article seems poorly worded as it did happen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c880xjx54mpo
Even then it looks like the police stopped the traffic. The protestors were just up in the sign poles holding their own signs for people to read. It's not safe but to blame them for the actions of the police? That's crazy town.
I've seen people caught in paedophile hunter sting operations get less prison time than Just Stop Oil did.
the people who give the sentences can only sympathize with one of these groups.
"Just fight for the government you want" says the liberals ignoring that every time anyone even tries to think about changing things this happens.
Nothing can change while those ruling think keeping order and decorum is better than having to listen and change.
Oh fun, cause a serious ecological disaster and give the ultra rich an excuse to take even more money from the government for repairs plus they get to ratchet up security using our money, probably let them silence meaningful arguments by labeling people terrorists too.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (film):
[...] to prevent local pollution by shutting off the pipeline flow [...]
You can hit, rape, and kill other peasants but god forbid you dare touch the profits of our owners.
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