Protest Marches

Blisterman

Am I the only one who doesn't see the point of these? They hold up traffic, annoy people and make them late. Hows that gonna make them be on your side?
I understand that people should be free to protest, but why do they have to protest on the streets? They could protest in a public square, a park,or somewhere.

Most of them are pretty pointless anyway. I don't know what difference an anti war march in Ireland, a country that isn't even involved in the war is gonna make.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but I want to hear other people's opinions on this.

Love

A lot of them are to raise awareness. Which is why they march in the streets

whiskeyman

Lets reclaim the streets!!!



Give it back to cars and get the marching masses off them...

the_syco

Blisterman wrote:

Most of them are pretty pointless anyway. I don't know what difference an anti war march in Ireland, a country that isn't even involved in the war is gonna make.

Protests generate publicity. As for the anti-war marches, if it wasn't for them, I doubt Al Qaeda would have recently marked Ireland as a suitable bombing target. Thanks to the anti-war protesters, Ireland may soon be bombed. F*cking hippies.

Blisterman

You can raise awareness in lots of ways other than marching in the streets. You could set up a booth on the footpath, getting people to sign a petition or something, like a lot of people do. You could take out ads in the press (Although I've never seen anyone actually do this).

Use your imagination.

seamus

If they protested in a park, the only people who'd notice are the ones who used the park.

The point of a protest is to raise awareness. Part of the reason for going on strike, for example, is to put pressure on the employer because the employer's customers, and anyone else inconvenienced, will also put pressure on the employer. Thus, people who normally wouldn't give a rat's ass about the worker's plight get embroiled in the issue.

The same applies to marches. By causing disruption, those affected by the disruption would (hopefully) put pressure on the responsible party to do something about the disruption (i.e. the march), which is the point of marching in the first place - effecting change through protest.

If you will, protesting is terrorism's nicer, calmer, less ambitious little brother.

Blisterman

What about those anti capitalism marches?
Am I supposed to become a communist because I'm sick of their marches?

xzanti

sometimes its the only way for people who are extremely frustrated to get their point across without resorting to violence...

Blisterman

They should write protest songs, like they did in the 60s.

BadAcidStudios

"Most of them are pretty pointless anyway. I don't know what difference an anti war march in Ireland, a country that isn't even involved in the war is gonna make."

Are you serious. People in ireland were marching because they shared the same values as the rest of the world who also marched, a march against an illegal war. It was also a protest against Shannon being used by the US Airforce. Open your eyes mate

When i marched in the antiwar protest it was my way of showing Bertie that i as an irishman and human being was against the war. As there was no public vote on whether shannon should be used or not this was a way i could voice my opinion. Its people like you who sit at home and do nothing that reminds me that some people are just willing to let the government do whatever they want even though this is supposed to be a democracy

Love

Well said.

seamus

Blisterman wrote:

What about those anti capitalism marches?
Am I supposed to become a communist because I'm sick of their marches?

That's their intent, essentially.

grumpytrousers

the_syco wrote:

Protests generate publicity. As for the anti-war marches, if it wasn't for them, I doubt Al Qaeda would have recently marked Ireland as a suitable bombing target. Thanks to the anti-war protesters, Ireland may soon be bombed. F*cking hippies.

How does that work, then?

Haven't done many marches in me time...did the anti-war one in London a few years ago with a few pals. Why? I suppose I'd voted in the last election there, and I'd voted Labour. I didn't approve of what was happening re Iraq and faced with the choice of either

a) sitting at home, scratching my 'nads and muttering 'careful now, down with this sort of thing' or
b) getting off my hole and saying out loud 'I don't agree with this'

I plumped for option b. Was there any point?, probably not. But, if I may get a mite philosophical here, as Edmund Burke said 'All that is needed for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing'.

I'm not sure that I'm a dictionary definition of a 'good man', or anything, but that's it...

boneless

I march to annoy people... mainly governments and big business people. The right to march is one we should be prepared to fight for. It would suit the powers if people just sat back without protesting.

As someone pointed out above, sometimes it is the only way of getting your point across. In the absence of a vote something has to done to register complaint or dismay.

Ag marbh

Blisterman wrote:

Am I the only one who doesn't see the point of these? They hold up traffic, annoy people and make them late. Hows that gonna make them be on your side?
I understand that people should be free to protest, but why do they have to protest on the streets? They could protest in a public square, a park,or somewhere.

Most of them are pretty pointless anyway. I don't know what difference an anti war march in Ireland, a country that isn't even involved in the war is gonna make.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but I want to hear other people's opinions on this.

Don't be so apatethic and non uinderstanding now.

Social disruption is good and I love doing it.

Ag marbh

the_syco wrote:

Protests generate publicity. As for the anti-war marches, if it wasn't for them, I doubt Al Qaeda would have recently marked Ireland as a suitable bombing target. Thanks to the anti-war protesters, Ireland may soon be bombed. F*cking hippies.

Errr??? Im very confused...

Bluetonic

the_syco wrote:

Protests generate publicity. As for the anti-war marches, if it wasn't for them, I doubt Al Qaeda would have recently marked Ireland as a suitable bombing target. Thanks to the anti-war protesters, Ireland may soon be bombed. F*cking hippies.

The scene from father ted where the Vatican were deciding if the holy stone was to be upgraded to a class C relic.

Al Qaeda 1 "What about Ireland?"

Al Queda 2 "Ah, whatever"

Terry

there was something in the paper last week about Ireland being a legitimate target for al-qaeda. i think that's where the_syco is coming from.

as for protest marches; i would take part, but i suffer from severe agorophobia (not kidding), although i would only take part if it was for something worthy. not like those reclaim the street hippie jobless bum****er marchers. the anti-war ones? keep them in shannon, preferably on the runway. go there and don't let the planes land or die trying. i would, but i'm afraid of dying.

do they still have those rallies in front of the G.P.O. on saturdays? i used to enjoy laughing at the dudes on the podium.

Dinner

I hate marches and public displays of all kinds including (but not limited to) strikes and protests. I dont care if someone wants to show they disaprove of something, thats fine by me, but do it in a way where you dont hold up the country.

If you block roads and streets you are just blocking normal people like yourself who just want to get on with life. Some of them may even agree with you but they cant march because of life or whatever.

In short, I despise protests of all kind. Including ones that I agree with.

Blisterman

Yeah, I meant to say, I don't disagree all the time with what they're marching about, but still, I don't like any marches.

Ag marbh

Arabel wrote:

I hate marches and public displays of all kinds including (but not limited to) strikes and protests. I dont care if someone wants to show they disaprove of something, thats fine by me, but do it in a way where you dont hold up the country.

If you block roads and streets you are just blocking normal people like yourself who just want to get on with life. Some of them may even agree with you but they cant march because of life or whatever.

In short, I despise protests of all kind. Including ones that I agree with.

Causing a disruption is part of it. Getting noticed, putting people out of there way. Would your ideal protest be a gathering on a green and collecting letters to be sent to the various departments of whatever?

@julep
I attend the street parties whenever they're on and I have a good job and couldnt be further away than a hippy. It's a day where you get to do what you normally wouldnt like drink on the street and all sorts of amusing things rather than make a big demonstration on a certain topic.

BadAcidStudios

the_syco wrote:

Protests generate publicity. As for the anti-war marches, if it wasn't for them, I doubt Al Qaeda would have recently marked Ireland as a suitable bombing target. Thanks to the anti-war protesters, Ireland may soon be bombed. F*cking hippies.

Apart from the Op's first post, this is probably the most retarded thing i have ever read. Do you really think that the anti-war marches raised More awareness to Al Qaeda, the whole world marched. Do you really expect the whole world to hide in their homes and keep quiet incase Al Qaeda find out. If Ireland is a target it is because our Government allowed US warplanes to refuel in Shannon to continue this illegal war. These planes were used to drop weapons of mass destruction and chemical weapons on innocent families in a war supposedly against "weapons of mass destruction and Chemical weapons". The people of Ireland united and took to the streets to show their disgust at the american and Irish Government.

It is not the protesters who may of made us a possible target ,it is our own Government.

Should we all give up our morals and be quiet and allow the US to use our country as a Refueling depot. Would you prefer to keep quiet and help our government hide it. Its up to the people of this country to make it more honest and humaine.

And i dont think Al qaeda needed a march to alert them to the fact that we are allowing US planes to refuel here.

If you saw a woman being attacked on the street, would you walk by and do nothing becaue you are afraid of getting hurt?