AnotherWorld

Well the whole world is as bad as each other. Muslim or Christian, Arab or American. We will never evolve to greater heights as long as we continue to act like ****ing morons. How can we if we just destroy each other due to fake religion?

The Dean

I notice the face of the copper in one of the pictures - a combination of boredom, disgust, and weary but good-natured tolerance.

I could never be a policeman.

Why aren't they mandated/allowed to, as it were, "defend" their country and its institutions, as opposed to simply "allowing" free speech? At the very least, it could be made illegal to gather anonymously (i.e. with faces covered) in a public place. The right to free speech should surely - both legally and morally - come with the responsibility to use that freedom in a fair and reasonable manner?

Or perhaps it already does - the police are simply afraid to enforce it.

still.unsure

the whole "masked freedom of speech" thing was debated in the US a few years ago interms of the KKK. all very well to say the things they say (first ammendment and all) but was deemed cowardly to do it behind a bedsheet.

am in favour of the whole, "put up or shut up" bit of revealling faces, kind of like the legal right of the accused to face an accuser. unfortunately, the exposure of someone's identity plays into the hands of vigilantes and similar acts like when the BNP's list was revealed on the internet last year.

The Dean

But what actually happened after the BNP list was leaked?

Nothing, as far as I can recall...............

still.unsure

i remember there being a couple stories of people losing their jobs as a consequence (a policeman and a teacher is what springs to mind). i don't recall any violence of serious vigilante-type stuff though. i can imagine that colleagues and the work place would treat individuals a little differently if they saw the person who sits next to them holding up a sign that was in contravention of public consensus (i.e. "freedom go to hell" ) to be honest, i'd probably be a little more careful about the water-cooler conversations.

(better yet, here's the story about the cop... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5187551.ece)

bimcnorth

My "DEATH TO DEMOCRACY" hooded sweatshirt that I used to jog with was the envy of the every kid on the street...

still.unsure

i like the one "vote anarchy" and billy connolly's "don't vote, it only encourages the b@stards!"

Ray

No..The politicians won't allow it.

B Bear

These people are generally idiots - let them expose themselves and then you can track them. As usual hypocrisy runs right through every one of them, and I think this article exposes them for what they really are...


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti....html#comments

hawkhead

Yikes, some of them make Beardman seem the very epitome of rationality!

Sky Blue

These arent from Luton. There were literally 15 people in Luton, lets not give these fools more headlines than they deserve... and give ammunition to the likes of the far right...

Although maybe they could sit down have a nice cuppa and agree about the holocaust...

still.unsure

ooh, that's a big call there...

DaveLovesDee

Would they be able to find Iran on a map?

seven seas

OMG!!! That's somethign I never thought I'd hear, let alone agree with!

The people in the photos should be ... I dunno. But then again, things liek this give the intelligence services the chance to keep pan eye on them and compile information. I actually do think that the Home Office is - thank Zuul- largely on top of this menace.

I think the great contradiction of democracy is that it has to be wasted on subhumans who have no appreciation, and indeed the tendency to abuse their freedoms.

However, tricking viewers into thinking they were from X demo in Y location is serious. The Dean, how do you feel about someone trying to trick you?

Big Kevin

The Public Order Act can be used to prosecute those that would incite others to violence in the UK. It is an offence for example to produce threats to kill, in writing or vocally.

In practice, certainly in connection with the kind of demonstration shown in the pictures above, it is seldom used. Perhaps because it might only give wider coverage to those that would seek to have their message spread, or maybe because there is a fear of escalating the problem resulting in even bigger demonstrations in the wake of any prosecutions. There are many who feel let down by the apparent lack of response to demonstrations of this nature in the UK, but there is also some debate on what the response should actually be. Perhaps the debate isn't yet as open and wide ranging as it might be for fear of stepping on others' politically correct toes?

Speaking as a nobody, I do not have any answers, but I do believe that the problem needs to be tackled on a deeper level than just prosecuting and locking up the perpetrators. Otherwise we will live in a frightened, sad and divided society where 'appropriate' response is measured in bombs and escalating violence.