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Thread: Freedom of speech?

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    Freedom of speech?

    Virtually all of Parliment square side of london is shut down today and yesterday because of protesters.

    Now im all for freedom of speech but could somebody tell me why, we as a country, allow this much freedom to happen.

    They have shut down a whole section of our city.

    Isn't this just taking the sodding pi55.

    Surely, we should take action when protesters start to abuse the freedom to speak out which is what i think they are doing.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    Surely, we should take action when protesters start to abuse the freedom to speak out which is what i think they are doing.
    I think we should have a protest about it. I could just go a spicy beef and tomato pot noodle, as it goes.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    Now im all for freedom of speech but could somebody tell me why, we as a country, allow this much freedom to happen.
    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    I think we should have a protest about it. I could just go a spicy beef and tomato pot noodle, as it goes.
    Freedom of speech protesters? Lock them up in a dark hole 'til everyone forgets about them.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    They have a right to protest of course but not the right to interupt traffic or march on roads unless prior arrangements have been made with the police.

    according to the BBC news page the protesters are

    "Hundreds of Tamil protesters are continuing a rally outside Parliament demanding the UK Government acts to end war in Sri Lanka"

    I am not sure that the UK goverment can do apart from putting forward well reasoned arguments of why the fighting should cease. I can understand why foriegn nationals might ASK the UK goverment to make representations on their behalf to another goverment but I can't see how they can DEMAND anything.

    The ability and right to peacefully protest is, to me, a sign of a healthy democracy but it doesn't extend to getting in the way of other peoples lives.

    Unless of course they don't mind me parking my car across their driveway when they want to go to work as I protest peacefully about an issue I am interested in.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    Now im all for freedom of speech but could somebody tell me why, we as a country, allow this much freedom to happen.
    Brilliant. You are like a female Mark Thomas

    Surely, we should take action when protesters start to abuse the freedom to speak out which is what i think they are doing.

    I suggest tanks. The carrier bag wielding muppets can stand in front all they like. Hahahahahahahaha

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    I suggest tanks. The carrier bag wielding muppets can stand in front all they like. Hahahahahahahaha
    And tanks are good for squashing cartons of pot noodle..................

    The people protesting are probably mostly UK citizens. I support their right to protest peacefully, and a bit of traffic congestion is probably not too much to ask for a bit of freedom of speech. I think that this protest was illegal since it wasn't declared or organised according to the rules for such things......

    No way the UK will step in to do much here (not that it is necessarily our place to do so) since the Sri Lankan Government have all but destroyed the Tamil Tigers anyway (declared as a terrorist organisation by many nations including us by the way). I hadn't realised that over 70,000 people have been killed in this civil war since the 70s, the vast majority of which have been armed combatants which alone makes it unusual, since lots of civilians normally get killed in these civil conflicts.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    a bit of traffic congestion is probably not too much to ask for a bit of freedom of speech.
    You obviously didn't see the state of Westminster Bridge and the surrounding area this morning.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chef View Post
    "Hundreds of Tamil protesters are continuing a rally outside Parliament demanding the UK Government acts to end war in Sri Lanka"

    I am not sure that the UK goverment can do apart from putting forward well reasoned arguments of why the fighting should cease. I can understand why foriegn nationals might ASK the UK goverment to make representations on their behalf to another goverment but I can't see how they can DEMAND anything.
    Sri Lanka used to be called Ceylon.

    Ceylon was a British Colony. (Yes we did them over)


    The ability and right to peacefully protest is, to me, a sign of a healthy democracy

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    And tanks are good for squashing cartons of pot noodle..................

    The people protesting are probably mostly UK citizens. I support their right to protest peacefully, and a bit of traffic congestion is probably not too much to ask for a bit of freedom of speech. I think that this protest was illegal since it wasn't declared or organised according to the rules for such things......

    No way the UK will step in to do much here (not that it is necessarily our place to do so) since the Sri Lankan Government have all but destroyed the Tamil Tigers anyway (declared as a terrorist organisation by many nations including us by the way). I hadn't realised that over 70,000 people have been killed in this civil war since the 70s, the vast majority of which have been armed combatants which alone makes it unusual, since lots of civilians normally get killed in these civil conflicts.



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    Do a bloody petition, send chain emails, go and do something constructive but allowing them to block half our city up is not just a big of congestion. The traffic chaos today is ridiculous, that aside from the wasted police we have standing there watching the idiots.

    Jeeez it makes my blood boil.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    Do a bloody petition, send chain emails, go and do something constructive but allowing them to block half our city up is not just a big of congestion. The traffic chaos today is ridiculous, that aside from the wasted police we have standing there watching the idiots.

    Jeeez it makes my blood boil.

    Sins of the fathers, Trouble, sins of the fathers.

    Colonialism always comes back to bite us in the bum.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    The people protesting are probably mostly UK citizens. I support their right to protest peacefully, and a bit of traffic congestion is probably not too much to ask for a bit of freedom of speech. I think that this protest was illegal since it wasn't declared or organised according to the rules for such things......

    No way the UK will step in to do much here (not that it is necessarily our place to do so) since the Sri Lankan Government have all but destroyed the Tamil Tigers anyway (declared as a terrorist organisation by many nations including us by the way). I hadn't realised that over 70,000 people have been killed in this civil war since the 70s, the vast majority of which have been armed combatants which alone makes it unusual, since lots of civilians normally get killed in these civil conflicts.

    Agent 000
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    Again like last week’s protest, I feel happy that we are able to live in a country where we are able to voice our displeasure without fear of retribution.

    I would rather people voice their grievances than bomb us so that we take notice

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    Sri Lanka used to be called Ceylon.
    Statement of fact. So what point are you trying to make? Or are you just trying to keep us all well informed?

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    Ceylon was a British Colony. (Yes we did them over)
    What is your point?

    Do you feel were have an enduring responsibility for everything that will ever happen there or any other place that used to be a colony?

    After all America used to be a colony of the U.K. (just as some people feel that Wales, Scotland and Northen Ireland is occupied territory) but that doesn't mean that the UK is responsible in perpituity for the level of gun crime in the U.S. or the election of George W Bush.

    There comes a time in history when these former colonies have to take responsibility for their own actions rather than trying to point at its former colonial masters who left over 50 years ago and say it is all their fault.

    I would hate this to come as a shock to anyone but we are no longer a global superpower and getting other people to stop anything we don't like is not a simple matter of sending a gunboat there. We can try to influence other goverments with well reasoned arguments, stopping trade with them, not having sporting relations with them, banning their leaders from travelling here, but short of putting our troops on the ground in India we cannot MAKE them do anything.

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro View Post
    Colonialism always comes back to bite us in the bum.
    So what action are you going to take to correct this?

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    Do a bloody petition, send chain emails, go and do something constructive but allowing them to block half our city up is not just a big of congestion. The traffic chaos today is ridiculous,...

    Jeeez it makes my blood boil.
    I want to know why we tolerate private traffic in central London. Makes my blood boil ...

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by frodo View Post
    I want to know why we tolerate private traffic in central London. Makes my blood boil ...
    personally i think cars should be banned from anywhere near the centre of ANY large city

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    since the Sri Lankan Government have all but destroyed the Tamil Tigers anyway (declared as a terrorist organisation by many nations including us by the way).

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    One must remeber that ones man's "Terrorist" is another man's "freedom fighter", and yes you are free to protest in the UK, but only once you have police "permission", what do you do in the instance that they don't give you "permission" surely then the Freedom to protest is no longer there and that is a very slippery slope to go down, as you will find in most Police states.

    A very good thread but don't get me started as I see the forum as a place to come and relax and chat, so thats my 2pence (I wont give you the amount in Zimbabwean Dollars as our lovely mods would not appreciate a whole page of zero's)

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chef View Post
    ... There comes a time in history when these former colonies have to take responsibility for their own actions rather than trying to point at its former colonial masters who left over 50 years ago and say it is all their fault...
    I have heard it alleged that we deliberately drew the map of the middle east, where we could, to create conflicts within nations and between them, for our interests, not theirs.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by zimbabwean View Post
    I see the forum as a place to come and relax and chat
    Silly boy!

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    personally i think cars should be banned from anywhere near the centre of ANY large city
    Although, having travelled on the tube every day for the last 4 years I would have to say it's not just a matter of banning cars, but improving the public transport system enormously.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    Although, having travelled on the tube every day for the last 4 years I would have to say it's not just a matter of banning cars, but improving the public transport system enormously.


    Public transport leave a lot to be desired. I worked in the city back in 2000 for a year. I was working as a contractor and as you are probably aware, you only get paid if your in work.!!

    I must have lost (no exageration) at least 20 days in that year due to train delays and cancellations. Totally unacceptable. I used to go from Waltham Cross to Liverpool St.

    Banning cars is great until you have deliveries to do. Or you have stock to pick up.

    Anyway, we cant get any stock in and out of westminster at the moment because WE (AS IN PUBLIC FUNDS) HAD TO SAVE TWO NUMPTIES WHO JUMPED INTO THE THAMES FROM DYING YESTERDAY. ----- JEEEZ.

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    Re: Freedom of speech?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chef View Post
    Do you feel were have an enduring responsibility for everything that will ever happen there or any other place that used to be a colony?

    After all America used to be a colony of the U.K. (just as some people feel that Wales, Scotland and Northen Ireland is occupied territory) but that doesn't mean that the UK is responsible in perpituity for the level of gun crime in the U.S. or the election of George W Bush.

    There comes a time in history when these former colonies have to take responsibility for their own actions rather than trying to point at its former colonial masters who left over 50 years ago and say it is all their fault.
    Out of all the colonies which were under Britain's jackboot, I'd say only the USA, Canada and Australia thrived after attaining their independance?
    I would hate this to come as a shock to anyone but we are no longer a global superpower and getting other people to stop anything we don't like is not a simple matter of sending a gunboat there. We can try to influence other goverments with well reasoned arguments, stopping trade with them, not having sporting relations with them, banning their leaders from travelling here, but short of putting our troops on the ground in India we cannot MAKE them do anything.



    So what action are you going to take to correct this?
    I'm hardly in a position to correct this.

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