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innovation-hacking2

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[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed," ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy..." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\"." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists..." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest..." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland.", ">\n\nIf they don't want folk to be protesting peacefully anymore that is on them." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland.", ">\n\nIf they don't want folk to be protesting peacefully anymore that is on them.", ">\n\nV for vendetta" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland.", ">\n\nIf they don't want folk to be protesting peacefully anymore that is on them.", ">\n\nV for vendetta", ">\n\nTory government taking lessons from fascists, that's just a Tuesday." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland.", ">\n\nIf they don't want folk to be protesting peacefully anymore that is on them.", ">\n\nV for vendetta", ">\n\nTory government taking lessons from fascists, that's just a Tuesday.", ">\n\nConsidering the amount of CCTV and the fact that this was the country that implemented special forms for hip hop and electronic music concerts I am not too surprised. I really hope this doesn't become a trend elsewhere." ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland.", ">\n\nIf they don't want folk to be protesting peacefully anymore that is on them.", ">\n\nV for vendetta", ">\n\nTory government taking lessons from fascists, that's just a Tuesday.", ">\n\nConsidering the amount of CCTV and the fact that this was the country that implemented special forms for hip hop and electronic music concerts I am not too surprised. I really hope this doesn't become a trend elsewhere.", ">\n\nI think the problem is politicians have forgotten that they are not invincible, probably about time the rest of us remembered" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland.", ">\n\nIf they don't want folk to be protesting peacefully anymore that is on them.", ">\n\nV for vendetta", ">\n\nTory government taking lessons from fascists, that's just a Tuesday.", ">\n\nConsidering the amount of CCTV and the fact that this was the country that implemented special forms for hip hop and electronic music concerts I am not too surprised. I really hope this doesn't become a trend elsewhere.", ">\n\nI think the problem is politicians have forgotten that they are not invincible, probably about time the rest of us remembered", ">\n\nChoose a billionaire as PM, and his top priority is to subjugate anyone who challenges his privilege, under the auspices of protecting the public" ]

[ "They're doing the same to legitimate Union strike action. “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\nOur free and democratic society exists because of protest and strike action.\nMany present and past members of the House of Lords have participated in quite extreme protest and strikes, or have acted as lawyers to free the same. Including Nelson Mandela's lawyer.\nThe police already have suitable powers and have not asked for their powers to be strengthened.\nRushi Sunak and Suella Braverman are a threat to these legitimate freedoms and thus democracy.", ">\n\n\"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.\"\nAlmost like this has happened before.", ">\n\nWhat politician ever studied history?\nEdit: holy shit! Does someone think I'm the dumbest bitch in the world? Put: \"/s\" after what I said.", ">\n\nIronically a lot of them, it’s an extremely common background for politicians.", ">\n\nI know. How did someone not think I was being sarcastic?", ">\n\nMy dude, it’s the internet, there are absolutely people that dumb around here", ">\n\nI know, but I don't want to accept it.", ">\n\nThink of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. - George Carlin", ">\n\nI kind of dislike this quote because it paints humanity in broad, insulting strokes. A person's knowledge is typically inconsistent. The average person's knowledge is seemingly --anecdote from me (like the stupidity judgement)-- pretty good in at least one area or subject. Also, I did set this up so that if you disagree with me, you should disagree on the stupidity point unless you have evidence. I don't like insulting people indiscriminately. I'm just a discriminatory kind of person.", ">\n\nAlright sure. Here's the flip side of that quote: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that THANKFULLY, half of them are not THAT fucking dumb. -squish8294\nTo argue the pedantic point, if you're considering a ratio of 100 people, and the average person has x smarts, that value x is by definition in the middle, therefore that quote from George Carlin cannot be inaccurate because it is mathematically true by default.\nFor example: Consider the political divide in the united states. The average person wants neither universally left nor universally right, yet half of us vote universally left, half of us vote universally right, and each thinks they're the better of the two. The axiom is universally true for everyone irrespective of which specific slice of knowledge pie you choose to cut from the cosmos. It is mathematically true.\nEdit: I've edited this a few times to clean up and add to my point. I'm at a spot where I feel that mechanically, my reply is complete. I may edit a bit more if something nags me to discomfort about it, but I feel it's at a good spot currently.", ">\n\nIf you're that scared of the people you represent, then you're not representing the will of the people...\n...but we all know that by now. Far too many western governments are steamrolling their own citizens.", ">\n\nThese people don't represent me. They are a nuisance causing more harm than good.", ">\n\nBetter ask the government to address their concerns, then.", ">\n\nBlocking people from freely traveling in their own country is not peaceful protesting. Fuck them.", ">\n\nIf you criminalize peaceful protesting you're just gonna get a riot every time people are pissed off about something. If you're a cop in the UK do you really want a crowd of people with nothing to lose to be the only ones organizing? Seems like you're asking to put your ass on the line", ">\n\nExactly. If punishment for protesting is as restrictive to my life as a punishment for rioting then I’ll just riot.", ">\n\nSo become French?", ">\n\n|| Human rights activists say it's an affront to democracy\nThat's because it is.", ">\n\nFor all the right-wingers that moan about \"free speech\" when their favourite rapist is banned from instagram, or whatever, when there's an attack on actually free speech, they're suddenly silent.", ">\n\nWell they might get arrested otherwise so you can't blame them.", ">\n\nNot yet. Free speach is not dead yet. Speak up!", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nPeople need to be able to peacefully protest, even if it's disruptive or annoying. Otherwise you just have a tyranny, and things will never be able to change when they need to.\nImagine this was said about the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThe new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nYeah, that's just ridiculous. Why is there so much authoritarianism these days?", ">\n\nBecause people elect authoritarians that say they're authoritarians and then people are surprised when they're authoritarians.", ">\n\nMore like, the ruling class of people fundamentally outputs authoritarians at a higher rate then any other class. The bureaucracy involved in being able to even participate meaningfully in government is so high in the \"caste\" system that its basically impossible for normal people to participate. At that level of caste, the bureaucracy removes empathy from decision making to facilitate not only participation but growth and mobility. \nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.", ">\n\n\nIn other words, systems across the globe natural evolve to an authoritarian structure because that's the most efficient way to survive.\n\nI'd argue that it's the structures of the systems in place that select for authoritarianism, and not that authoritarian systems are actually in any way efficient or conducive to survival. History has shown us that if anything authoritarian systems are remarkably inefficient and don't last long.", ">\n\nThat made me thinking actually that those who get power tend to change laws in the favor of \"less job\". Trying to maintain balance between people of different culture, political views, gender/sexual preferences, religion as well as politicians AND own political interests, etc etc (I can't even start naming all the social differences) would require an enormous amount of effort, communication, non stop negotiations and constant adjusting the law to make the co-existence more fair for everyone. At some point one can just say \"screw it, just do as I say, it will work for everyone just fine, especially for me\". \nThat's how I imagined it lol", ">\n\nThat's pretty much what happens. Eventually the bureaucracy decides that the work of coexistence cost more then it does to just give into authority. \nThis is mostly due the conflict avoidance most people have and the need to remain comfortable in living. Even if that \"comfortable\" living is under an authoritarian.", ">\n\nThey really don’t understand what happens when you’re fighting for rights or life and you felonize the peaceful option… \n“Well if I’m gonna die or lose my freedoms by doing nothing and I’ll be jailed for protesting peacefully or otherwise…”", ">\n\nWhen the police themselves say they don't want more powers, it's clear who this is for.", ">\n\nFirst on their wishlist: mud-proof boots", ">\n\nI think those were Germans", ">\n\ncorrect", ">\n\n\"They who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable\"", ">\n\nGood luck conducting violent revolution with no firearms.", ">\n\nYou mean the US where there are multiple examples of police not cracking down on heavily armed protests while brutalizing unarmed protestors?", ">\n\nI'm not sure what point you think you're making", ">\n\nThe british government dont care about democracy.", ">\n\nRight wingers, specifically. This is a measure by British \"conservatives,\" to the surprise of nobody paying attention.", ">\n\nNah, even the Labour party has an authoritarian streak that rears its ugly head every now and then. \nThis is a foundational problem with British democracy.", ">\n\nMore like with humanity. There have always been and will always be people who want authoritarian structures in place in the hope they could be on top one day. Maybe, some day. Hopefully. The tradeoff is worth it to them.", ">\n\nWith what? Knives and tea cups?", ">\n\nOr sniper rifles and carbombs.", ">\n\nI could see it being a lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that to take place than it was for the IRA in their day.", ">\n\n\na lot more difficult to get the supplies needed for that\n\nHasn't the UK pretty much given up border control since Brexit due to a lack of capacity?", ">\n\nImagine if Iran did that. Oh, wait. They are already doing it.", ">\n\nWestern democracy continues its march toward fascism. It's a bleak future.", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Oh, we wouldn’t say ‘freed’. More like, ‘under new management.’”", ">\n\nBrexiters: “You have freed us!” \nTories: “Nearly. We're still working on freeing you from basic healthcare, and soon we'll be freeing you from basic human rights and after that we plan your complete and total freedom from the right to protest. We'd also free you from the ability to vote if we could.”", ">\n\nLadies and gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.", ">\n\nArrest meeee, for what? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meeaaaal.", ">\n\nGet your hand off my protestsss!", ">\n\nAh sir I see you know your Judo well.", ">\n\nAnd you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", ">\n\nOoooh, so this is what Brexit was really about?\nTo let the British ruling class violate their citizens' human rights without interference from that pesky and aggravating EU human rights Court? \nAnd more than half of your people voted for it ! \nFiendish! Well played, British ruling caste!", ">\n\nThis is 💯 correct. \nWhat the majority in this country somehow did not get was BREXIT was here to weaken the working class.\nAs soon as the result was announced, I said “the British people are going to get what we deserve, we no longer have protection from the EU”.", ">\n\nthey are taking a page out of the USA Police playbook \nnext they’ll add qualified immunity", ">\n\nThe Tory’s are at it again!", ">\n\nTories really don't wanna win do they?", ">\n\nHow can you look at the past seven years of politics and think this will hurt their chances.", ">\n\nBro the Tories elected a clown, then they elected someone who lasted less time than a head of lettuce. Somehow, they want the clown back!\nBritain could certainly clear this shitshow if the people simply had the will.", ">\n\nWhat’s next a High Chancellor", ">\n\n“In order to ensure security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”", ">\n\nYeah those laws will do us a real amount of good when the human race ceases to exist due to climate emergency. Plus the fact that the tories are so shit at governing that all they can resort to is pointless dog whistle bullshit!", ">\n\nThis just gives people more things to protest about . Encouraging the police to become more violent is never going to end well.", ">\n\nWell in Belaruss and in Russia, it did actually work well", ">\n\nI don’t believe Brits Like a police state that much", ">\n\nThe British government giving unprecedented powers to the police to handle protesters goes against the very tenets that British democracy espouses.", ">\n\nRead up on what Thatcher did. Watch the videos of the striking workers during that time. This is par of course.", ">\n\nJust fascists doing fascist things. Cracking down on free speech and unions and political opposition.", ">\n\nDidn't think V for Vendetta was going to happen without the nukes.", ">\n\nIt involves a virus used against its own population mostly, doesn't it?", ">\n\nThe movie does. The book is post nuclear war (the book is better.)", ">\n\nThe real reason that Tories pushed for Brexit was so they can go full fascist without EU courts stopping them.", ">\n\nThat will be the end of public assembly. You don't seriously want to give that right to a government that is already your enemy.", ">\n\nDidn't know the were making another V for Vendetta adaptation!", ">\n\nIf you make peaceful protests difficult you make violent revolutions inevitable.", ">\n\nTime to fuck up the govt and put them back in their place...", ">\n\nWith what? The Brits gave up the best tools they had long ago in the name of public safety.", ">\n\nI couldn’t say how it would work irl but if if this were in Minecraft:\nAlcohol, Rag, Lighter, a chemistry kit, a bag of Fertilizer, Asbestos, and some pvc pipe", ">\n\nWhat would asbestos do, in Minecraft ?", ">\n\nIn the long run? Mesothelioma", ">\n\nGreat point lol", ">\n\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”\n\nThat is the literal point of protests and the very foundation of democracy. Good on the tories to take the mask off entirely though, maybe the people somehow still voting for them hear the wake-up call now.", ">\n\nThey know they're dusted by the time the next election rolls around - hence why they released their disgraceful mini budget in October to grease up their sponsors. \nIt took that decision absolutely tanking the UK economy (beyond what even their worst case scenarios had hypothesised), and the intervention of the Bank of England, IMF, the USA, and any other influential economic body unanimously telling them to course correct immediately to force a U-Turn, and the resignation of the most hapless PM in Britsh history.", ">\n\n\nmost hapless PM in Britsh history.\n\nsacrificial goat.\ndeliberate and specifically so utterly incompetent that the next one, no matter who it was going to be, would seem good in comparison.\nhad they gone straight to rishi, he would have been seen as 'more of boris johnsons cabinet'\ninstead they put cretinous f*ckwit in the chair for 20 minutes, and then rishi was able to come and 'save the country from her'", ">\n\nTake the tinfoil hat off. Truss was never planned-it was just the way things worked out. tory members ended up with a choice between a brown man and a white woman so of course they had to choose the un brown person. \nThe entire party was/is filled with nothing but loonballs at the time because boris had his night of the long Knifes to remove the moderates. So any one who won was always going to be a bad choice to lead.", ">\n\nDidn't need these 'special powers' during the Troubles now, did cha?", ">\n\nThey had mass internment (that is, imprisonment without trial) during the troubles.", ">\n\nAnd people say that Western governments aren't doing anything to get ready for climate change.", ">\n\nGo ahead, Brits. Revolt.", ">\n\nIf I understand British politics correctly, Princess Margaret didn't marry Peter Townsend, so that is thankfully unlikely to happen.", ">\n\nBritish maybe not but the Scotish probably yes", ">\n\nSo when are the Tories going to rename themselves to Norsefire?", ">\n\nEngland is speedrunning the authoritarian technocracy 101% at a record pace.", ">\n\nDemocracy sure is on the defensive lately.", ">\n\nBrittan needs to get rid of the Torries ASAP. Pretty much every call they are making is the wrong one.", ">\n\nBrexit working as intended.", ">\n\nOrganize, Unionize, Revolt now! \n(And please don't \"That's easy for you to say\", Took part in direct actions the past 10 years, that narrative is part of the problem. look for local organisations to support and show up at protests. Lethargy won't change anything)", ">\n\nConservatives attacking civil liberties? Im so surprised 🙄", ">\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy center-right establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.", ">\n\n\nBritain may not have as bad cops as the Western Hemisphere or countries like India, but it still has the problem where police report to a government that disproportionately represents the interests of the wealthy ~~center-right~~ establishment. That kinda breaks the logic of policing by consent.\n\nFixed that for you. You seem to forget the responses to COVID lockdowns in places like Canada and Australia, both of which had a center left party in power.\nIt's bold to say, \"Yay Ottowa! Beat those rednecks!\" While also saying \"Yay Beijing citizen, those lockdowns are human rights violations.\"", ">\n\nALP is not center left. \nThey are approaching policies of the german CDU, who are right wing.", ">\n\n\nALP\n\nToday I learned that a labor party which describes themselves as \"Centre-left\" and part of the \"Progressive Alliance\" are right wing.", ">\n\nWait until you hear about the national socialists or the chinese communist party, it's gonna blow your mind!", ">\n\nThey need to be able to bring down another Scottish rebellion", ">\n\nDear UK, maybe don't vote conservative next time.", ">\n\nWe didn't last time. They got 42% of the vote.", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags.\n\nAre you fuckin kiddin me? 😬🤦🏻‍♂️", ">\n\nHow about a DNA sample and a microchip tag? They’re going full crazy with this, hopefully it will end them", ">\n\nWhen protesters are treated more harshly then police misconduct democracy has failed,", ">\n\nThe British government? Oppressing it's people into doing what it wants? Nooooo, who could've seen this coming!", ">\n\nWhy is the UK suddenly so authoritarian? What the fuck is happening", ">\n\nYou can damn well bet the very concept of meeting and talking to people isn't even a tactic to be discussed.", ">\n\nI thought those people were on go karts.", ">\n\nRight to protest is (including some forms of peaceful protests) \"not absolute\"? So much for bloody progress, Rishi. Yet another Brexiteering Tory installation. Smells like another shameless, \"speaker-after-15-rounds\" McCarthy...", ">\n\nOh look, more evidence that “conservative” is a nice word for “human rights violating fascist”", ">\n\nThe deeply unpopular Conservative Government that has managed to worm its way out of elections for several years now?", ">\n\nAwww, Britain taking a lesson from the U.S.? You shouldn't have.\nYou really shouldn't have.", ">\n\nThe British were doing stuff like this before America was even around.", ">\n\nThe outrage....yet German police use their powers to arrest protesters like greta and its crickets. \nThe sub really does have its very selective outrage.", ">\n\nThere were many posts about it, they just disappeared if you know what I mean.", ">\n\nWell look where it got america. You give the police so much power that they can get away with anything.", ">\n\nNo it’s not. It’s a push for fascism! Way different.", ">\n\nI'd rather have full on mad max anarchy than live in a nanny state that outlaws protesting. That's a sure path to totalitarianism.", ">\n\nBlocking the street so people miss work or get screwed over in an emergency give up the right to be treated with consideration or compassion. Clearly they don't have any.", ">\n\nHow American of them.", ">\n\nTBH as fucked up as America is even we wouldn't pass a law requiring frequent protestors to wear electronic tags.", ">\n\nWe'd just nail them for destruction of property or some shit like that and them it's an ankle bracelet or jail.", ">\n\nOnly if they’re protesting for the environment or to not be shot by cops. Then we’ll arrest them, exaggerate the charges, and charge them $$ to wear that ankle monitor.\nIf, on the other hand they’re harassing families and performers outside a library, or participating in a coup attempt….they might face no consequences at all", ">\n\nJust to clarify I do not agree with this proposal and greatly oppose it.\nThe funny thing is a lot of brits actually agree with these powers being granted due to the context of the protests going on. \n99% of people are against this particular group known as Just Stop Oil. They want the UK to stop the production of new oils in the UK and to stop the purchasing of new oils that contribute to climate change. \nThe reason they are protesting isn’t what the general population cares about, it’s the way they are going about doing it. \nThey have been going to shops, opening bottles of milk and pouring it on shop floors. The price of milk has already risen roughly 50% in most places in the UK so this is a huge waste, plus the fact they’re just generally annoying normal people trying to shop.\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \nThese road blockages caused major traffic in high populated areas close to the capital, leading to the general public majorly opposing this group.\nThis same group also sent two people to climb up a 400ft bridge, causing this major bridge to be closed. This bridge is one of two major crossings across the river Thames and caused major chaos on the roads for days. \nThe press and the government have capitalised on this and the way they are promoting this is by saying they can stop these groups from causing trouble to the general public. Since 99% of people see these groups as nuisance, they are glad to allow these powers to be granted to the police. \nA lot of people seem to be focusing on just one small thing these laws could be used for. What they don’t realise is by bringing them in they are allowing so much worse to happen. \nGlad to see that the majority of the comments oppose this, like I do. The majority of the UK does not seem to share these concerns though and these laws aren’t really being discussed in major news outlets.", ">\n\n\nThey’ve also been blocking major roads just by sitting cross legged on them. They know that anybody that tries to forcefully move them can be arrested and nobody would really touch them. \n\nPolice can just tell the protesters to stop blocking the road and if they don't oblige, arrest them (and fine them or put 'm in jail for a few days) - that's all par for the course re civil disobedience, and requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nYou would think this was the case however there has never been a case of a single police unit turning up, moving the protestors and allowing people on their way. They wait until there are ‘sufficient numbers’ there before starting any action which is typically why it takes so long to move these protestors. \nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. Why hasn’t this happened?", ">\n\n\nSurely, like you say, one unit should just be able to turn up, ask them to move and if they don’t then arrest them. \n\nI did not say anything about the number of police units. \n\nWhy hasn’t this happened? \n\nMaybe police tries to create a situation where them getting special powers is supposedly the only solution?", ">\n\nThe government is targeting protests and organizations who are performing a \"disruptive protest\", and I can completely agree with them doing so.. Even the post picture is showing protesters being idiots and blocking a road. People need to get to work on time, or an ambulance may need to get by to save a life.\nWant to protest? Stand on the edge of the sidewalk, or in front of Parliament. Leave a path on the sidewalk clear so that pedestrians can still pass by.\nThis is common courtesy, and common sense.", ">\n\nFirstly, any protest that causes no disruption is not going to have any teeth, but beyond that the word disruptive is just rhetoric in this case. The wording of the legislation does not define disruptive (and deliberately so) in order that a wide net can be cast. The main reason for this legislation coming about is the rise of environmental protests, not some kind of serious problem with violence or riots. Even the police say this is completely unnecessary legislation.", ">\n\nThey should learn a thing or two from the USA /s", ">\n\nAt first, I thought you were referring to our tendency to Rebel and I was like oh hell yeah MURICA.\nThen I realized this was a sardonic referencing of police abuse here in America, and how we're increasingly under the bootheels of cops.\nWe got so much work to do as a Country guys.", ">\n\nYeah why USA has no mud wizards", ">\n\nOne of my heroes.", ">\n\nBitch you live in a kingdom", ">\n\nThe UK is basically the only western democracy that doesn't have a proper constitution.\nThey do have a series of laws of varying ages that serve a similar purpose, but notably they can be changed by a simple majority in Parliament. Most other countries have rules such that the constitution can only be changed by a supermajority, or a plebiscite, or sometimes even both.", ">\n\nThis lack of a functional democratic governance is going to be a major stumbling block (along with having to get rid of FPTP, take on the Euro, and continue to match EU legislation) for the UK's next attempt to join the EU.", ">\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed", ">\n\n\nI mean when you block the road and I’m omw to work… I’d love for you to get removed \n\nThat requires no special police powers.", ">\n\nThe UK, which uses First Past the Post, has never been a real democracy anyway.", ">\n\nUntil recently i would have disagreed with this but since those bloody hippys closed the roads and stopped traffic including ambulances resulting in excess stress and deaths, i agree, give the police powers to drag these lazy lumps off the road.", ">\n\nI fully and genuinely hope any time you need an ambulance it gets stuck in regular traffic and never manages to reach you.", ">\n\nWanting someone to die is a bit extreme. Are a member of an evil cult.", ">\n\nNever said I want you to die, but a fascist dying wouldnt be a bad thing either", ">\n\nSo he’s a fascist for wanting to get to work ? Ok nazi", ">\n\nHow about give them what they need to live?", ">\n\nWhy? The bad guys have no incentive to do that - they're not good people, the public isn't going to get off their asses and force their hand... so explain why they'd ever just magically do what you say?", ">\n\nTories will never stop trying to turn Britain into a nanny state.", ">\n\nY'know the British putting down protests didn't work out so well back when they had their empire", ">\n\nI told them a monarchy was a shit idea. They wouldn't listen.", ">\n\nWon't do anything about rape gangs tho haha", ">\n\nPeaceful protesting is fine, clogging roads and preventing your country from functioning is not.", ">\n\nProtest all you want but blocking roadways preventing regular people making from a living is criminal and should be punishable by the fullest extent of the law.", ">\n\nThis may be a shocking fact but, it already is!\nThis new law has the potential to essentially become a blacklist for any group the government doesn't like, including some non-profits could become a target under it", ">\n\nRemember everyone, the Labour Party is the exact same. Starmer said he would use the military to crackdown on protestors if elected. No political party actually represents working class interests, and voting is often pointless", ">\n\nYeah, im gonna have to call bullshit there buddy. Source please, or it didn't happen.", ">\n\n“If we use up all of the teargas and rubber bullets on the environmental and human rights protesters, we won’t have to explain why we didn’t use any on the fascists” - Cops probably", ">\n\nEven the police are against these laws being brought in.", ">\n\nI'm all for peaceful demonstrations as long as they don't interrupt other people's daily lives. Once you start blocking roads and ruining things you've become criminals.", ">\n\nConservatives gonna conservative. As it tradition.", ">\n\nAhahahahah, that's why you don't give up gun rights.", ">\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?", ">\n\n\nSo why aren't US citizens shooting police whenever they overstep their bounds and kill unarmed civilians?\n\nThis has actually happened more than a few times in the past decade. \nWas it not reported on outside the US?", ">\n\nKilling unarmed civilians? I’d say it’s more than a few.", ">\n\nThat’s 4 times in 9 years. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but for the amount of gun deaths in the US per year, it’s pretty insignificant.", ">\n\nThose aren't literally the only times it's happened in the past 9 years, I just typed 'police retaliation shooting' into Google and stopped adding links when I thought the point had been made.", ">\n\nIf the top 4 links on google are spread over 9 years it can’t be that much of an issue. Do the same search for unarmed person shot, you’ll get results from 2023.", ">\n\nWould it help if we all told them they were acting American?\nProtests aren't meant to be convenient.", ">\n\nIs the unprecedented power arresting people breaking the law?", ">\n\n\nThe bill would criminalize long-standing protest tactics such as locking on (where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings) and tunneling (literally digging tunnels), and could force people who protest regularly into wearing electronic tags. The new amendment would also give police the power to shut down protests before any disruption even occurs.\n\nWhat are the specifics of the bill, because no one can honestly think stopping people from tunneling underneath shit is an \"affront to democracy\". \nThe only bad thing I can actually see is the vague \"power to shut down protests before any disruption occurs\", and even that can be a good thing if you are stopping people who have a history of shit like tunneling from \"protesting\".", ">\n\nEven just the quoted section goes way too far. Mandatory electronic tags? Police are allowed to detain / disperse any protest whenever they want?\nRidiculous. Objectively fascist.", ">\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine. Stopping peaceful protests of people that have no history of terrorism isn't. And yes building tunnels under things you don't like in order to make them dangerous is terrorism.", ">\n\n\nElectronic tags for domestic terrorists are fine.\n\nI'm not sure if you perhaps misread the article, but it said electronic tags for frequent protestors not domestic terrorists...", ">\n\nTunneling under something in order to undermine it is literally terrorism my guy.", ">\n\nThey didn't say for tunnel diggers or criminals, but frequent protesters", ">\n\nWhich is why I asked for specifics. The article literally says they would make locking yourself to stuff and tunneling illegal, and then say frequent protestors could be made to wear electronic monitors in the next line. Is it all protestors, or just those convicted of things like tunneling? Because one is perfectly reasonable and the other isn't.", ">\n\nThis will all get repealed once labour come to power in 2024.", ">\n\nSome abstract, idealized Labour, perhaps. Maybe. Keir Starmer's Labour? One that would choose him as a leader? Unlikely.", ">\n\n\nKeir Starmer's Labour?\n\nyou misspelled 'conservative puppet'", ">\n\nGood, it's time these idiot get a proper spanking.", ">\n\nThe cops? They'd probably enjoy it.", ">\n\nI support it", ">\n\nmoron", ">\n\nReddit be like: not being allowed to lie down on the road to block traffic is literally fascism!!!", ">\n\nSounds like RIPA 18 to me, that's wild.", ">\n\nSounds like someone is expecting some civil unrest...", ">\n\nAbsolutely amazing that this century is mirroring the previous. Yet people still look surprised. Human history is cyclical. Our species is ridiculous.", ">\n\nHopefully this has the exact opposite effect and causes even more protests and disruptions.", ">\n\nThey really fucked themselves over lol", ">\n\nFok it- we never had a democracy anyway", ">\n\nDepends. The Canada truck blockade I wouldn’t mind a bit. Racial rights, women rights etc leave those alone. Protesting to improve lives is okay. Protesting because your a dumbass and read some right wing bs on the internet that led you to blockade a fking border where medicine and other life saving items come through is not okay. I don’t see this as an anti democracy issue. This is an anti idiot law. However this should still be treated with democracy in mind", ">\n\nVery few cops are thinking, \"I want to be more effective at stopping right-wing protesters, but these darned laws won't let me.\"", ">\n\n...and their law", ">\n\nAren’t they a monarchy? Lmao", ">\n\nI'm sure this will go on peacefully, just like it did with Ireland.", ">\n\nIf they don't want folk to be protesting peacefully anymore that is on them.", ">\n\nV for vendetta", ">\n\nTory government taking lessons from fascists, that's just a Tuesday.", ">\n\nConsidering the amount of CCTV and the fact that this was the country that implemented special forms for hip hop and electronic music concerts I am not too surprised. I really hope this doesn't become a trend elsewhere.", ">\n\nI think the problem is politicians have forgotten that they are not invincible, probably about time the rest of us remembered", ">\n\nChoose a billionaire as PM, and his top priority is to subjugate anyone who challenges his privilege, under the auspices of protecting the public", ">\n\nSo, the same as US police. Yeah, it is an affront to democracy" ]