So, you are having dinner......

[Workingman]

When a group of activists gatecrash proceedings shouting slogans and waving papers and wanting to get to the speaker's microphone. They are intercepted but are not being persuaded to leave by the actions of staff and are pushing towards the podium.

One of them then leaves the mêlée and takes a route not covered by staff. She is intercepted by a diner and is forcefully but not violently marched to the back of the room and presumably out of the door.

There were no kicks or punches thrown and no spitting or head-butting, just a robust removal of these uninvited 'guests'.

The outcome? The diner just happened to be a Foreign Office minister, Mark Field, and he has been suspended without any hearing, The woman, Janet Barker, has been given a 02:05 minute defence speech on the BBC and a 01:17 minute one on Sky. And of course Labour want Field sacked. The media is having a field day.

But hang on. We currently have an ongoing inquest into the London Bridge murders where the emergency services are being pilloried for their response by those ever-so-wise-after-the-event heroes: lawyers. They could have done more, more quickly, more professionally, with greater urgency you see

Well we cannot have things both ways. Many of the women at the protest were carrying handbags with God knows what in them. The speaker just happened to be the second highest member of government, the chancellor. The incident could have been a lot worse than a woman having her hair tousled as she was led out and then the lawyers would be asking why nobody did anything.

[TheOstrich]

Whoever was in charge of "security" at that event needs a complete roasting, and I would have thought that the protesters could have been charged with trespass - it was a private venue after all.

On the other hand, we all moan and groan at the state of this world / country / society, but apart from being keyboard warriors, we don't actually "do" anything. At least those protesters have the courage of their convictions.

Please don't read into that last para that I support them; I don't! But it's an interesting conundrum.

I guess that if I had the courage of my convictions, I'd go knock that loony loud-mouth Remain supporter's top hat off, preferably whilst he's being featured on a BBC News report …..

[miasmum]

ah but she was wearing a sash that said she was 'climate emergency' so he should have known she was a peaceful protestor, so said a Greenpeace spokesperson on BBC Breakfast.

Terrorists listen up......stick a sash on saying climate emergency and you should have carte blanche to go anywhere

[Suff]

On the other hand, we all moan and groan at the state of this world / country / society, but apart from being keyboard warriors, we don't actually "do" anything. At least those protesters have the courage of their convictions.

I don't know about that. People with the courage of their convictions can gather together, create communities, put candidates up for election and influence governments to achieve their goals.

Or....

They can just cause trouble.

Those who cause trouble are easily dismissed and never get the same result as they are outside the system looking in. A large movement inside the system tends to strike fear and mayhem into the hearts of the incumbents.

Just ask Farage about that!

[Workingman]

Terrorists listen up......stick a sash on saying climate emergency and you should have carte blanche to go anywhere

It's frightening Shell, but some people do not realise that is what they are promoting - "Look at me, I'm wearing a 'Peace' badge so I'm safe to let in."

If I want to enter the Civic Hall or the Courts or board a plane I and my belongings have to go through scanners and possibly even deeper security. These women were from a group who had been protesting outside the building as diners arrived and yet they not only managed to get into the building but also in to the the room where the dinner was being held.

That room was full of politicians, business leaders and VIPs from home and abroad, so where was the security? And how come it is the one person who actually took some kind of action who is being slaughtered by lawyers and the media?

[Workingman]

Talking of Farage...

In the past few weeks he, and others, have been targeted with milkshakes, and these attacks go to what I am trying to get across here.

It's only a milkshake, oh what a laugh, what flavour? Jo Brand thought it would be hilarious if it had been battery acid. But what if one of these idiots had downed half the milkshake and then laced the remainder with ammonia or battery acid? How much of a 'king laugh would that have been?

The only people who knew what these women had in their bags were the women themselves. Nobody else had a clue. In these troubled times this could have been much, much worse and Mark Field should be applauded for the action he took.

[Kaz]

I typed out my reply, but honestly? Up against views like this, why bother?

[Workingman]

Kaz, I totally understand your reaction, but I am not joking. When you look at the video that is what you see. Man v woman. His obvious anger at what she was doing, and yes, he was forceful.

But sometimes you have to step back and look at the 'what ifs" and try to put yourself there - at that instant. He had no notion of what she was intending to do, but he was obviously concerned about what she 'could' do. He did not know that she was sweet and cuddly and super 'safe', all he saw was intent.

So I'll give you "What ifs?".

What if nobody tried to stop her and she had got to the podium? What if she then pulled from her bag a spray bottle of some dangerous and noxious substance or a grenade? What if she was not sweet and cuddly? Nobody anywhere in the room at the time could guarantee that was not the case.

My military training tells me that if someone is in a place they should not be then they are not a 'good 'un' and need to be treated with care. Yes, she might be nine, blond and blue eyed with freckles, a sweet smile with braces and pointy-in toes... but I have no clue as to what dad or an uncle, even an aunt, has stuck up the back of her jumper, so she is suspect.

I guess that is why we differ on this.

BTW you did not have to amend your initial reply. I kind of agree with you, but we live in dangerous times...

[cromwell]

I haven't seen the incident so can't comment on it.
What does depress me about extinction rebellion is something that they share with other protesters.
Which is that they seem to think that because they feel very strongly about something it automatically makes them right.
The more passionate you are about your cause, the more correct you must be.
It's obvious rubbish but they believe it. There are people in this world who passionately believe that the world is flat - does that make them right? No.
We are entering a world of cultism. All that matters is that you believe; and if anybody doesn't believe what you believe then they are idiots who should be in jail. Also that because they are so convinced that they are right they believe that anything they do is automatically justifiable. It isn't.
It's intolerance writ large and it's getting worse.

[Kaz]

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