Comment on Thousands of counter-protesters take to UK streets as far-right unrest fails to materialise

apotheotic@beehaw.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

• HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Worth considering. The law states that blocking traffic must be willful. So fairly easy to argue just atop ouls whole purpose was to stop oil using cars.

  I did not see these protests. So the question is were the (terrorist in the case of the fash) protestors of either side attempting to block traffic or doing so as a result of gathering.

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  • apotheotic@beehaw.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    From BBC’s live coverage:

    A group of anti-immigration protesters blocked a major road in Portsmouth.

    Up to 200 protesters, some holding union flags and chanting “save our kids”, repeatedly blocked Mile End Road, just outside the city’s ferry port.

    It is one of the main roads in and out of the city.

    Police keep clearing them from the road but they keep running back in, blocking the carriageway in both directions.

    They gathered first outside Norman House near the ferry port, a building that is used by the immigration service.

    The protesters have now moved towards Portsmouth city centre.

    Seems like its pretty intentional

    www.bbc.com/news/live/cy8497l7dx8t?page=3

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    • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Hate to give excuses for these people.

      But nothing in these quotes would lead to legal proof that blocking traffic was the intent. It just leads to a group of 200 people trying to be noticed and avoiding police kettleing them.

      The 5 Just Stop Oil protesters were shown to have discussed limiting the travel of vehicles. Heck, as dumb as it sounds. The fact they allowed ambulances through, shows blocking other traffic, was an intentional part of the plan.

      Please remember, this is ion no way supposed to indicate I support the actions of these terrorists. Or oppose the actions of just stop oil. It is just a consideration o the actual legal justification in both cases.

      Some other evidence of the intent of the protests to limit the movement of traffic is needed in this case.

      Of course, with police filming and the number of phone vids made. Plus all the social media discussions leading up to the protests. That evidence may well become clear later on. But running onto the road to avoid police officers restricting their movements does not in itself prove a desire to limit traffic flow.

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      • apotheotic@beehaw.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Oh sure, I can absolutely see how they’d avoid getting the same punishments as the JSO folks. Don’t worry I don’t think you’re a Nazi for looking at the realistic scenario of whether they get the same punishments.

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