Bristol Protest: Kill the Bill

Protests: An important part of our history and a peaceful, thorough way to voice your opinion to those who can make change happen.

Throughout history the UK have voiced that opinion through the power of protest to make real change, good change and while on occasion violence has occurred, most successful protests that lead to real change for the vast majority have been peaceful.

The General Strike (1842)

Back in 1842, just shy of half a million people protested un the General Strike. The strike consisted of workers from factories, mills and coal mines who took it upon themselves to protest the harsh cuts in their pay which amounted to 25% in some cases.

The peaceful protest was a success. Which workers receiving pay rises and an even more vital focus becoming a success from the protests.

Over the next eighty years the movement know as 'Chartist Movement' would see everything the Chartists called for become law. This included constituencies of equal size and annual elections.

A very important part of history that created real change with modest protests. Peaceful and respectful.

The London March against the Iraq War (2003)

One of the largest; if not the largest, protests in British history took place in 2003.

Thirty six million people worldwide took to the streets to protest the Afghanistan War and over one million of those protestors marched through the streets of England's capital: London.

Despite the enormous size of the protest throughout the streets of London, the march passed without major incident.

The tide of public opinion rapidly turned on the idea of war and was a large contributor to the resignation of then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2007.

The Suffragettes: Emily Wilding Davison (1913)

It's no denying that with such strong movements; as those that adhere to the equal rights of women to men, comes some strong emotion and equally strong violence.

The Suffragettes called for votes for women and were more of a militant group who favoured radical techniques that including setting fire to post boxes, chaining themselves up, hunger strikes and on occasion public defacement, (smashing windows).

While these forms of radical protesting are often not needed to spread your message and be heard, their is no denying our history shows that sometimes and on rare occasion, a more direct message is needed. In the case of equal rights for both genders, this message needs to be heard.

Emily Wilding Davison became a Martyr and gave her life for a movement that led to women being granted the right to vote only five years later. A successful start to a cause that over the next one hundred years would only get stronger.

But, violence is almost never acceptable and violence against other human beings is not just a radical technique to express your feelings. But, also a show of sheer thuggery that is not and will not ever be acceptable in this modern and supposed 'civilised' society.

The carnage that has taken place over recent weeks has been radical, thuggish, outdated and scary to say the least.

Police men and women have been left shaken to the core, some emotionally and some physically beaten down, being punished for the actions of the few and not the many.

The recent Bristol riots; and riots they are, protests they are not, have shown just how hypocritical our society has become.

These are mainly young people protesting and chanting 'Kill the Bill' due to the actions of a small minority of police officers that abuse power and use their role to their advantage. Is this not going against everything we have fought for today? Discriminating a group of people because of who they are because a small minority have done wrong. Ring any bells?

Hypocrisy and Democracy; two things that should never co-exist beside one another. Yet, the people chant for change and rage against our public workers and government for the very thing they themselves are doing.

A police officers lung was collapsed during these vile and disgusting riots, another suffered broken ribs and another a broken arm.

While I am certain these riots did indeed begin as a protest, meant to be filled with peace and calm to voice an opinion to 'Kill the Bill' an estimated 400-500 people turned violent out of a crowd estimated to be around 3000. A minority yes but a large minority at that, with the violent 'protestors' making up 1/6th of the crowd.

The opinion on if this Bill should be passed is not the topic of this discussion or article. The topic in hand is the thuggery that has taken place in one of England's most known cities.

There is never a good enough excuse to harm innocent people and deface their property for your own cause.

Priti Patel has released a statement 'Condemning the shameful outbreak of criminal thuggery' and she couldn't have been more accurate with her choice of words.

Patel has pointed out that regardless of your opinion on said Bill, these police men and women put themselves in harms way everyday to protect us when we need it. This level of violence is outrageous. All it stands to achieve is destruction and carnage and I for one would be ashamed to call these people my sons and daughters.

Protests are good. Violence is not. Thuggery creates an uncivilised society and uncivilised leads to division; something so many of us fight against.

William Shakespeare once wrote,

"I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."

It seems only too often, this quote could be greatly used in this everchanging society.

Don't be the cause, fight for the cause. Fight with brains not brawn. History has proven on many occasion that knowledge is the key to success not war.