With some groups now threatening a campaign to shut down the whole of Heathrow airport, and a member of the Cabinet admitting that the “opponents had succeeded in talking the plan down to ‘half a runway’” (let’s go the whole hog, eh?), an errant band of “suffra-jets” have just taken their fight to the heart of Government. Good work, ladies.
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SeasideMan
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I don't think so. Clearly a lot of people are going to have a problem with this stuff, but they clearly timed it so as to ensure that no-one was harmed: this was merely about damage to property. And it sent a very clear signal about the level of opposition and resistance the Government can expect. The Sufragettes certainly weren't all sweetness and light, remember. If we're serious, we have got to start thinking beyond mild-mannered actions. I don't think it will "stiffen the resolve" of the Government, either. You're projecting a far too emotion-driven view of its behaviour. It will do what we or others (so far it has been mainly others) succeed in pressuring it into doing.
Meanwhile, the first stirrings of radicalisation among Sipson villagers - an encouraging sign ...-
Just look at how well this sort of behaviour did the Animal Freedom protesters. The UK government has a long history of not dealing with people who break the law, from small vandalisms like this one right up to full-scale IRA bombings. This is the wrong strategy and will certainly be used to make the protesters look like law-breaking lunatics on the fringes of society.
Remember what finally turned the tide with the real suffragettes: Emily Davison's virtual suicide at Epsom and hunger strikes.
Tom.
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Oh no no no, this is wrong. Whoever threw those bricks has no idea of the damage they are doing to the anti-runway campaign. Violence and vandalism will just stiffen the resolve of the government to not be swayed.
Stupid Stupid Stupid!
Tom.