Do governments "listen" to peaceful protests?

[Wildcat]

I ask a question as relevent to your country as it is to mine. Who votes these oafs in? In America, some of us voted in a young Black man, with an attractive family, full of enthusiasm and hope. We threw out those pesky Republicans, and waited for him to sweep the country clean of anything Bush had created. It hasn't happened. Two years in, and the Elephants are back. Ask any body who they voted for, and it wasnt for him.

You have struggled for years with your Labour Government. Even Sheffield, of all places, was eager to get rid of them. I have read so many bad things about the Iron Lady that I wouldn't have thought it possible that a single Sheffielder would elect a member of Cameron's club or his liberal clone, the king of Hallamshire.

 

The "sheeple" in middle england, clueless about politics, oblivious to anything outside the reality spoonfed to them through the mass media businesses empires that dictate their reality.

[andygardener]

The million people on the streets may not have stopped the war, but it did a lot more than staying at home and grumbling to your TV, or on a forum or whatever you did.

 

No actually it didn't. Both achieved precisely nothing. Iraq still got invaded. Why? Because some people had elected a party led by a liar with a Jesus complex.

 

Thanks labour voters.

[evildrneil]

Shuffle away with your hands in your pockets mutely and perhaps a handmade banner if you can be bothered. So long as you are there that is what counts.

 

All I am saying is that in my experience most people appreciate organisation and want to get involved in some chanting, and banner waving.

 

And all I'm saying is that in my experience most people are annoyed by a popular protest being hijacked by a vocal political minority. Obviously our experience is radically different but I would guess you are part of the vocal minority by your posting profile so I'm not entirely surprised.

[wednesday1]

No actually it didn't. Both achieved precisely nothing. Iraq still got invaded. Why? Because some people had elected a party led by a liar with a Jesus complex.

 

Thanks labour voters.

 

 

The Tories also supported the war.

[Wildcat]

No actually it didn't. Both achieved precisely nothing. Iraq still got invaded. Why? Because some people had elected a party led by a liar with a Jesus complex.

 

Thanks labour voters.

 

You can also thank those Labour voters for being the people that protested against the Iraq war, voted for the MPs that led the revolt in the commons against it and have led the demands for the enquiries in to it and the demands for accountability.

[Wildcat]

And all I'm saying is that in my experience most people are annoyed by a popular protest being hijacked by a vocal political minority. Obviously our experience is radically different but I would guess you are part of the vocal minority by your posting profile so I'm not entirely surprised.

 

Were you even at the protest? I didn't notice anything but a unity of purpose.

[andygardener]

The Tories also supported the war.

 

Based on the pack of lies they were told by blair, campbell et al.

 

You should be happy you're back in opposition, taking responsibility was never the forte of labour. Making jokes about bread rolls are very much more your lots "thing".

[andygardener]

You can also thank those Labour voters for being the people that protested against the Iraq war, voted for the MPs that led the revolt in the commons against it and have led the demands for the enquiries in to it and the demands for accountability.

 

The same labour voters that also re-elected the labour government in 2005 that invaded iraq in 2003?

 

Yup, they stuck to their principles and stuck it to the man. Really showed that warmonger Blair by waving some placards then voting him back into power. Way to go guys, power to the people and all that.

[evildrneil]

Were you even at the protest? I didn't notice anything but a unity of purpose.

 

Quite obviously - as I stated in my first post on this thread. And yes there was a nice unity of purpose which was impressive for such a broad spectrum of society. It's just a pity it was hijacked by a political minority who tried to turn it into a SWP protest and in doing so decreased the impact of broad spectrum grass roots protest into a same-old-same-old rent-a-mob protest.

[Mr Prime]

No actually it didn't. Both achieved precisely nothing. Iraq still got invaded. Why? Because some people had elected a party led by a liar with a Jesus complex.

 

Thanks labour voters.

 

It made a powerful statement that will be talked about forever as the biggest demo in British history.

 

With regard to the OP's question, if that million plus had rioted and then threatened to riot again and again until Britain pulled out of the war then Britain may have been forced to pull out of the war. If they had just sat down for a few days it could have changed things. As it was it was just a noble gesture and statement of mass opinion.

 

Tories love war and doing the Americans bidding even more than Labour so don't try that. If the toff had won the 64 election we would probably lost thousands in Vietnam.