Do governments "listen" to peaceful protests?

[andygardener]

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.

 

So compare actual losses under labour to fictional losses under the conservatives is the best you can come up with?

 

If there had been mass riots your beloved authoritarian labour government would have done exactly what they did in iraq, and even further restricted civil liberties in the UK.

[esme]

Mod Note

 

Posts containing insults have been removed, please try to debate the issue without calling each other names.

[Vague_Boy]

Do governments "listen" to peaceful protests? - I'm gonna go with no but am happy to be told about any examples where it has worked.

Gandhi

 

Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Both practiced Satyagraha, a non-violent method of civil disobedience.

[Mr Prime]

So compare actual losses under labour to fictional losses under the conservatives is the best you can come up with?

 

If there had been mass riots your beloved authoritarian labour government would have done exactly what they did in iraq, and even further restricted civil liberties in the UK.

 

Firstly my frothing Tory friend, I have voted for 3 parties in general elections.

 

Civil liberties are only restricted if people permit it e.g. no one paid the poll tax so it had to be scrapped, if everyone ignored liberties restrictions they would be scrapped too.

 

We can play a stats game if you like? How many have died in Tory sponsored wars? In fact every conflict since WW2 the UK participated in was supported by both serious parties so the point is void.

[Mr Prime]

Gandhi

 

Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Both practiced Satyagraha, a non-violent method of civil disobedience.

 

Very true but they were so huge and frequent involving millions refusing to move, they couldn't fail. Your average demo lasts a few hours before everyone heads to the pub/kettle.

[Mecky]

Gandhi

 

Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Both practiced Satyagraha, a non-violent method of civil disobedience.

 

Both countries experienced large civil unrests with many deaths during those times, they were not peaceful movements.

[Tony]

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.

 

And there we have it - the god complex.

[retep]

Did they?

 

I think you will find that virtually no one outside the political elite thinks the Iraq war defensible. Those kicking off in those disputes did nothing to affect peoples appreciation of the cause of the real violence.

 

The students yesterday were a part of a much wider dispute angry and in cases violent in their reaction, but when seen in the context of the much greater violence being perpetrated against the people of the UK in the form of spending cuts and attacks on the poor and middle income families of little if any consequence.

 

I was just speaking with my mother, a Tory voter in the 90s, a LibDem since then and now someone who feels totally disenfranchised. She was saying if she was younger she would be out there throwing bricks like the suffragettes did. The future of the country is at stake and the political classes are oblivious to the feelings of their voters. Something has to give. Whatever our political system is, one where you can't vote for what you want, only the least worst option is not a democracy.

 

The political consciousness is changing. It won't be long before like in Argentina we are all shouting “que se vayan todos”.

 

Not exactly the best bedtime story for kids, cant she tell you the one about the three bears, you'll have less nightmares.

[alchresearch]

Governments listen to some reasoned arguments. Without going into too much detail I was instrumental in a "campaign" which was being ignored by Labour. Luckily I got the Tories ear and action was eventually taken for the positive.

[buck]

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.

At the time of the Vietnam War I was serving in the Royal Navy. We were in action in Borneo, supporting Malaya against an invasion by Indonesia. Serving ashore, sending the Gurkhas into the jungle against insurgents. I was very proud then as we seemed to be winning without the massive affair Vietnam was, and most of the filled body bags being brought out the jungle were Indonesian. Gurkhas tend to be a bit over enthusiastic, never having been to Geneva. I believe Borneo is Indonesian today though.