Handling of Right Wing protests

[thealigator]

This weekend in my city saw certain members for a far right group making gestures that fall in line with Adolf Hitler, spraying Swastika symbols and making a mess of one of the oldest buildings in the city. This was met with opposition from people with one soul message "not in our city, get out".

The police handled it, there were arrests made after violent clashes including stones being thrown and fireworks being aimed at people. I would love to have gone if only to ask "why are you here and what do you hope to achieve?" and there are many calls for these people to be banned from ever coming again.

The question is though should they be banned? Freedom of speech is not protected in the same way as the US but it is still very much loved and I would hate to live in a world where people cannot express an opinion. I may not like that these groups or people like the Westboro Baptist Church can spread messages of hate but as I say, they do have a right to express an opinion.

Or do they? Should they be allowed to continue? Should this spread of hatred, racism and prejudice be justification to arrest people on the spot?

It is a delicate topic with no definitive answer but what is your take on this?

 

[Hilander]

I don't think anyone should be allowed to destroy property other than that they should be allowed to voice their opinions, short of calling for the death of someone.

Does this have something to do with the migrants?

 

[thealigator]

The sad truth @Hilander is that the group didn't seem to have a lot to say. Whenever I see reports with the BNP (the British National Party) or UKIP (the UK Independent Party) they always talk about "being British", about "making Britain great again" but they don't say much more than that. It was not these groups who were involed directly - but a group naming themselves North West Infidels' - these groups don't want to be seen as the bad guys because people like the BNP (once headed by Nigel Farage) want to be seen as a serious Political Party.

The thing is the city I am in has always been a diverse mutticulteral city, we strive and celebrate this, it's one of the reasons I came here to begin with and this is a small pocket of people who dislike migrants.

The great thing about his though? They had to bring protestors over from Poland to make up the numbers..