In message , David
Cantrell writes
On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 10:02:18PM +0100, Chris Read wrote:

If you're referring to the thread I started, a couple of weeks back, I'm
interested to know why you think this was 'thoroughly reactionary'. I made
it quite clear I was in favour of the right to free speech and lawful
demonstration, but that if this involved bringing central London to a
standstill most weekends, there were legitimate questions to be asked about
how the cost to London is borne. I gave my view as to who should bear that
cost, because someone has to pay.

If I'm not getting two threads confused, didn't someone say that the
demonstrators should pay? That, of course, makes certain parts of
political life the exclusive preserve of the well-off, which is a Really
Bad Idea. And I say that as someone who is in the top 10% of earners in
the country.

I'm quite happy to pay the costs of other people demonstrating, through
funding the police*,

Just for the record - and as someone whose working life can be
*spectacularly* messed up by such things, I'm not happy to pay the
costs.


through my journeys occasionally taking longer, and
through infinitesimal extra costs passed on to me by businesses that are
affected.

They may only pass "infinitesimal" costs to you. Some of those
businesses lost considerable amounts.


Even when I strongly disagree with the demonstrators I'm
willing to pay that cost.

Again, I'm not (although I concede there's little I can do about it).


That's because democracy and holding the
state to account is important.

You can do that by protesting somewhere that doesn't hold up traffic,
delay journeys and - an important point here - put people off going into
London in the first place.


I'm even happy to pay the extra costs involved because of the tiny
minority who don't just protest peacefully

Yet again, I'm not. But I suspect you'll be fed up of me saying this
by now! :-))

- those costs being extra
policing, vandalism, court time, prisons, hospital treatment, etc.
Not that whether I'm happy matters or not - those who are willing to
break laws about things like vandalism and assault are presumably also
willing to break laws about paying cash in advance for their silliness!

Indeed; this Pay As You Protest idea really *is* unworkable.
(Although I did briefly consider whether it could be paid for on
Oyster!)


* in the abstract - I certainly don't approve of their criminality,
incompetence and thuggery in recent years.

Just in case I seem thoroughly disinterested in democracy or current
affairs, I *am* interested enough to wonder what the Tamil protesters
actually want to achieve by their protests. I've not been able to work
out an answer to that yet, though.

--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk