I know the right wing media finds it all very difficult so, in an attempt to be helpful, this is what an actual interference with free speech looks like.
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Clearly the work of
Yvette Cooper
Ed Balls her husband
Keir Starmer the unwanted PM and one or two others but it does seem this gov are using the cops for their own purposes of shutting the public down in their own homes?!🤬
I wonder what would have happened to her if her bigotry was racial or religious or ableist. Would the courts have understood how bad it is then? Do they realise that hate is bad, whoever it's against? People in a position of influence especially should not espouse hate against anyone
Sure it is. Saw a few very naive people wonder why she would willingly resign from being a uni professor. How do you explain to people that teaching, even at university level, is not as lucrative as the transphobia grift circuit is?
Poor thing it's a disgrace how severely she's been silenced. Why, sometimes there are DAYS when she is not on the front page, how is that justice? Why are we not all reading her words All Day Every Day?
When people don't have to listen to you AND PRAISE YOU constantly it's called Being Silenced.
I'd be happy to let her know, but then she'd complain I was restricting her freedom of speech because freedom of speech to her means her speaking and everyone shutting up.
Poor wee lass, guess she forgot that freedom of speech means she can say what she wants, AND that others can also say what they want about what she says.
Given her profession, prior to being a hate spewing grifter, one would have thought she would know that
I saw this posted on FB earlier & at first thought I’d read it wrong or it was made up bullshit. Then I saw it was Novara Media that had posted it & realised it wasn’t bull! I guess I should start expecting a visit from the police then as hummus & breadsticks are a midnight snack staple in my house
I saw someone say that April Fools Day this year is cancelled as no made up thing would come even close to all the batshit crazy stuff that is happening right now. It’s absolutely true!
Kid Starver Starmer is a ruthless authoritarian. Along with Reeves and Streeting he has captured the Labour Party and is fast moving away from policies that put people first. Either they should be replaced or the majority of Labour MPs should set up a Real Labour Party.
Maybe actually educate yourself, the group, which is actually Just Stop Oil, whose members have been arrested before are not Quakers , they just hired a hall from the Quakers, looks like the left is still totally dumb.
Doesn't add up. Why were a group planning to "shut London down" over the next few weeks via "civil disobedience" having a meeting about Gaza and climate change"?
Wouldn't the time have been better spent planning the civil disobedience?
Quakers is really neither here nor there. As I understand it, a group of people gathered in a room *discussing* matters of conscience were arrested. How is this right? Must assume they plotted treason against the crown or assassination. No? Well GTFO then FFS.
You may not be familiar with Quakers but they're a fanatically pacifist group. Of all the people sitting around having a discussion, they are absolutely dead last in possibly being a violent threat to anyone. It shows *just* how unhinged this raid was.
The ridiculous thing is that the pretext is now not violence, the possibility of causing inconvenience is deemed sufficient. (Unless you drive a tractor)
Will be interesting to see if Toby Young and the Free Leech Union (sic, an erroneous autocorrect that might actually be right) actually say anything about this one.
This is terrible, and clearly intended to frighten people away from protesting. But let's remember that for years, the mostly working class and minoritised people arrested for "ordinary" crimes have also been subject to this appalling extended imprisonment before any trial.
Bread sticks and hummus were to be used as offensive weapons, no doubt. Congratulations to the met for solving all the violent crime so they can spend valuable hours on these terrorists.
This is more of the authoritarianism that's happening all over the world. How long do you think it's going to be before the gov are detaining people for what they've posted on social media @jolyonmaugham.bsky.social?
Well, me also. And also the reality that, if you post something online that's so egregious that it gets you arrested (say inciting a riot) that makes you an idiot. I worry about severe sanctions for simply expressing opinions which run counter to authority, which is (yet) another kettle of fish etc.
Imposter syndrome among those in positions of authority is a thing. It leads to a a lot of misconstruction. Councils and the police being under constant scrutiny to get results can't help much either. Evidence based policing being consigned to history too. Toxic mix.
I'll be expressing opinions later today while watching the Bournemouth v Man City match. What's the police stance on pork scratchings? Quite concerned actually!
I realised I have 2 phone calls a day from EON about smart meters - is that harassment as if I care - I gave them one chance and they failed but shocked at the missed calls from some AI they must use
Why are people who are planning a major campaign of civil disobedience over the next few weeks meeting to discuss climate change and Gaza? Wouldn't they have been better off planning the civil disobedience?
It was inevitable when the Tory Govt gave such discretionary, anticipationary powers that it would be abused. The Met will be sued and the taxpayer will pick up the tab.
we can expect the torylite government to double down and back the blue on this one. labour didn't support electoral reform for a reason. they get excited by abuse as much as the tories do.
And to think Starmer hitherto made his reputation standing up for those McDonalds protestors all those years ago. He's become completely corrupted. A hollow shell of his former self.
I guess the Quakers could - as potentially might the women. The laws themselves were introduced by the Tories and Labour seems to be making full use of them too.
It feels so wrong that a Quaker place of worship was raided, it seems indefensible but I guess that is what those laws were brought in to do. Labour should be ashamed they haven't repealed them.
Some of us since 2016 saw this coming and called for proper smart and swift action to stop it. No, we were told. Let's do dress up and sing alongs and hand thousands to con artists who lie they're fighting. And so with barely a struggle, our rights to protest were lost. But people had fun...
That's a peaceful protest. If there's no violence or property damage, it's peaceful, even if it's inconvenient. A group of avowed pacifists were not going to riot. Civil disobedience is a form of peaceful protest.
No, there isn't. Peaceful protest doesn't include violence or property damage. The just stop oil protesters who through paint on paintings damaged property. Any other protesters arrested for non violent protests are because it's illegal to peacefully protest in England now
The Met have a shameful track record and need to be abolished and replaced by a totally new Police force. Not all of the Police are behaving the way the Met have however it's gone too far.
Almost nothing shows that a regime is on the wrong side of history more clearly than sending armed cops to kick in the door of a Quaker meeting house because the people inside wouldn’t shut up about climate change and genocide
Comments
Yvette Cooper
Ed Balls her husband
Keir Starmer the unwanted PM and one or two others but it does seem this gov are using the cops for their own purposes of shutting the public down in their own homes?!🤬
We have to stop waiting for them to care about being hypocrites.
When people don't have to listen to you AND PRAISE YOU constantly it's called Being Silenced.
Given her profession, prior to being a hate spewing grifter, one would have thought she would know that
But probably some bollocks like 'conspiracy to cause a public nuisance'
Flavour is illegal in the UK!!
Or even just knock on a door.
Thick bunch of authoritarian idiots.
https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/quakers-condemn-police-raid-on-westminster-meeting-house
Wouldn't the time have been better spent planning the civil disobedience?
#TractorBlockades
https://novaramedia.com/2025/03/12/the-pro-palestine-activists-imprisoned-for-months-without-being-found-guilty-of-any-crime/
A force that knew about their officers before they were revealed to be murderers & rapists.
Targeting Quakers, a pacifist church. Absolutely disgusting.
No doubt they'll investigate themselves.
There's no chance the PM didn't know these women were being surveiled, or of plans to arrest them.
Highly doubt it was a Met Police idea to target this campaign group.
Government must explain urgently if it was a "mistake" or they are responsible.
https://youthdemand.org/take-action/
@dodiedood.bsky.social
@algreen.house.gov
@jetmagazineonline.bsky.social
https://goodlawproject.org/campaign/stop-trumps-assault-on-justice-in-the-uk/
Sedition indeed!
It's the actual definition of peaceful protest
I’m an Irish Quaker. This is from the British Quaker website. Their recording clerk has also provided further info in a statement yesterday.
I definitely prefer it when sources are quoted.
Shows respect for the source and helps with accountability 🙏