The French protest at soaring costs and get results – what’s wrong with the UK?

36 comments
  1. Brits do not know how to protest.

    If French farmers or fishermen had been as screwed as the British ones have been by Brexit there would have been actual riots with heavy machinery – not just 3 guys glueing their hands on a fence.

  2. Protests were delegalized in the UK, no one wants to have their skull legally cracked by the Regime Enforcers.

  3. I don’t think anyone has much confidence it will affect anything. Are there any examples in the last generation when it actually has done?

    Plus look at public and governmental comments every time there is a protest and you’ll see plenty who are against it or the way people are protesting. So I think there’s a general stubborn and inward culture which doesn’t really allow a lot of people to think about coming together for a cause even if they’re passionate about it.

  4. A few reasons:

    – Half the country aren’t feeling the effects of the austerity
    – the party that has caused the austerity HAS BEEN VOTED IN BY FUCKING IDIOTS REPEATEDLY

  5. I think we had the quote “keep calm and carry on” drilled into us too much. There will be a point where the public will have had enough, but that threshold is quite high unfortunately. I actually wish we were more French when it comes to protesting.

  6. Over a million people marched against the invasion of Iraq. Nothing changed. The British establishment have been taught they can do whatever they like for decades. Why would they stop now?

  7. Having just recovered from an r/UK ban for suggesting we should be more like the French I shall choose my words carefully.

    We, as a country, have been conditioned to see the difference in other working people and focus on that. This is why “What do you call a bread roll” posts or jam/cream first posts are popular. The way “we” do things is the best way, the “other way” is abhorrent and should be mocked.

    Brexit is probably worse than barm vs bap, but it serves the same purpose.

  8. It’s the classic British ‘stiff upper lip’ at play. Don’t moan, complain or get emotional, it’s unbecoming, just swallow the shit and keep moving, it’s the British way.

  9. Personally I think part of the problem has to do with past strike action by unions.

    Striking for fair pay and safer working conditions is one thing, but when the public has to endure disruption or hardship because a union is trying to prevent job losses, that annoys people (particularly if it’s a publically owned company)

    Culturally Britain is quite conservative as well, we frown upon making a scene in public which is basically what protesting is. But I think the main problem is that people have a negative opinion of it based on people being unreasonable in the past.

  10. Too scared of authority coupled with the fantasy notion so many seem to have; someone else will sort it out… Or the other dumb idea we have; I’m doing ok, I’ll complain when it affects me.

  11. I think we are just so demoralised as a nation.

    Everyone is tired and just trying to survive. Finding the time, energy and money to get to a protest might be more resources than a lot of people have right now.

    The government and press have done a great job in convincing the public that protests are pointless, so people will judge the effort not worth it.

  12. If even half the people who whined about there being no protests in the UK put that energy into finding a local protest to attend then there’d be nothing to whine about

  13. Look at what happens when we protest. “Climate loonies made you late for work, write a letter to Boris Johnson instead and get back to work.”

  14. Probably because people can’t afford to protest not to mention that bill that is/was coming in.

  15. As an immigrant in the UK I’ll be very honest – it’s because Brits are raised to be complacent and polite above all else. Having a stiff upper lip in the face of adversity is a pathetic attitude for any population to take upon themselves. It only benefits the government and hurts us. What we NEED to do in the face of adversity is demand change, and the moment the government refuses to fulfil our demands we need to burn their shit down and scare them into doing their job – our bidding.

    The French know how to keep their government under control because they understand who works for who.

  16. Nothing is going to happen for a month anyway until this leadership contest is only. Heavy protests now would be a waste. Save them for when we have our new PM.

  17. A fear of punishment. The French understand there is consequence to such action, but that the results justify their action. Over here, people think “I’ll go to prison and it’ll all be for nothing”.

  18. If you protest you get maligned as being annoying and disruptive. The police are likely to infiltrate your organisation, even if you are peacefully expressing yourself. Laws get passed to nake it illegal. The papers attack you. It will be demanded that you provide the exact blueprint to fix the problem.

    We are supressed as a population.

    Unfortunately what this will mean is that when there is civil unrest its likely to be more like a riot than a protest.

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