Thousands at 'March for Europe' Brexit protest

[GennGreymane]

Sure then. They are free to object and protest but it amounts to nothing and should not be surprising when it changes no minds, especially of anyone in a position to do anything about it.

Uuuuhhh no shit. no one has to listen to them.

However it would be undemocratic to not allow them to do so, as many on here have said.

[Daws]

So basically thousands march to protest democracy and demand the government veto a public vote. Love it

[Blade Wolf]

Inb4 people saying omg get over it


People still bitch that Obama won twice. People are allowed to disagree and protest. Get over that.

True but when they start organising petitions and harass the leave side you're allowed to call them out on their pathetic childlike behavior.

[GennGreymane]

True but when they start organising petitions and harass the leave side you're allowed to call them out on their pathetic childlike behavior.

Except we have people on here who say they shouldnt be allowed to protest at all.

[Cosmic Janitor]

So basically thousands march to protest democracy and demand the government veto a public vote. Love it

The vote was at best advisory in nature, it has no legally binding context. The only way to actually get what you want is to elect MPs that will try to invoke Art.50. The best solution is to ask for new elections but, currently it looks like the world has to wait until the Tories are done with their vacations .

[Noradin]

They are going against the authority, this would be more a form of anarchy.

It would be neither, because it is a perfectly alright thing to do (thus not anarchy) and not dictated from a position of authority (thus not authoritarian).

[Kalis]

So a failed British comedian is Americas only insight into British affairs? A man who likely hasn't lived here in years

I think you are mixing him up with John Oliver, who is a Brummie, Stephen Colbert is an American.

I couldn't make it sadly, would've loved to meet Tim Farron now I'm a card carrying LibDem.

He will probably pop round for tea, there are not many of you.

You may struggle to get rid of him.

[Independent voter]

Why do people keep bringing this unfunny man up, nobody in Britain knows him

Too soon? 10characters

[Noradin]

Well, if the -democratic elected- government decides something, it is indeed technically undemocratic to protest it.

No, it isn't.
Obstructing it would be undemocratic.
Protesting is perfectly alright.
It is not like the government is in any form to do as they want, just because they are protesting.

[ranzino]

Uuuuhhh no shit. no one has to listen to them.

However it would be undemocratic to not allow them to do so, as many on here have said.

Difficult situation. Their protest is aligned against a majority vote, as silly that vote might have been. Freedom of opinion vs. democracy.

[Nethlord]

I am not going to comment on the nuance of the issue here. I am not from the country nor do I know truly the day to day life of living there. I have been to London though and found it wonderful. What I will say is this....an "up" or "down" vote like this was simply one the stupidest things imaginable. This isn't a show like "American Idol" or "Britain's got talent" This is an entire country voting on leaving what equals to the government. The majority that wanted out got what they wanted...a slightly bit more than half, while the slightly less than half of THE ENTIRE REST OF THE COUNTRY DIDN'T JUST LOSE, BUT IS FORCED TO FOLLOW THE MAJORITY OUT.

Their vote wasn't just invalidated...the life they had was; do you honestly think people are happy about this? It would be the equivalent of Texas passing a similar vote, with about the same threshold of votes. Could you imagine the upheaval in the state? Half the state's population are no longer American when they wanted to. (For those not from the states...there is always some rumblings from that state that they want to ceased, more so than any other state). The augment could be made if the scenario was the reverse, which lends even more credence to the fact a simple "Majority wins" vote was nonsense. Not to mention the entire country of Scotland voted to stay in the EU. Does no one see the issue here? Why was something of this magnitude handled so stupidly?

I don't have a horse in this race, but I give it about six months before the entire vote is overruled for one reason of another. I don't make the comment with glee or disdain....World shattering changes such as these do not simply happen without equal force from the other side...whatever that may be.

[GennGreymane]

Difficult situation. Their protest is aligned against a majority vote, as silly that vote might have been. Freedom of opinion vs. democracy.

Except protests are an essential element of democracy.

[Grimtide]

The problem is that demonstrations are usually protesting the ideas/actions of the elected government, which is democracy in action. Here they are protesting to the government about something that was decided by the people, protesting against a democratic result. They are like spoiled children screaming to anyone who will listen because they don't have their own way.

[ranzino]

Except protests are an essential element of democracy.

See, i said it's difficult.
Per definition direct democracy is never wrong and to say (in a polite way or not) the majority vote is BS is a problem then. If majority votes are not infallible you should never allow a counting vote so close to a tie. Ok, that referendum is not binding, but votes for parliament are sometimes close to a tie AND binding.

[Wildtree]

I think you are mixing him up with John Oliver, who is a Brummie, Stephen Colbert is an American.

Foot in mouth alert..
lol

[Kalis]

Foot in mouth alert..
lol

They are both from the same Jon Stewart stable, so confusing them is not unreasonable, though Colbert (and Stewart) are genuinely funny, whereas Oliver is just whiny.

[Wildtree]

They are both from the same Jon Stewart stable, so confusing them is not unreasonable, though Colbert (and Stewart) are genuinely funny, whereas Oliver is just whiny.

Colbert ran the Colbert Show, after Jon Stewart's Daily Show until he took over for David Letterman's night show.
One reason why some Brits don't know Oliver might be, because he's been with the Daily Show since 2006. That's 10 yrs out of the British cycle.
And, he doesn't have to be top notch either. For Americans it's enough to have a British accent. That's sufficiently funny for them.
They also like Craig Ferguson and that immature prick James Corden,

[Elegiac]

The problem is that demonstrations are usually protesting the ideas/actions of the elected government, which is democracy in action. Here they are protesting to the government about something that was decided by the people, protesting against a democratic result. They are like spoiled children screaming to anyone who will listen because they don't have their own way.

Or because it wasn't a democratic result.

[Orange Joe]

Uuuuhhh no shit. no one has to listen to them.

However it would be undemocratic to not allow them to do so, as many on here have said.

I'm not sure you understand what democracy is. Protesting has nothing to do with democracy. Protesting is about freedom of speech.

Democracy, or democratic government, is "a system of government in which all the people of a state or polity ... are involved in making decisions about its affairs, typically by voting to elect representatives to a parliament or similar assembly", as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary.[1] Democracy is further defined as (a "government by the people; especially : rule of the majority (b "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections."[2]

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Except protests are an essential element of democracy.

No voting is.

[Kalis]

Colbert ran the Colbert Show, after Jon Stewart's Daily Show until he took over for David Letterman's night show.
One reason why some Brits don't know Oliver might be, because he's been with the Daily Show since 2006. That's 10 yrs out of the British cycle.
And, he doesn't have to be top notch either. For Americans it's enough to have a British accent. That's sufficiently funny for them.
They also like Craig Ferguson and that immature prick James Corden,

James Corden is well known in Britain - he used to be massive, boom boom - Craig Ferguson less so but was fairly popular many years ago, whereas John Oliver is virtually unknown in Britain, even his family have to Google who he is.

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Or because it wasn't a democratic result.

Yes it was, more people voted to leave than voted to remain.