On Friday Matt Hancock advised people to avoid gatherings of more than six people. He had in mind Black Lives Matters demonstrations in solidarity with George Floyd.
I’m not sure Hancock has ever been a demonstration in his life but the authorities have preferred and at times legally required demonstrations to be very small in size dating back to the time when the public protest became part of a democratic culture- arguably the late eighteenth century.
No doubt there will be exceptions but I’d expect protests to be socially distanced and with mask wearing and mostly assembled not using public transport.
I wont be participating though, and not because I have any aversion to protests. I am after all 63 and being in any kind of mass gathering at the moment is just not prudent.
Of course there are many other ways of protest, what Charles Tilly referred to as the Repertoire of Contention.
All will be familiar with the Thursday clap for carers. Despite attempts from on high to stop it, it still went on in my street this week and I joined in. It is a collective act of solidarity albeit a small one. Likewise Ive also taken the knee for George Floyd(even though I have bad knees- see my age above).
Lots of local protests look set to take place this weekend, more accessible to some than centralised one, but of course not so newsworthy.
In the age of Zoom (etc)and social media mass protest can also to an extent be virtual. Stand Up to Racism are holding another internet event at 7pm on Sunday. See @AntiRacismDay for details.
Of course virtual protest is not the same as a physical one but for those who cant or dont want to at the moment venture on to one its still a good collective experience.
In short what Hancock should have said is not ‘dont protest’ but ‘protest safely’. But what can you expect from a Minister for whom the very idea of protest is not a good thought..
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