Commons/PMQs suspended after powder bomb

dahamsta

Apparently the "bomb" was flour, dyed purple; and "Fathers 4 Justice" are claiming responsibility. Personally speaking, although I support the right to protest, I think this is a rather silly approach; and a completely illogical approach for the individuals involved. Surely they're just making it worse for themselves?

On the wider front, this kind of thing just makes it easier for people like Blunkett, McDowell and Ashcroft to infringe on our liberties.

adam

sceptre

They do seem to go for outlandish protest - a quick google gives us Spiderman on a crane, Spiderman and Batman in Plymouth and 4 superheroes in Worcester.

And on a cursory glance at their main webpage, they appear to have a point. And even if they didn't they've still got the right to protest.

However, I agree with Adam - this isn't the kind of thing that will endear anyone to their cause, public or politicians and it seems like a retrograde step if they actually want to be heard and not regarded as a crowd of utter nutters. Theatrical protest is great - it's entertaining and it'll probably get some coverage as well as convincing people that you're just making the protest in a way that people will notice. Leaving fake bombs around the place however, is not. Particularly given the recent history of bomb scares throughout the UK.

dahamsta

Another related thing I'd like to mention is that I feel Sky's coverage of this tends to back up my recent assertion that they're not particularly unbalanced. I've had Sky on since it happened, and although there's no doubt that /some/ presenters do appear to have rather conservative attitudes themselves - or at least have a tendency to tackle liberal interviewees more aggressively - on the whole I do think they at least /try/ to present the news from both viewpoints. They might not always succeed, but there does seem to be a concious effort to do so.

On this particular issue, for example, they had on an MP that thought the whole thing was par for the course, and a chap from the Guardian that expressed views similar to my own and sceptre's; and they were relatively uncricital of them.

(Obviously expressing views similar to mine doesn't make them right, but allowing people to express them does tend to support what I'm saying, if you get my drift.)

adam

BuffyBot

Apparently the "bomb" was flour, dyed purple; and "Fathers 4 Justice" are claiming responsibility. Personally speaking, although I support the right to protest, I think this is a rather silly approach; and a completely illogical approach for the individuals involved. Surely they're just making it worse for themselves?

Ah, that crowd. They really aren't doing anything to help their cause - in fact, they seem to specialse in pointless stunts

WetDaddy

Does anyone know if there's actually any footage of the incident? I've been away from TVs all day (a good thing!)...

I tried the BBC and Sky websites, but the video sections don't seem to be working. Also, they just be reports on what happened as opposed to the actual incident.

Moriarty

Yeah there is, it was during Prime Ministers Questions (a regular wednesday afternoon thing) which is always televised live on sky and bbc. A repeat is shown on the news reports on news24 and sky, you can clearly see the balloon that hits his shoulder burst into a big cloud.

chewy

yeah i really think its was silly action

i think these fathers are a bit desperate and not of the usual protest tpye they musn't realsie what they are doing

Victor

Ah, the illusion of security.

Originally posted by dahamsta
Apparently the "bomb" was flour, dyed purple

Hardly a bomb.

It is marginally better than running in front of the King's horse, isn't it?

dahamsta

Originally posted by Moriarty
Yeah there is, it was during Prime Ministers Questions (a regular wednesday afternoon thing) which is always televised live on sky and bbc. A repeat is shown on the news reports on news24 and sky, you can clearly see the balloon that hits his shoulder burst into a big cloud.

Speaking of Sky News, watching the presenters in the studio react to Adam Boulton describing how the "bombs" were probably smuggled into the House "wrapped around their genitals" was comical. You'd swear he was describing the porn movie he'd seen the night before or something the way they were going on!

adam

mike65

Originally posted by dahamsta
Speaking of Sky News, watching the presenters in the studio react to Adam Boulton describing how the "bombs" were probably smuggled into the House "wrapped around their genitals" was comical. You'd swear he was describing the porn movie he'd seen the night before or something the way they were going on!

adam

"Too Much Information" x 2

What a dumb stunt, quite why they imagine this'll get them a millimetre closer to thier stated aim is beyond me. I imagine Al Qaeda must be rueing a missed oppotunity.

Mike.

Victor

Originally posted by Moriarty
you can clearly see the balloon that hits his shoulder burst into a big cloud.

http://www.photobucket.com/albums/0903/mike65/Sky_News.jpg

Balloon or condom?

PaulHughesWH

I hear there are unconfirmed reports that the British and the Americans are counting yesterday's purple flour attack as a botched assassination attempt by the British-based Disgruntled Unmarried Fathers under Allah Division of Al Qaeda.

Apparently, they have designated the flour as a class-1 Weapon of Nasal Disruption, and are preparing a "shock and awe" military assault on the Odlums factory in Dublin.