OVER the years I have come to realise that many people who become involved in protests, sign petitions or hook up to conspiracy theories, are nothing short of “hobby activists”.

Back in the early 2000s, when Tony Blair had his Labour Conference at the BIC, there were a few protesters around but the main one was the Stop the War campaign against the attack on Iraq. I was not part of that group, though agreed with them and followed their march en route to Bournemouth Lower Gardens. There by good fortune, I got to sit and chat with the late Tony Benn.

Not long after that, a mention in our local Echo stated that ‘Silent Women in Black’ would be holding a protest in the town Square against an attack on Iraq and invited all to attend.

I turned up as I believed in the cause. It was a very cold day but despite not wearing black myself and taking lots of abuse from passing crowds – I stood by my guns.

When our silent protest was over, we all decided to go to a nearby cafe to warm up with a cup of hot chocolate. Yet it was here that I became so shocked!

We practically filled that cafe and the most hardened of the group began to share and exchange past protests that they had all been on – it was like a ‘roll of honour’ in which I felt most inadequate. These people had been up and down the country protesting about Greenham Common, land development, gay rights, sex discrimination – the list was so long and added to their ‘CV’ despite many of them never fulfilling a day’s work and all on regular benefits.

That was when I stopped believing in protests or at least protesters. Past dissents involved burning down of innocent owners’ shops and looting their wares. Mostly instigated by a few ‘hobby protesters’ onto a very gullible or I might add, weak or very selfish crowd.

CHRISTINE PETERS

Wellington Road, Bournemouth

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