Anyone going to heckle our* supposed MP as she stands trial in court on criminal charges..

[father_and_son]

Oh Arundel Seagull,stop being a drama queen.
It would be neglectful in the extreme if any Government of this country,be it Tory or Labour were not to explore the benefits that fracking and shale gas may bring.

I think there is a substantial amount of circumstantial evidence to suggest fracking is a bad idea and only those with a vested interest seem to be supporting it, but I wholeheartedly agree that energy independence for the UK should be a massive priority for all our MPs whatever their persuasion politically. Especially given the situation in Ukraine, Europe's reliance on Russian gas seems catastrophically stupid and the UK should be ensuring we have the means to power ourselves without help from any country (including the French!).

As Ms Lucas broke the law, she should face the courts, but suspect she will try to divert the trial to be one about fracking, not about sitting in the middle of a public highway and refusing to move. Done correctly, the case should last 10 mins tops.

 

[Triggaaar]

Fracking would seem a reasonable thing for a Green MP to be worried about.

She's almost duty bound to be against it. She should be against it, and I've no problem with that. What she shouldn't do, however, is break the law. By breaking the law, she sends a message out to the rest of us: 'if you feel strongly about something, and don't agree with the law, it's ok to break it'.

 

[Frampler]

She hasn't been convicted yet. She is likely to be convicted because it's a public order offence which can best be summed up as "not doing what a police officer told her", but it is still to early to declare that she broke the law.

 

[Don Quixote]

..next Monday at Edward Street.

I know I am .

By- Election looms.

*if you live in BN1

Are you still sore because the Conservatives came third, and will no doubt come third again?

 

[Husty]

What supposed about her status as an MP?

I won't be able to get time off work, but if I did, I would go and applaud her for sticking to her beliefs (unlike most of the current shambles in charge and those wishing to takeover the country).

Breaking the law to stand up for any belief is not acceptable.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Breaking the law to stand up for any belief is not acceptable.

I think the Suffragettes and the campaigns for Black equality in the USA during the 50's and 60's might disagree.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

She's almost duty bound to be against it. She should be against it, and I've no problem with that. What she shouldn't do, however, is break the law. By breaking the law, she sends a message out to the rest of us: 'if you feel strongly about something, and don't agree with the law, it's ok to break it'.

I know what you mean, so much for politicians and diplomacy being used to deal with issues? She should be looking to use her power as an MP to try to resolve this through due process rather than breaking the law to protest in person.

Those opposed to this type of venture should be able to turn to their politicians (regardless of political party) and how can her constituants do that if she is unavailable because she is in the middle of Balcombe / at a Police station under arrest. - It just sends out the message that politics doesn't work, so why bother!

 

[Superphil]

Heckling? In a law court? Surely that's the sort of behaviour you expect from a militant minority group, is that what the tories in Brighton have become? 'Classy' behaviour nonetheless, something we used to associate with parties like UKIP and the Greens, times they are a changing?

 

[brakespear]

Nothing. However the OP just wants you to click on the thread rather than write anything accurate. He's practicing for his next Buzzfeed lite

"14 things that tell you it's better to be ridiculed than ignored"

 

[Husty]

I think the Suffragettes and the campaigns for Black equality in the USA during the 50's and 60's might disagree.

Well I don't.

 

[Creaky]

She hasn't been convicted yet. She is likely to be convicted because it's a public order offence which can best be summed up as "not doing what a police officer told her", but it is still to early to declare that she broke the law.

Doesn't seem to worry most posters on this thread - supporter or otherwise they have all got her down as guilty - wonder why we bother with trials

 

[Triggaaar]

I think the Suffragettes and the campaigns for Black equality in the USA during the 50's and 60's might disagree.

I do agree with your basic point that there are occasions when the breaking the law can be justified for the greater good. But I don't think this is one of those occasions, and I don't think an MP should be breaking the law. She should have gone to the protest, and then complied with the requests of the police. And re the campaigns for black equality, did Martin Luther King have to break the law to get his message across? Gandhi also did pretty well without breaking the law didn't he?

 

[Triggaaar]

I think Caroline Lucas is great. She's the only MP I know of that passionately stands up for a range of issues that will truly benefit society

But fracking may actually benefit society. Have you even considered that?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I do agree with your basic point that there are occasions when the breaking the law can be justified for the greater good. But I don't think this is one of those occasions, and I don't think an MP should be breaking the law. She should have gone to the protest, and then complied with the requests of the police. And re the campaigns for black quality, did Martin Luther King have to break the law to get his message across? Gandhi also did pretty well without breaking the law didn't he?

I agree with you. Sometimes breaking the law is justified for the cause and in this case it probably wasn't ( and wasn't even necessary ).

That said, for anyone to say in a blanket way the law should "NEVER" be broken is naive in the extreme. Martin Luther King was supported by forceful, law breaking campaigns ( although he didn't outwardly show support for the methods ).

Strictly speaking, French resistance fighters during WWII were breaking German imposed laws - I'm sure there is nobody that would suggest they were in the wrong.

It's far too simplistic to say the law should never be broken. I for one support the breaking of laws - in certain circumstances.

 

[spring hall convert]

..next Monday at Edward Street.

I know I am .

By- Election looms.

*if you live in BN1

You best hope if you do that that hired thugs mascarading as police don't arrest you.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I do agree with your basic point that there are occasions when the breaking the law can be justified for the greater good. But I don't think this is one of those occasions, and I don't think an MP should be breaking the law. She should have gone to the protest, and then complied with the requests of the police. And re the campaigns for black quality, did Martin Luther King have to break the law to get his message across? Gandhi also did pretty well without breaking the law didn't he?

Ghandi was imprisoned in both South Africa and India several times so I'm not sure whether your point is correct. I'd have thought that sitting down in the roadway and refusing to budge is exactly the sort of non-violent civil disobedience that he would have carried out.

 

[Triggaaar]

Obviously, but permanently polluting the lands that we live on with carcinogenic and toxic chemicals should never be considered, regardless of any short term economic gain.

It's not that simple. It's all about the quantity and effect of chemicals. Of course there are things well all do all the time that causes toxins to go into the land. It makes sense to research the effects of fracking. To just assume it's bad is not helpful.

 

[Triggaaar]

Ghandi was imprisoned in both South Africa and India several times so I'm not sure whether your point is correct.

Well my point doesn't rely on whether Gandhi ever broke the law.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

..next Monday at Edward Street.

I know I am .

By- Election looms.

*if you live in BN1

If you do, I presume (and hope) you will get ejected from the court.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It's not that simple. It's all about the quantity and effect of chemicals. Of course there are things well all do all the time that causes toxins to go into the land. It makes sense to research the effects of fracking. To just assume it's bad is not helpful.

To just go ahead and implement isn't helpful either. I think it's clear the government and companies behind this don't actually give much regard to research in this area. The american politicians made a lot of money as did the fracking companies in the US. There are far too many UK politicians with positions on boards and holdings into institutions that all have a lot to gain from fracking being introduced here. They are circling over Britain like vultures over a carcass right now, and if it wasn't for the protests they'd be enjoying a feed regardless of environmental consequences (that we can agree more research is required).