The Conversation (0)
Liam O'Dell
May 30, 2021
Irony isn’t lost on anti-lockdown protestors, it seems, as campaigners shouted “freedom” in London’s Westfield shopping centre which was completely open to customers.
Hundreds joined the demonstration on Saturday, which saw individuals protest against the government’s response to the pandemic and coronavirus vaccine passports.
However, their calls to “keep Britain free” backfired spectacularly when shops in the centre were forced to close for their staff’s safety, according to The Independent.
Police officers also had to close roads around the venue, as a numnber of demonstrators had caused “significant disruption”.
After footage from the protest was shared online, Twitter users were quick to point out the ironic nature of their actions:
I don't know what's more ironic - the fact that #Antilockdown protesters forced the CLOSURE of #westfield Shopping… https://t.co/DHrDMUhf9j— Dr Zubaida Haque (@Dr Zubaida Haque) 1622358961
"What d'ya want?" - "FREEDOM!" "When d'ya want it ?" - "NOW!" Chanted without a hint of irony from inside a FULLY… https://t.co/h2tLplJwDd— Marsh4LL (@Marsh4LL) 1622318248
I feel so sorry for all of those poor retail workers caught up in the mess at Westfield. People are so selfish.— pip 🕳️ (@pip 🕳️) 1622310483
How are you anti-lockdown when you’re literally outside you clowns https://t.co/RZ9KUklfxS— Mollie Goodfellow (@Mollie Goodfellow) 1622311261
Anti-lockdown protesters now wading into Primark to tell those currently working in Primark that they need to take… https://t.co/9Z1kTs4ge4— David (@David) 1622312086
@Julian5News How can you protest against lockdown in an open shopping centre?— Siob, Princess of Yorkshire 💙#FBPE #FBR (@Siob, Princess of Yorkshire 💙#FBPE #FBR) 1622316641
@Julian5News So they walked past all the open restaurants, all the open pubs into an open shopping centre full of o… https://t.co/XHGDnZA2nD— James Weston (@James Weston) 1622311587
“What do we WANT!” “We want FREEDOM!!! So on a glorious sunny day while parks, zoos, pubs, restaurants and beaches… https://t.co/EvUMRiZRnE— Adil Ray OBE (@Adil Ray OBE) 1622367907
However, the demonstration itself was apparently short-lived, with journalist Damien Gayle reporting on Twitter that it was “cleared ... after about 20 minutes by police with batons”.
The #NoVaccinePassports protest was cleared from Westfield after about 20 minutes by police with batons. I didn’t s… https://t.co/xdl6kMcW7r— Damien Gayle (@Damien Gayle) 1622309484
It wasn’t the only protest to take place on Saturday, as demonstrators also gathered in Parliament Square with flags and placards.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that four arrests were made across a number of protests in London, with individuals arrested “on suspicion offences including assault on police, violent disorder and criminal damage.”
It’s quite something that people who want everything to open up in a deadly pandemic are so closed-minded.
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