Blog

  • Wake Up Everybody: Music, Festivals & Pushing Back Peacefully

    Wake Up Everybody: Music, Festivals & Pushing Back Peacefully

    As festival season kicks off across the UK, I’ve been reflecting on what an extraordinary opportunity it is to be part of something bigger, to sing and dance and shout, to connect, and yes, to be heard. I get it, no one wants a lecture or to get political while they’re knee-deep in glitter, cider in hand, attempting to forget the worries of the world, But maybe, just maybe, you can have fun and still help shape the kind of future we want to live in.

    Sometimes you can help to make a change with small acts, and have a great time. The banners, flags, and t-shirts can do the talking for you, …without needing to risk a police escort in Parliament Square.

    Hands up if you feel that things are going to shit, and you can’t do anything about it. You know, it might be true (note I was a proper Pollyanna in my younger years..Gen X ref..but here we are). Unless we want to sleepwalk into a grey future, we probably should try and take back some control, and NOT in a Boris Johnson way obviously.

      “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has” att. Margaret Mead.

    This is a profound phrase. When has change for ordinary people happened without us having to ask, or demand it?

    If you don’t want to live in a world where all of our assets have been requisitioned by people who do not want to share their toys, and all of the wealth of the country sits in bank accounts that grow by the second with passive income interest, then action is necessary.

    The world is churning. The UK, in particular, feels brittle,more divided, more cynical. Our right to peaceful protest is being systematically dismantled through draconian legislation. Women are dying at unprecedented rates from violent attacks and we are turning on each other. Our planet burns while politicians fiddle with their fossil fuel investments. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, or silenced. Music is a shared soother, but it is also a fantastic way to express solidarity and to articulate anger in a powerful way.

    So as we head into another summer of tents, glitter, and great line,ups, I’m asking myself (and maybe asking you, too): How can we do more with this moment? How can we make sure the messages that matter don’t get drowned out?

    Here are a few thoughts, not preachy ones, just practical tips I hope, for ways to be brave, even joyful, while standing up for what matters this festival season:

    Get it on your chest (or bag, or banner..)

    Never underestimate the power of a great t-shirt slogan Your tote bag, festival flag, temporary tattoo, tent graffiti, they all speak before you even say a word. Support causes fighting for climate justice, women’s safety, or the right to peaceful assembly. Choose messages that matter. Sometimes the most radical act is making your politics visible.

    Shout it out (or use your online megaphone)

    If you’re lucky enough to be on stage, even for an open mic or a poetry set, channel your inner radical and use a moment to shout out a cause. We have seen some memorable moments when artists seized the opportunity to highlight injustice. Rewatch Sinéad O’Connor tearing up the Pope’s photo, U2 dedicating songs to political prisoners, Stormzy storming his BRIT set. Build some courage and make your stand. Your social media reach is your soapbox. Share what you care about, one post about violence against women or climate emergency might get someone thinking, acting, donating.

    New best friends (build micro communities)

    Festivals are perfect places to find like-minded people. If you care about stopping the erosion of protest rights, ending violence against women, or tackling the climate crisis, find the activism stalls, join the conversations in the green spaces, or start a chat in the queue for overpriced festival food. Small connections become networks, and networks become movements. Look out for groups like Sisters Uncut, Just Stop Oil, or the Right to Roam campaign—they often have a presence at UK festivals

    Walk the Walk

    This is where it gets tough, and the tough get going. It’s easy to wear a slogan or post a hashtag. It’s harder,but more important,to follow through. Sign petitions.Volunteer with organizations fighting violence against women. Join climate action groups. Challenge misinformation when you hear it. Show up to peaceful protests while we still legally can. These aren’t dramatic acts. They’re brave ones.

    Stakes is high (go away Grammarly…De La Soul 🙂

    We’re living through a climate emergency that’s killing people right now. Women are being murdered at a rate of two per week in England and Wales. Our fundamental right to peaceful protest, the bedrock of democracy, is being criminalised. This isn’t abstract political debate anymore.

    We’re living in a time when compassion is being painted as weakness, and our attention is being stolen and twisted to achieve the aims of people who do not care about us. Music can still cut through, make us remember we’re not powerless. Justice can be achieved through joy and positive influences, those collective moments when we feel like part of humanity, singing and dancing along with strangers – they are super powerful.

    The greatest artists have always understood that entertainment and activism aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re sounding alarms left, right and centre, hoping we sign up for collective action to make the world a better place.

    So if you’re heading to a festival this summer, whether it’s Glasto, Green Man, WOMAD, or a tiny one in a muddy field near you, ask yourself what else you’re showing up for. Who needs your voice? What kind of future are you hoping to help shape?

    This is a note in my continuing series: ‘Nothing Surprises Me Anymore’…bit of a downer, but take a look at these handy tips from Green and Black with your legal rights, and write a legal helpline number on your arm if you think you might get carried away 😊

    Sinead O’Connor speaking truth to power. She would be doing the same today.

    A brave young Irish girl doing her best to highlight and challenge power, and to protect future generations. She sets a great example.

  • When Leaders Can’t Get Their Way, They Cheat: Henry VIII, Trump, and the Bypassing of Democracy

    When Leaders Can’t Get Their Way, They Cheat: Henry VIII, Trump, and the Bypassing of Democracy

    Old playbook, new players.

    Remember when we thought democracy had safeguards and responsible managers? These days, when leaders find themselves hamstrung by the inconvenient machinery of democratic governance, they simply reach for their bolt cutters and find alternative methods of declaring legislation.

    In America, this takes the form of executive orders. In Britain, they manifest as “Henry VIII powers” – delightfully named after a monarch who responded to parliamentary resistance by simply declaring himself head of an entirely new church. Nothing demonstrates “reasonable governance” more effectively than naming a legislative loophole after a king who frequently issued warrants for the execution of opponents, including many close advisors and 2 of his wives.

    This week, thanks to Liberty’s legal challenge, the UK Court of Appeal delivered a ruling that reads less like a judgement and more like a teacher confiscating scissors from a particularly destructive child. The court ruled that Suella Braverman’s anti-protest legislation – sneaked through via those very Henry VIII powers – was unlawfully created. Turns out you can’t just declare “because I said so”, Suella.

    For those who missed the backstory: Our erstwhile Home Secretary, apparently inspired by the “How to Dismantle Democracy” handbook that’s been making the rounds in certain political circles, decided that parliamentary debate was simply too much bother. Why suffer the indignity of having your authoritarian impulses questioned when you could just use delegated powers to grant police “almost unlimited” authority to squash protests? It’s so much more efficient that way.

    The government’s justification for these sweeping powers was the prevention of “serious disruption” – a term so infuriatingly vague it could apply to anything from an actual riot to someone wearing socks with sandals in Parliament Square. One person’s serious disruption is another’s Tuesday afternoon, after all.

    This is a fundamental contempt for the democratic process. Why make the effort to persuade and justify when you can Henry VIII it and just declare new laws? Why compromise when you can circumvent? The message is clear: democratic institutions are all very well, but sometimes you just gotta to get shit done without pesky pushback.

    For those of us who’ve spent our lives believing, or maybe just assuming that the government was trustworthy (yes, I am one of the old-school Gen X numpties), this is deeply unsettling. We were raised on the comforting notion that our system was imperfect but boring and that power was distributed precisely to prevent its consolidation.

    So what now? Liberty’s victory offers a sliver of hope, proof that when we push back through proper channels, we can occasionally force power to retreat into its legitimate boundaries. The Court of Appeal’s ruling doesn’t just rein in police powers; it reaffirms that there are still rules, and sometimes they’re even enforced.

    Pushing back can take many forms; here’s some ideas:

    • Join a peaceful demonstration (no riot gear required)
    • Write to your MP (they do occasionally read their mail)
    • Attend local political meetings (go on…)
    • Wear your politics on your sleeve (or more literally, on a T-shirt)
    • Share information online (preferably fact-checked)
    • Talk to people who disagree with you (without resorting to Tudor-era tactics)

    These actions may seem small against the backdrop of creeping authoritarianism, but they’re not insignificant. Democracy doesn’t just die when leaders cheat, it dies when the rest of us shrug and scroll on.

    The Court of Appeal’s ruling is a reminder that sometimes, just sometimes, the system can still work as intended. But it requires vigilance, persistence, and a refusal to normalise the abnormal. Because if history teaches us anything, it’s that once leaders discover they can bypass democratic inconveniences, they rarely volunteer to give those shortcuts back.

    So no, you don’t have to be a revolutionary. But perhaps it’s time to be a citizen in the fullest sense – one who recognises that when leaders start acting like Henry VIII, it’s not just protesters who should be concerned. It’s everyone who values living in a democracy rather than a kingdom.

    See the full story at LibertyHumanRights.org.uk

  • Respect Orders: Another Step Toward Criminalising Vulnerability?

    Respect Orders: Another Step Toward Criminalising Vulnerability?

    The UK government’s new Respect Orders, part of the Criminal Justice Bill, are being sold as a way to tackle antisocial behaviour and “clean up our streets.” Sounds reasonable—no one wants harassment or intimidation in public spaces.

    But dig a little deeper, and this starts to look like yet another way to target society’s most vulnerable—people already struggling with homelessness, mental health, or addiction.

    What Are Respect Orders, Really?

    Respect Orders are a rebranded version of ASBOs. Under this new plan, police and local councils can impose serious restrictions on people they claim are causing “nuisance or annoyance”.

    These restrictions can include:

    • Bans from certain parks, streets, or public areas
    • Mandatory attendance at rehab programmes
    • Curfews or area-based movement restrictions
    • Regular reporting to authorities

    If someone breaks any of these conditions, they aren’t just told off. They’re committing a criminal offence. That can mean a fine, community service, or even two years in prison.

    No Support? No Chance.

    Here’s the kicker: there’s no legal requirement for police or councils to offer support alongside these orders.

    So you might get banned from a town centre for rough sleeping, told to go to rehab, but be given no access to housing, treatment, or transport.

    Sounds like setting people up to fail, doesn’t it?

    Criminalising People in Crisis

    People experiencing homelessness or in the middle of a mental health crisis are far more likely to be caught up in this.

    Imagine someone sleeping rough in a doorway they’ve used for months. If that’s now a “restricted zone,” they’re suddenly a criminal.

    We’ve already seen how badly this can go. A 2023 report by the Independent Commission on Policing and Mental Health found that, despite years of training, many officers still struggle to respond appropriately to vulnerable people.

    As one Criminal Justice Inspectorate report put it:

    “Those in crisis need to be cared for in a healthcare setting; they shouldn’t be locked in a police cell or held in a car for hours on end for their safety.”

    This Isn’t Justice—It’s Optics

    Let’s be honest: Respect Orders don’t deal with the causes of antisocial behaviour.

    They don’t fix poverty or build housing, or raise funds for mental health support. There will be no significant increase in youth services.

    In fact, Crisis UK found that 70% of homeless people had faced some sort of antisocial behaviour enforcement, but only 22% had received any meaningful help.

    A Better Way Does Exist

    Other countries have tried something different—and it works.

    Finland cut rough sleeping by 80% using a housing-first approach. They didn’t wait for people to “fix” themselves. They gave them a roof over their heads and then offered support.

    We could do the same by investing in:

    • Mental health crisis teams
    • Affordable housing
    • Local rehab programmes
    • Youth engagement and outreach

    What Can You Do?

    If this frustrates you, trust me you’re not alone. Here are a few steps you can take:

    1. Write to your MP – Demand amendments that protect, not punish.
    2. Support groups like Liberty, Shelter, and Mind – They’re fighting back.
    3. Share this post – get others talking. Post link
    4. Attend local consultations – Councils will ask for feedback. Be there.

    True Respect Means Support—Not Punishment

    Respect Orders claim to make communities safer. But without support, they risk pushing vulnerable people even further into the margins.

    This may be the most overused phrase of 2025, but it’s true: How we treat our most vulnerable shows who we are as a society.

    Let’s choose compassion over criminalisation. Let’s choose respect that actually means something.

  • People Just Do Something

    People Just Do Something

    Things to do today!

    Maybe it’s a Tuesday morning, or a Sunday evening, and you want to do something useful, but you haven’t really got time, or it’s dark already. Don’t fret, there are positive actions you can take while you are revving up to a full blown protest march, that take minutes but make a significant impact.

    Not everyone is cut out for the mean streets, and although I would argue that your actual visual presence would be wonderful, it is much more important that you get involved somehow.

    Democracy desperately needs every single person who can find time to step up.

    10 ways to overthrow the system without having to find your keys:

    1. Weaponise Your Wallet Transform your spending habits into political statements. Support businesses that aren’t actively destroying the planet, and boycott the baddies that stubbornly sit on the wrong side of your most pressing issue.

    Choose an ethical brand over its morally bankrupt competitor.

    For example, Eat more Tony Chocolonely (amazing organisation, delicious chocolate, what is not to love here?)

    Tony’s Chocoloneley Ethical Chocolate Company

    Top 200 Ethical Businesses on the Good Shopping Guide

    2. Digital Rabble-Rousing Share petitions, amplify informed voices, and disseminate actual journalism amid the tsunami of nonsense. Social media may be a dystopian nightmare factory, but it’s also your personal megaphone. Extra credit for crafting the perfect caption/image/message that makes people laugh first, before hearing the penny drop on a subject they have been ignoring, avoiding or misunderstanding.

    Some causes are high profile and well supported, but do not make the mistake of thinking that other people are ‘on it’. Do your bit.

    Amnesty International UK Actions Page

    Liberty is an independent membership organisation. They challenge injustice, defend freedom and campaign to make sure everyone in the UK is treated fairly.

    ‘We are campaigners, lawyers and policy experts who work together to protect rights and hold the powerful to account.’

    Liberty ‘Take Action’ Page

    UK Petitions to Parliament (Gov.uk website)

    3. Electronic Bombardment of Elected Officials Your representatives are legally obligated to pretend they value your opinion. A concise, passive-aggressive email about an issue you care about lands with surprising force in an intern’s inbox. Remember: politicians can smell fear and indifference, so write like someone who might actually remember this at the ballot box.

    UK Government ‘Find My MP’ Page

    Gov.uk Complain about Your Council Page

    5. Stealth Education Campaigns: Arm yourself with facts, then casually detonate them during conversations. Pick your battles to conserve your physical and emotional energy. If you are passionate about an issue, and it is an ethical no-brainer (Ceasefires, for example?!), follow your conscience, seize the moment and lead by example.

    38 Degrees article with golden tips for Talking to Your Friends and Family about Politics.

    6. Fund The Frontlines From Afar Local activist groups need resources—money, design skills, writing talent, or someone who understands how MS Office works. You don’t have to be the one getting arrested; you can be the one who coordinates communication with friends and family, makes sense of Google Sheets, or sends a contribution, or a first aid kit or a megaphone to the organisation.

    7. Fashion Statements As Actual Statements Turn your wardrobe into a walking billboard for causes you care about. T-shirts, pins, and tote bags let you signal your politics without the inconvenience of actual conversation. “Oh, this old ‘Tax The Ultra-Wealthy’ scarf? It’s a bold political statement AND keeps my neck warm in this late-stage capitalist winter.”

    Peaceful Protest Shop Coming Very Soon.

    8. Automate Your Virtue Configure your digital life to passively generate good: search engines that plant trees, browsers that donate while you shop, automatic monthly contributions to causes.

    Ecosia – the search engine that plants trees.

    9. Analog Activism by Post There’s something surprising and subversive about an actual handwritten note in our digital age. Write physical letters to politicians, CEOs, and newspaper editors. They’ll be so shocked by receiving mail that isn’t a bill that they might actually read it.

    In my humble opinion, Royal Mail is a cause for concern that could arguably make it the subject of any citizens’ revolution, if only for the price of stamps! Recently bought by a Czech billionaire with diverse business interests (!), it’s on a path, shall we say. Anyhoo, strategic postal protest is a good idea.

    10. Micro-Movements For The Motivationally Challenged

    Start tiny: a group chat for like-minded complainers, a book club examining dystopian fiction that’s becoming suspiciously non-fictional, or a TV series that provokes terror and admiration for its foresight (and yes, I am talking about Years and Years – now on Netflix) You might want to start a neighbourhood seed exchange. Allotments are extremely cool, and not to rain on the cosy parade, but we are in a slightly dodgy era of low food security, so a bit of preparation might go a long way! Small actions accumulate into movements, and before you know it, you have momentum and company that cares as much as you do.

    You don’t need to be freezing in a protest encampment to contribute to progress. History books might not mention the person who organised the Google Doc for the locally based revolution, but without that Doc, chaos may reign.

    Remember: every significant social change requires both the louder members with the good knees, AND the quiet background orchestrators. If you care enough to have read this far, you’re already part of the resistance.

  • We’re not making plans with Nigel

    We’re not making plans with Nigel

    But he must be happy in his world (lyric credit to XTC 1979)

    I consume a lot of political news, way too much. The morbidly fascinating ‘West Wing Live’ series takes up a lot of my scrolling time. Reluctantly, I turned my attention to the UK local election results on Friday morning, as the ‘vibes’ were telling me that Nigel was measuring up for Number 10, and ‘Lady’ Jenkyns, with her sequinned ball gown, was now in charge of Middle England. My daughter (happily based in Spain thanks to her Irish nan) texted me to say she was confused, ‘What do the results mean?’. So I attempted to clarify, but realised I was not sure myself.

    Farage enjoyed his usual profile-enhancing round of media coverage throughout the run-up to the day, and the Tories suffered. Labour was now waffling, promising to work harder to deliver… (their apparently unpopular initiatives). Headlines included: ‘Nigel Farage shakes British politics with election gains’ (FT), Nigel Farage’s breakthrough spells painful lessons for Labour (Telegraph).

    We will see how this plays out, but it’s worth bearing in mind the context here.

    Approximately 1,641 council seats were contested across 24 local authorities in England. There are over 18,000 council seats across the UK, so only about 9% of all UK council seats were up for election.

    These elections were held only in England; there were no local elections in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland during this cycle.

    The results are significant, but represent only a snapshot of voter sentiment in specific regions rather than a comprehensive national shift.

    Reform secured 677 council seats and took control of 10 councils, so that’s an obvious shift in local governance for those areas. They achieved a narrow victory in the Runcorn & Helsby parliamentary by-election, flipping a long-standing Labour seat and replacing Mike (Haymaker) Amesbury, currently reflecting upon his decision-making, in a cell somewhere. Cheers Mike.

    • Liberal Democrats: Had a good result, especially in former Conservative strongholds, gaining control of councils like Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, and Shropshire.
    • Green Party: Also increased their representation, reflecting growing environmental concerns among voters.
    • The Guardian has a good round-up with a helpful graphic here

    While the BBC’s “Projected National Share” suggested Reform UK could lead nationally with 30% of the vote, the projection is based on local election results and doesn’t directly translate to general election outcomes.

    Local election successes don’t always mirror national election results, as we know. Variations in voter turnout and the different issues at stake at the time of General Elections make it a whole new ball game.. So, while Reform rise is worth analysing, it’s not a definitive indicator of a parliamentary takeover.

    My fingers are crossed.

    #UKElections2025 #PoliticalContext #ReformUK #LocalElections

  • Is it just me….?

    Is it just me….?

    Welcome to Peaceful Protest

    Are you regularly muttering “what the holy f**k?” while doom-scrolling through headlines that would have been satire a decade ago? Feeling a quiet (or noisy) rage when the morning newsfeed has you very seriously contemplating fleeing to a remote cabin? You’re not malfunctioning, you’re paying attention. As algorithms feed us increasingly absurd realities and social media platforms become emotional minefields, some of us are trying to work out what our role is in this moment of apparent madness.

    It feels as though if you are paying attention, there’s a lot to worry about. It’s that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see headlines reporting indescribable suffering, massive abuses of power, ice caps melting, billionaires joyriding in space while the rest of us ration our heating, or politicians treating accountability like it’s an optional extra. Many of us are left wondering: What has happened to the future we were promised, or perhaps assumed we would be a part of?

    We were supposed to be the generation that built on the Boomer years and the hard work of equal rights warriors, environmental champions, and the feminist icons of the 50s/60s/70s, to name a few examples. Instead, we’re staring down extreme wealth inequality, environmental collapse, and the rapid erosion of our rights. We’re watching younger generations inherit a world that feels increasingly rigged against them.

    It’s a bit late for me to become an activist, but it’s still better than never. Born in London in 1962, I’ve watched my three children, and nieces and nephew, struggle against a tide of diminishing opportunities. The wealth slide that happened while we were busy building careers and families has left the next generations without the foundations we took for granted: affordable education (free would be good!) decent, low-cost housing, stable employment, the basic right to plan a future. The radical idea that young people should be able to afford some fun in their lives, and look forward to building a family without contemplating bankruptcy does not seem unreasonable to me!

    The increasing realisation that we missed something critical, took our eyes off the ball while the rules of the game changed entirely, became my tipping point. Peaceful Protest was born from constant worry transformed into purpose: if we created this mess by looking away, we can fix it by looking directly at it, together. 

    But, uneasiness…it’s a spark. It’s the thing that makes us sit up, pay attention, and, most importantly, do something.

    This website is here because we believe in the power of community. We believe that when people come together, armed with knowledge, passion, and maybe a few witty placards, we can challenge authority, call out corruption, and demand better. Better for our kids, better for the planet, better for all of us.

    Does protest work? It may be the only thing that does! The Poll Tax protests of 1990 brought down an unjust policy and ultimately contributed to Thatcher’s resignation. The 2019 School Climate Strikes led by determined teenagers, fundamentally shifted the conversation about environmental policy in Parliament. When we show up consistently and peacefully, power listens.

    We’re not here to wallow in despair (although a good rant is always welcome). We’re here to connect you with like-minded people who are just as fed up as you are, and just as ready to channel frustration into action. Whether you plan to attend a protest, speak directly to your MP, or simply educate yourself on the issues that matter, one small step can turn into several, and inspire other people to get on board.

    Peaceful doesn’t mean passive. It means smart, strategic, and relentless. It means knowing when to march, when to speak, and when to support others in their specific struggles, without taking over.. It means standing up to power not with fists, but with determination, a sense of humour, and a refusal to back down.

    Just so you know, you’re not in this alone.. There are many people who care deeply about the world we’re leaving behind and they are ready to fight for something better. 

    Maybe we can turn uneasiness into action. We can challenge the status quo, hold the powerful to account, and even have a laugh along the way. You definitely need a pretty robust sense of humour to navigate these waters.

    Explore the site to find the inspiration, tools and connections you need and join the conversation with me on Instagram Threads (@peacefulprotest) or BlueSky (@peacefulprotest.bsky.social). This site will build by adding your events, your comments and your strategies. 

    Your uneasiness matters. Your action matters more.

    Let’s make some noise.