Hundreds march in protest at dictatorship (From The Argus)

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Hundreds march in protest at dictatorship

7:38pm Sunday 30th September 2007

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By Richard Gurner »

More than 1,000 people in Brighton took part in an international show of support to pro-democracy protesters in Burma.

A Dharma Yatra, or silent walk, took place today in cities across the world, including one in Brighton and Hove between the Palace Pier and the Hove Peace Statue.

The show of solidarity to Burmese Buddhist monks, who are protesting against the country's military dictatorship, was largely down to the internet which enabled people across the globe to co-ordinate their efforts.

The Facebook group 'Support the Monks' protest in Burma' which is administered by Brighton resident James Hooker was at the 190,000-member mark today and still growing.

Mr Hooker, who took part in the march, said: "The internet is playing a pivotal role in Burma. Bloggers are reporting atrocities and eye witness accounts of every detail concerning the crisis.

"It was great to see that people in Brighton are concerned about Burma and its people and that we are fighting together for the worthiest of causes."

The protest in Burma is the largest demonstration against its oppressive regime in 20 years and was sparked by a rise in fuel prices with a huge knock-on effect for food.

The military regime has responded violently to the protests and has been condemned throughout the world.

There were also gatherings in cities including Los Angeles, New York and London.

There will be similar protest walks next Sunday and again on Sunday October 14.

Everyone is free to attend to show their support with the march leaving the Palace Pier at 11.30am.

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Winston Smith, Room 101 says...
8:41pm Sun 30 Sep 07

What about the New Labour / Old Communist dictatorship that has turned Britain into a Police state. Sorry I forgot Burma is right wing police state as opposed to Britain which is a left wing police state.

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Charlotte, Hove says...
8:51pm Sun 30 Sep 07

I was there - it was more like 300 than 1000 - sorry to disappoint!

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Ruthtrudi, East Brighton says...
9:06pm Sun 30 Sep 07

Although I consider myself not to be a political being, if I had known about this walk, I would have not gone to work today and voiced my silent support. The images of the attrocities that the brave reporters have risked their lives to alert the World to will haunt our family.

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TEN YEARS OF DECAY, HOVE says...
9:19pm Sun 30 Sep 07

Shame we can't get off our a***s to march again'st the oppresive regime that erodes our civil rights and grinds us down under the jackboot of myriad taxes all under the smiling face of socialism.

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Suffer Fools?, Brighton says...
11:39pm Sun 30 Sep 07

Winston Smith wrote:
What about the New Labour / Old Communist dictatorship that has turned Britain into a Police state. Sorry I forgot Burma is right wing police state as opposed to Britain which is a left wing police state.

MORON!

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Suffer Fools?, Brighton says...
11:42pm Sun 30 Sep 07

TEN YEARS OF DECAY wrote:
Shame we can't get off our a***s to march again'st the oppresive regime that erodes our civil rights and grinds us down under the jackboot of myriad taxes all under the smiling face of socialism.

What a complete tit you've made yourself look whilst hijacking this thread. You must be related Diddy Dimwit Cameron?

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Jo, Brighton says...
8:34am Mon 1 Oct 07

Sadly, I think "Winston Smith" is right. Hard won rights have been eroded all to quickly by our authoritarian state - though it isn't just the Blair-Brown government doing this. It was the same under Major, esp when Michael Howard was home secretary.
It isn't for one minute as bad as Burma - nowhere near - but we have less freedom than we did 20 years go. Try standing outside our nation's forum - parliament - and harmlessly reading out the names of those who have died in Iraq and you'll find out how free you are to speak and demonstrate here.
And from today every phone call you make, every web page you visit and every email you send is government property.
The East German stasi would have been proud.
I love this country and I understand why politicians and civil servants and police want some of these liberty-eroding measures but I'm not convinced they really make us any safer. Just look at driving standards now we rely pretty much only on camera enforcement rather than on proper road policing. Likewsie town centre violence when it's cctv instead of officers on patrol. The state is becoming dehumanised and ever more distant. It may be cheaper in the short term but we'll pay the price in the end.

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Chris, Brighton says...
8:51am Mon 1 Oct 07

Jo wrote:
Sadly, I think "Winston Smith" is right. Hard won rights have been eroded all to quickly by our authoritarian state - though it isn't just the Blair-Brown government doing this. It was the same under Major, esp when Michael Howard was home secretary. It isn't for one minute as bad as Burma - nowhere near - but we have less freedom than we did 20 years go. Try standing outside our nation's forum - parliament - and harmlessly reading out the names of those who have died in Iraq and you'll find out how free you are to speak and demonstrate here. And from today every phone call you make, every web page you visit and every email you send is government property. The East German stasi would have been proud. I love this country and I understand why politicians and civil servants and police want some of these liberty-eroding measures but I'm not convinced they really make us any safer. Just look at driving standards now we rely pretty much only on camera enforcement rather than on proper road policing. Likewsie town centre violence when it's cctv instead of officers on patrol. The state is becoming dehumanised and ever more distant. It may be cheaper in the short term but we'll pay the price in the end.

Jo, Well put and thank you for sharing my views, I can't believe we have blindly walked into this and eroded all that has been fought for over the years.

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NP, Hove says...
8:58am Mon 1 Oct 07

'Winston Smith'. I had the pleasure of re-reading 1984 last week. Your use of the protagonists name is really quite amusing given your seemingly boundless lack of political understanding. Go buy yourself a Daily Mail and start worrying about house prices and illegals immigrants.

Anyway, you retard, the military goverment in Burma is left wing a socialist one. Idiot.

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NP, Hove says...
8:59am Mon 1 Oct 07

OH MY GOD!!! What do our civil liberties have to do with Burma? **** SPEED CAMERAS?!?! You idiots!

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bill, BNO says...
9:44am Mon 1 Oct 07

Talking about 1984, UK do not recognise 'Myanmar' and revert to the old 'Burma' when we make a point.

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jos, shoreham says...
10:12am Mon 1 Oct 07

well done to all those who marched, nothing like a nice stroll at the weekend, but im sure no one really gives a **** . shame no one does anything about our expensive council tax.. no just sit quietly and pay it ..

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Roger Tilbury, says...
10:22am Mon 1 Oct 07

Nothing has changed in Burma for years so why are we getting all upset about it now? If their government does end up killing a lot of monks the rest of the world will turn a blind eye in future years if trade requires it. (Do the governments of countries who make a lot of money trading with China care about Tienanmen Square?)

Ask yourselves just why Brown is getting so agitated about Burma? What item of new is not making the headlines because Burma is?

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V, Hove says...
10:37am Mon 1 Oct 07

Interesting reply from NP who posts that Burma is a left wing police state. Shock! horror! imagine that and I thought all lefties were good people. Britain is also a a left wing police. It's hard to believe that a Labour government has turned Britain into a police state but it has happened. We trusted Labour and when they couldn't privatise anything else like the Tories they have tried to privatise our privacy. Winston Smith is right Labour are just a bunch of Communists just like their comrades in the old Soviet Union, the European Union, North Korea and China.

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Jed, Bton says...
11:23am Mon 1 Oct 07

What a waste of time, these students and crustys should concern themselves with their own lives. They will be the first to moan if we get involved anyway. Just like Iraq in which we have freed a country of a murderous dictator. These peace lovers make me sick

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GREYRUN, HOVE says...
4:06pm Mon 1 Oct 07

Why do NP and Suffer Fools? have to indulge in hurling insults,just put forward your opinion without rancour.

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NP, Hove says...
4:33pm Mon 1 Oct 07

I am utterly shocked that there are so many small minded Daily Mail reading morons around.

The Argus finally print something newsworthy - local people getting together to voice their anger at the terrible stuff going on in Burma - and all people on here can comment about is their **** council tax and a 'police state' in the UK. Regardless of what you are saying about CCTV etc, the two things are WORLDS apart. Go to Burma and then come back and you'll be hard pushed to moan about ANYTHING that happens in the UK.

Anyone that can seriously talk about B&H council tax rates and Burma in the same breathe is quite literally barking MENTAL. Shame on you all.

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Ordinary Person, Brighton says...
4:42pm Mon 1 Oct 07

I pity you and your role as the modern day verion of Lord Haw Haw as an apologist for the Labour Party. It's not just the Daily Mail who is going on about the attack on our civil liberties, but the Guardian and the Independent and even the good old Daily Mirror. Organisation such as www.liberty.org.uk and www.no2id.net are also attacking the government for way it it stripping us of our privacy. You might of got away with your defence of labour 10 years ago when we did'nit know any better but the Iraq war has taught many of us a hard lesson and that is don't trust this Labour Government they are worse than the KGB for gathering information on innocent people.

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claire, brighton says...
6:57pm Mon 1 Oct 07

there will be 2 more silent protests at the same time and place this sunday and the following sunday; more news on facebook

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Natalie Fisher, Brighton says...
2:47pm Wed 3 Oct 07

I've just got back from somewhere where I saw children going through bins for food, living with no shelter or clean water. You pathetic moaning losers. Yeah council tax is a rip off but at least you won't get shot in the face for moaning about it you you selfish mindless cynical morons. So what, just coz you have things to **** about you shouldn't bother caring about other humans? Go and buy a Daily Mail and Beat up some single mums and Asylum seekers while you're at it you idiots. My god!

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Natalie Fisher, Brighton says...
3:26pm Wed 3 Oct 07

Report just in protesters burnt alive today! CREMATED ALIVE!
but paying council tax is much harsher than that???

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millie, UK says...
10:00pm Thu 4 Oct 07

i think its an insult to moan about our gov.t when there are so many people worse off then those who live in Britain. how darn right silly to say we live in an authoritarian state. think about people in burma rather than make it seem like you have dealt with half of what they are going through.

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