Asked if this was a “dark step” to limit the fundamental right to protest, UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood replied that having a freedom “doesn’t mean you have to use it at every moment of every day”.

London’s Metropolitan Police arrested another 492 people over the weekend after a protest Saturday in Trafalgar Square, as the Starmer government accelerated its crackdown on opposition to the Gaza genocide.

The entirely peaceful protest was held to oppose the proscription of Palestine Action. It was organised by Defend Our Juries and attended by over 1,000 people. Of the arrests, 488 were for holding up signs declaring, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”.

  • yucandu@lemmy.worldEnglish
    31·
    17 hours ago

    What about the other 160 or so democracies? How they doin?

    Especially the proportional representation ones. FPTP is just a hint of democracy.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      32·
      17 hours ago

      What about the other 160 or so democracies?

      I’m not sure where you’re getting your numbers, but…

      In 2024, just 6.6% of the world population lived in “full democracies”, falling from 12.5% a decade ago. Overall, the vast majority of these countries are in Europe, with notable exceptions—such as Japan, Mauritius, and Costa Rica—across other global regions.

      I’m counting far less than 160.

      FPTP is just a hint of democracy.

      Sure. But then IRV still gave us NYC Eric Adams as mayor of New York. There’s more to democracy than the shape of your ballot.

      • BCBoy911@lemmy.caEnglish
        6·
        17 hours ago

        Calling Japan a full democracy is a stretch. They’ve been ruled by one party for over half a century, and definitely not b/c they’re good at their jobs.

      • yucandu@lemmy.worldEnglish
        31·
        17 hours ago

        In 2024, just 6.6% of the world population lived in “full democracies”,

        I’m counting far less than 160.

        Sorry I didn’t make any claims as to what constitutes a “full” democracy, I was going with these guys who put it at about 167 “democracies”.

        Sure. But then IRV still gave us

        IRV is just FPTP+. Like you say, it isn’t an electoral system so much as a ballot system.

        We studied it, in Canada, under the name “Alternative Vote”. It was the only one we could find that was worse than FPTP:

        https://www.ourcommons.ca/content/Committee/421/ERRE/Reports/RP8655791/errerp03/06-RPT-Chap4-e_files/image002.gif

        There’s a reason why politicians keep suggesting it, and it’s not for our benefit.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
          41·
          17 hours ago

          Sorry I didn’t make any claims as to what constitutes a “full” democracy

          I’d settle for what defines “democracy” at all. I’ve seen folks claim El Salvador is a democracy while Nicaragua isn’t, entirely because the government of El Salvador is politically aligned with the US and the Nicaraguans are not.

          IRV is just FPTP+

          I don’t really care what flavor of election system you think is the right one. However you square it, you can have shit candidates win popular mandates. There is no system that’ll keep people you don’t like out of office, shy of a dictatorship that puts you in charge.

          There’s a reason why politicians keep suggesting it

          Suggesting it? Thirteen states have now banned ranked-choice voting as municipalities decide on whether to adopt it

          • krooklochurm@lemmy.caEnglish
            1·
            4 hours ago

            I met an Aussie in Thailand who claimed that ranked ballot elections are undemocratic, that recent Australian protests were not racist, that immigration was a huge problem in Australia, that Australians are not actually racist at all, and that recent Australian protests were about protesting Palestine, and not racist at all.

          • yucandu@lemmy.worldEnglish
            11·
            15 hours ago

            I don’t really care what flavor of election system you think is the right one.

            You’re against logic and reason?

            However you square it, you can have shit candidates win popular mandates. There is no system that’ll keep people you don’t like out of office, shy of a dictatorship that puts you in charge.

            I’m not interested in a system that will keep people I don’t like out of office. I’m interested in a system that represents the will of the people, rather than the will of a select rich and powerful few.

            If you’re willing to care, you might find one.

            Suggesting it? Thirteen states have now banned ranked-choice voting as municipalities decide on whether to adopt it

            I don’t see the problem here, like I said, it’s worse than FPTP.