Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The definition of irony (2)

From The Times.

Outside a large, modern pub on the edge of Barnsley, penned in by police, 150 demonstrators chant “Nazi scum off our streets” and “String ’em up like Mussolini”.

Incredibly, I bet none of those at the protest recognise the irony. I'm not sure, but wouldn't chanting "string 'em up" be incitement to violence? I wonder how many of those at the protest were arrested?

Just as a test, substitute the fact they were a bunch of "anti-fascists" protesting at a BNP meeting for a bunch of anti-gay Catholics protesting at a Stonewall meeting. Do you think they'd be able to chant "gay scum off our streets" and "string 'em up" without being arrested?

Even if they could, do you think they would?

2 comments:

JuliaM said...

That's a very interesting article. The picture it paints of Barnsley and its future prospects is not pretty...

Edwin Greenwood said...

As I noted here, "anti-fascists" don't do irony.