Freedom in England

Great Britain still has a lockdown. A protest against it was dispersed by the police, but a big rally in Trafalgar Sq to protest the death of George Floyd in the USA was allowed to take place, with a complete absence of social distancing. 

Dominic Cummings driving his child and sick wife to somewhere where they could be taken care of is said to have destroyed the lockdown, but a tightly packed crowd protesting about a quarrel in a far away country, between people of whom the English know nothing, is absolutely fine, even admirable. 

If the rally were in support of Donald Trump I wonder whether it would have been allowed by the police.

But at least, though unlike Dominic Cummings they broke the law, they were exercising an Englishman's time honoured freedom of expression. Three British youngsters, aged 18 and 19, posted a photograph of themselves recreating how the unarmed 46-year-old Floyd died at the hands of police in Minnesota. They have been arrested on 'suspicion of committing a hate crime' and have received threats of violence. 

So much for freedom of speech. The affair reminds me of these cases.