Booze Ban

Apparently, there is going to be a mass boozey picnic in Hyde Park next weekend as a protest to the rising number of bans imposed on drinking in public spaces. Like the disastrous mass booze up on the underground to mark the last day of legal drinking on June 1st, this so-called protest is being promoted heavily on all the social networking sites. And similarly to the June 1st shenanigans, it sounds to me like an excuse for one big piss up in the guise of pushing a political point. No doubt, it will descend into violence, much like the organised Hyde Park waterfight that was also publicized by sites like Facebook.

I don't know what these peoples' problem is. Is it so bad to have to drink in - heaven forbid - a pub, a bar, a restaurant, a club or even your own house? Do these people rely so heavily on alcohol that they CANNOT go a tube journey without cracking open a can of Stella, or sit in a park without downing a bottle of Becks? I would argue that, no, they don't. These protesters are nothing but professional nuisances. They go around creating mayhem and pretend to be making a point - pretend to be protesting at how their civil liberties are being stripped from them, when really, they just want a bit of media exposure and the kudos of organising such an event. Get a grip. The only thing these people have been stripped of is their own common sense and sense of perspective. I say to these people: Go and protest about something that actually matters, something you really care about, something that has real political significance. And in the meantime, go and drink your alcohol in a pub. It won't hurt. Really.