Scumbag protestor at the boat race

[fen01]

I was a lot younger then! Now there is a 2 hour window between 0630 and 0830 to get up otherwise I get grumpy. Which means gets angry with me. Then I'd rather be outside in any weather

[will.morris]

As has been said its good to see fellow rowers in the arb world I liked the pics that were put up on the previous page. Would be cool to see any pics that you guys may have

 

The first pic is me stroking the Tyne mixed 8+ at Cambois regatta last year and the second is me rowing my single up to the startline at Sudbury international regatta.

[silky fox]

I also rowed single skull but i,ll try and hunt out some old pics from the eightees of me at Bow when i used to Row for Durham City...

[sean freeman]

I have no pics (thank the gods) of me struggling not to wash the inside of single with the water from the River Derwent in the late 1970's:lol:...it is fun to see the pics put up by others.

 

To the topic of the OP, as I have a foot in two camps (past club sportsman, and activist quite wiling to protest creating discomfort to those targetted - and others collaterally) I feel obliged to make the following points - with the caveat that I do not know exactly what this chap was protesting against annoyed at not getting in his opinion a fair chance to be in the eight pehaps?

 

It is IMO the right (and in some senses a responsibility) in a democracy for any citizen so motivated against what they percieve to be injustice to protest against that injustice...

 

Should that protest break the existing laws of the democracy in which they are living then they should expect to face the legal consequences for their actions.

 

Having said all that if I had been personally part of either crew and in the flotilla I suspect I would have vetured over to the swimmer only to have him stay immersed for just that bit longer whislt we confirmed he was no threat to the rescue craft or its occupants...the conversation might go....

 

"Whats your name mate...Trent-on? How do you spell that?...Not a very Australian name mate your parents from the UK?...Where you from mate...no not here in the UK...where in Oz....Sydney?...where abouts in Sydney?...Paddington?...funny how there is a Paddington here too...I like Paddington Bear how about you...etc...."

 

Seriously though he was probably just trying out the London Olympic triathalon course and got lost.

[Marko]

Not sure of how he will be prosecuted... despite the obvious frustrations he caused I would have thought his right to be in the river was equal to the rowers so it will be interesting to see what happens.

[treequip]

Protesting is a legal activity, the swim in and of itself shouldn’t have got him charged.

 

He has been charged under section 5 public order, that’s the same as “effing and blinding” in public.

 

Carries a slap on the hand fine

[Wolfie]

Isn't swimming in certain parts of the thames illegal? I'm sure Walliams had to get permission to complete his swim.

[PeteB]

Anti elitist twaddle in my mind. If he is an anti, what is he doing at the LSE when he could study the same at a Uni at home.....what is he doing at Uni instead of working....prat needed drowning then expelling from Uni then sent home in disgrace.

 

I hope that the Olympic games do not suffer from such buffoons either and I'm not in favour of the games myself!

[Andy Collins]

Isn't swimming in certain parts of the thames illegal?

 

Isn't dumping hazardous waste into a water course illegal?

[Pedroski]

....prat needed drowning then expelling from Uni then sent home in disgrace.

 

 

Wouldn't need expelling after drowning - they wouldn't expect him back at uni. And he'd have to be sent home in dicoffin, not disgrace.