Political protest should be used wisely to have any meaningful effect

The minute's silence for Rememberance Sunday during the match between Kilmarnock and Celtic at Rugby Park on November 10. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

In November 1914, when Hearts were top of Scottish Football’s First Division, 16 players signed up to fight in the war, becoming the first football team in Britain to do so en masse.

They joined the 16th Battalion of The Royal Scots, which was embroiled in the Battle of the Somme. Starting on July 1, 1916 it claimed 20,000 British lives on the battle’s first day, including three Hearts players and by the time hostilities ended a total of seven Hearts first team players had lost their lives.

Football matches throughout the country held a minute’s silence before their games at the weekend to remember those that died in military conflicts around the globe, respectfully observed by those fans in attendance – recognising the significance of the occasion.

I write all this because there was a fair degree of controversy at Rugby Park, the home ground of Kilmarnock FC, who were hosting Celtic last Sunday afternoon.

The minute’s silence there was brought to a premature end due to the interruption by a group of Celtic fans who sang a song about the death of Aiden McAnespie who was killed by a British soldier at an army checkpoint in Northern Ireland in 1988.

Both managers were critical of the fans’ behaviour with the Killie manager, Derek MacInnes, saying afterwards that: “I thought that it was awful. Awful. Why? I am not going into it, I’m not a politician or anything but it’s our ground, it’s our minutes silence. I don’t get why we shouldn’t have the wherewithal just to stand and show a bit of respect for one minute.”

A Celtic fans group wrote on social media that: “Today on Armistice Day, we highlight the hypocrisy and shame of the British Establishment and others who selectively mourn the loss of life and fail to support an armistice to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.”

Whist many might support some of the the sentiments in that statement, particularly regarding the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of the state of Israel, is disrupting a minute’s silence the best tactic to deploy?

Is it likely to generate support or is it likely to provoke a backlash that drowns out the message of the protest?

I have also questioned the tactics of some climate change campaigners in this regard. Does holding up traffic, disrupting the lives of the very people you are seeking to attract, help in achieving your goal or does it detract from it?

Political protest is an integral part of everyday life in this country, in contrast to the likes of Russia and others, and should be protected. We might not agree with some of the sentiments but as long as it is lawful and does not promote hatred it should be welcomed as a sign of a tolerant society.

But it should be used wisely and not irresponsibly if it is to have any meaningful effect. I, for one, am more than a little bit dubious that disrupting a minute’s silence to remember those that died in military conflicts is the best way of going about things.