Pnewsology

The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with Lucy Ambache at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 11/09/2026)

Week ending 11/09/2026

All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

I have been on many demonstrations in my life and am a great believer in the right to make a stand.  This week we have seen examples of this for good and bad and evidence that those in power can change their minds due to people power.

First up, Ed Miliband gave a powerful speech in his new role as Foreign Secretary speaking out against Israel, calling for sanctions against the Israeli settlements and using words such as ‘ethnic cleansing’, ‘occupation’, ‘a stain on the conscience of the world’ and ‘illegal’ to describe both the West Bank and Gaza.  This has been long overdue and must in part be due to the massive demonstrations and many letters to MPs over the past few years.  It is probably also because France and Canada and doing the same and maybe, just maybe, because it is the right this to do!

We also saw a climate crisis campaigner at the Reform conference calling out Nigel Farage and then being set upon by party members who pulled her hair and hit her with a walking crutch whilst Farage looked on smirking.  The photo of her assault was all over the news – good people power!

Internationally, the so called ‘Flamingo revolution’ in Albania marked its 100^th day with demonstrations again this week against the government selling off an Albanian island and nature reserves to Jared Krushner and his billionaire mates who fancy building a holiday resort.  The Albanians have peacefully taken to the streets to say ‘we are not for sale’.

And – in sport Everton changed their mind about selling their midfielder Armstrong after the fans spent a whole match singing and chanting!

The people speak up, take to the streets and use their democratic right to demonstrate and sometimes, eventually, people in power change their minds.  People power can be a great thing!

But this week, we have also seen a more unpleasant version of this with people in masks marching on the streets of Portsmouth against immigration and trying to stop the RNLI from rescuing people stranded in the English Channel. 

Not all people power is good!

So what’s the difference between a good and bad protest? I know this is supposed to be a complex issue but to me it seems pretty straightforward. If you are calling out mass murder – good.  If you are calling for murder – bad.  If you are supporting the underdog – good.  If you are attacking the underdog – bad.  If you show your face and are prepared to defend what you are doing – good.  If you need to hide your face – probably bad.  And if you are trying to save the planet that we all live on – good!  And if all this is done peacefully and without harming anyone – then always good!

But then what should the government listen to? Again, this seems quite simple! People power raises the profile of an issue.  The government then needs to then decide whether to listen or not.  They can’t just cave out of fear of losing votes – this is just populism.  They just need a moral backbone!  Then decide what is the right thing to do! But if fear about losing votes does actually lead them do the right thing then I guess that’s fine too!  A bit of populism is probably OK as long as the people want the right things (and I guess that means what I want!).

OK – not as simple as I thought! That’s why I’m not in politics!!  But I will continue to demonstrate, without a mask, for things I believe in!