How did "avoiding the politics" go?

[DeanoL]

Not trying to start another political argument, just genuinely curious as a few people here had expressed a desire to avoid anything too political at the festival. From my perspective that was almost impossible this year as it seemed to be everywhere with a lot of bands commenting on it and random Corbyn chants breaking out everywhere... but my experience won't be the same as everyone else's.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Oh, Jeremy Corbyn!

Oh, Jeremy Corbyn!

[themuel]

Going to Glastonbury to avoid politics seems a bit like popping to Ikea to avoid flat pack furniture. 

Fair enough if that was people's aim, it just seems an odd choice when so many other non-political festivals are available. 

[DeanoL]

5 minutes ago, themuel said:

Going to Glastonbury to avoid politics seems a bit like popping to Ikea to avoid flat pack furniture. 

Fair enough if that was people's aim, it just seems an odd choice when so many other non-political festivals are available. 

Well they do have some nice meatballs!

[Upside down frowner]

3 friend who were attending for first time, two didn't like Corybn and we're getting slightly miffed with it. Kinda made my festival really

 

I did point out that everywhere you see a political sign, banner or poster here- you'd be seeing a beer advert at another festival. That's how much they subconsciously advertise to you.

 

Hope it doesn't change, although sometimes the JC chanting was annoying times 

[pie_and_a_pint]

1 minute ago, Upside down frowner said:

3 friend who were attending for first time, two didn't like Corybn and we're getting slightly miffed with it. Kinda made my festival really

 

I did point out that everywhere you see a political sign, banner or poster here- you'd be seeing a beer advert at another festival. That's how much they subconsciously advertise to you.

 

Hope it doesn't change, although sometimes the JC chanting was annoying times 

One girl was SCREAMING the Jeremy Corbyn song in people's faces in the early hours of Thursday morning. I so wanted to yell 'OHHHHHH CAROLINE LUUUUUCCAAAASSSSS' back at her for some political balance but I was too busy eating chips at the time.

[Upside down frowner]

5 minutes ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

One girl was SCREAMING the Jeremy Corbyn song in people's faces in the early hours of Thursday morning. I so wanted to yell 'OHHHHHH CAROLINE LUUUUUCCAAAASSSSS' back at her for some political balance but I was too busy eating chips at the time.

4 lads doing same at beans on toast- had to move!

[Dave_c]

I was stood next to a group of guys and girls all with Corbyn T Shirts on at pyramid. Just as he came on some bloke started hurling abuse and booing. Have to say I feared for his life and I think he did too as he made a quick exit once people started giving him the evil eye.

[rivalschools.price]

Yeah, I managed to avoid politics for the most part.

The Jeremy Corbyn chants were reduced to the annoying chants that go around all festivals every year so lost credibility as the festival wore on.

yeah the bands mentioned it between songs and there were signs everywhere but I managed to get round without feeling that it was a Labour Party political broadcast rather than a festival 

Saying that, I had no problem with the people who spent their weekend banging on about politics, each to their own.

[rivalschools.price]

16 minutes ago, Dave_c said:

I was stood next to a group of guys and girls all with Corbyn T Shirts on at pyramid. Just as he came on some bloke started hurling abuse and booing. Have to say I feared for his life and I think he did too as he made a quick exit once people started giving him the evil eye.

Here at Glastonbury we welcome all creeds, colours and religions.....just don't have a different political view to us

[Dave_c]

2 minutes ago, rivalschools.price said:

Here at Glastonbury we welcome all creeds, colours and religions.....just don't have a different political view to us

Yeah that's the impression I got. I don't really have strong political views myself but went along to hear what he had to say. 

[OFP]

4 minutes ago, rivalschools.price said:

Here at Glastonbury we welcome all creeds, colours and religions.....just don't have a different political view to us

Welcome to the 21st century "tolerant" left. 

[slash's hat]

Avoided in so far as didn't go and listen to Corbyn. He was up against Busted so what can I say! But to me the political and environmental aspects are part of glastonbury, myself and my 12 year olds enjoyed reading the various posters, and if that raises their awareness on any level I'm happy.

[rivalschools.price]

With regard to the posters, there was vegan posters everywhere, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it is a dairy farm, ha ha.

[babyblade41]

38 minutes ago, rivalschools.price said:

With regard to the posters, there was vegan posters everywhere, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it is a dairy farm, ha ha.

I found a lot of holes in some of the vegetarianism stands 

[Pilgrim S]

I like the politics at the festival. Enjoy a good debate and find it all very interesting. However it was the first year I didn't make it to the speakers forum or leftfield, just too much on. This is a festival immersed in politics over the years, and is part of the experience. You can avoid it, but you're kind of missing the point if you do.

[waterfalls212434]

Politics is part and parcel of the festival, if your trying to `avoid it` good bloody luck.....noone is forced to `embrace it` but activly avoiding it? youd be better off with a different fest if thats your attitude. like it or not it goes hand in hand with the fest.

[TomfromStroud]

As old Jezza took to the Pyramid Stage I reclined in the altogether beside a lovely fire in the Lost Horizons Sauna. As John McDonnell took to the stage elsewhere I was having a nice cuppa in the 50p tea tent. When Billy Bragg went off on a rambling monologue for five minutes I had a look at the clashfinder and thought about which headliners I was going to see. It was easy...

[rivalschools.price]

1 hour ago, waterfalls212434 said:

Politics is part and parcel of the festival, if your trying to `avoid it` good bloody luck.....noone is forced to `embrace it` but activly avoiding it? youd be better off with a different fest if thats your attitude. like it or not it goes hand in hand with the fest.

Personally I didn't feel I was 'actively avoiding it'.

Its just I made choices that didn't directly have politics 

Obviously bands had their rants in between songs and there were posters everywhere but I just didn't go to speeches or debates.

 

on the subject of bands doing speeches between songs, did anyone feel that they were getting cliche?

The 'yay, labour' 'boo tory' were guaranteed to get a cheer and get the crowd onside to it was starting to head towards 'hello Glastonbury, you're the best crowd in the world you are,this is my favourite show of the tour' territory 

[waterfalls212434]

1 minute ago, rivalschools.price said:

Personally I didn't feel I was 'actively avoiding it'.

Its just I made choices that didn't directly have politics 

Obviously bands had their rants in between songs and there were posters everywhere but I just didn't go to speeches or debates.

 

on the subject of bands doing speeches between songs, did anyone feel that they were getting cliche?

The 'yay, labour' 'boo tory' were guaranteed to get a cheer and get the crowd onside to it was starting to head towards 'hello Glastonbury, you're the best crowd in the world you are,this is my favourite show of the tour' territory 

Exactly but I assume by `activly avoid` the poster was meaning delibratly to make sure you wouldnt be exposed to it....and thats pretty impossable at glasto, like you say even if you dont go to the debates, speeches etc youve still got the bands with their opinions, the artwork around the site etc.....thats what I meant by `if you want to avoid it your in the wrong place` thing

[rivalschools.price]

29 minutes ago, waterfalls212434 said:

Exactly but I assume by `activly avoid` the poster was meaning delibratly to make sure you wouldnt be exposed to it....and thats pretty impossable at glasto, like you say even if you dont go to the debates, speeches etc youve still got the bands with their opinions, the artwork around the site etc.....thats what I meant by `if you want to avoid it your in the wrong place` thing

Yeah, you're right.You'll never avoid it completely.

Doesnt really bother me to be honest, each to their own and all that.

Certainly doesn't bother me enough to 'go to a different festival' as some on here have stated.

[OneLittleFish]

3 hours ago, OFP said:

Welcome to the 21st century "tolerant" left. 

Catchy chant means catchy chant.

 

We won, you lost, get over it.

 

(:p)

[waterfalls212434]

15 minutes ago, rivalschools.price said:

Yeah, you're right.You'll never avoid it completely.

Doesnt really bother me to be honest, each to their own and all that.

Certainly doesn't bother me enough to 'go to a different festival' as some on here have stated.

The way it should be, id say anyone who was so offended by it theyd consider it festival breaking would have been well to have done a bit of research first anyway haha

[FrancisH]

For me a huge part of it is going to a lot of the talks that are on, whether i disagree with what is being said or not, it's part of the experience - It's part of the diversity of the festival that sets it apart from the rest.

 

3 hours ago, OFP said:

Welcome to the 21st century "tolerant" left. 

You know stereotyping a large group of people as aggressive, without actually knowing any of them, is not very tolerant either, right? I mean just so the hypocrisy of this comment is super clear.

[frostypaw]

4 hours ago, rivalschools.price said:

Here at Glastonbury we welcome all creeds, colours and religions.....just don't have a different political view to us

Which is presumably why you'd see no point in challenging someone who thought black people were lesser sinners marked so by God and that women are just there to be slaves to men?

I think we can all agree those are pretty damn offensive and are views worth challenging - well so are the Tory philosophies that the so-called plebs and the great unwashed are less because of their idle lazy workshy natures and they don't deserve decent healthcare or housing if they're not willing to get the right jobs (or even worse the total numbskull assumption that just working hard is enough when it's flagrantly obvious that many low paid workers put in many more hard hours than lots of high wage earners)

Just because you're discriminating against people of the same colour and sex doesn't make it less offensive, less backwards perhaps, but it's still offensive and out of order and deserves to be addressed - if people are going to be all mardy and upset because treating others like shit is frowned on then tough titties