WaterWorld

[Surin Blastanos]

I wasn't there, but from what I've read in the British Naturism forums its a pretty big deal, so I thought I should probably put it up here:
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/naturist-swim-at-waterworld-protest-4553513
Waterworld has decided to no longer allow children at the BN waterworld events, after aggressive protesters stood outside the last naturist swim at WaterWorld, and reportedly harassed BN members as they left the event

[pvct1]

I have been at the event a few times, while I was still in the UK. If it's not for this pandemic, I would be able to travel to the UK for the event this year. A couple of years ago, there was some mild protest as I remember (perhaps for the event in Bedford as well). This time those people really went out of their way to abuse people. I guess it's just the jealousy due to the lockdown ("Why are these people having fun swimming nude, without masks, while we cannot drink in the bar after 10 pm?"). I also agree that in the middle of the pandemic like this, having a naturist event indoor like the Stoke Waterworld is not a great idea.

[blank radar]

it's also just the ubiquitous misconceptions about nudity and nudism/naturism as a whole that make these people so angry. it is pretty maddening, anywhere, to see people compare it to pedophilia, and to not be able to disagree (without being branded as complicit).
still i can't help but remember that "save [the] children" is a slogan co-opted by qanon to lure in unsuspecting passersby

[Surin Blastanos]

The protest was about the fact that children were present, it was a group that believes that naturism with children is evil

[prodigal_son]

I saw a tweet from British Naturism that they have raised complaints with the police because of how the "protestors" were behaving. They reportedly surrounded cars preventing them from leaving and banged on the roof, windows etc while shouting at people and filming them. Some of these cars had families in.

After so much positive news about naturism recently, it's such a shame that a small handful of noisy ill-informed people can ruin an event.

[swede]

That is so horrible, poor families being harassed by the protestor. Who the fuck decides to harass someone that much over something that has no impact on them or anyone else not attending the event. How many families won't dare to go there after shut like this. Hopefully the police can do something about it and children can be allowed once again.

[Northman]

I saw a tweet from British Naturism that they have raised complaints with the police because of how the "protestors" were behaving. They reportedly surrounded cars preventing them from leaving and banged on the roof, windows etc while shouting at people and filming them. Some of these cars had families in.

After so much positive news about naturism recently, it's such a shame that a small handful of noisy ill-informed people can ruin an event.

I wonder how far you can get with a dash cam, a formal police investication and some media coverage about protestors harassing families with children.
Could the protesters handle the possibility that they would have to stand behind their actions with their names and faces in plain view and being asked, why they look like the bad guys here?
But, I suppose the reality is that the families are not in the best position to readily start a counter attack in the first place.

[RS]

A lot of people just don't get naturism.  It's very sad