To be burned in Lewes at their annual bonfire shennanigans.

Never mind that they’ve also burned Cameron, Wiggins and all manner of figures in the public eye in the past, there’s MOAR OUTRAGE about this one.

😀

Quite right there’s outrage.

People like Nessie.

does the pope still get burnt too?

Why is everyone in that picture wearing a red jumper?
RM.

Why is everyone in that picture wearing a red jumper?

Commie bastards – obviously

does the pope still get burnt too?

most of the societies burn him

Why is everyone in that picture wearing a red jumper?

Each of the societies has it’s own uniform.

Cliffe do a good uniform;

Commercial Square Bonfire Society IIRC. They all have different outfits.
Odd lot!

Tim (just outside of Lewes and escaped for the night already)

a good bonfire night is about the only thing I miss from the south east, battle bonfire was always a good one.

they don’t really do it down in pastyland although ottery is getting to the right side of crazy…

Spoiler alert

I went to Lewes for Bonfire night many years ago when I was at Sussex Uni. It such a crazy event with people throwing fireworks and Firing rockets at each other, is it still as dangerous?

I’m about 2 miles away right now and I can already hear sirens….
Would be there but wife is away and I’m not sure my 7 year old is ready for that level of anarchy!

jam bo Battle was great this year… 🙂

Two effigies of the outgoing Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond were withdrawn from the celebrations after a storm of protest on social media.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-29914503

Obviously the Pope isn’t held in such high regard as he was as social media indicated he was still allowed to be burned (in effigy, obvs.)

It’s spelled potpourri !

And it stinks if you burn it.

🙂

Lewes basically invented trolling.

Excellent

Always amazing how so many people get through life with so little sense of humour or fun.

Presumably this is why they live on social media.

(MrsMC from that neck of the woods, burns an effigy of me most weeks)

I think the problem is Nessie, the Yes badge and the 45% – it looks a bit as if they’re burning Scottish people instead of just Salmond.

i think it was saddam getting blown up last time I went to lewes…

Didnt they do Lance Armstrong a few years back ?

And yet Putin in a mankini was just fine. See also Baroso in Sevenoaks.

Would have been fine if you’d just stopped at

I think the problem is Nessie,

, Ben! 😀

Didnt they do Lance Armstrong a few years back ?

Even worse than that….

Wiggo!

Bencooper – only looks that way if you are dour, miserable and have no sense of humour. 😉

Interesting, they must have used those special non incendiary fireworks 😉

Oh great, the police are wasting time on this now;

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11581755.UPDATE__Police_to_investigate_after_Alex_Salmond_and_Nessie_saved_from_the_bonfires_in_Lewes_tonight_after_backlash/?ref=twtrec

So it’s not about actually burning him, it’s just ‘cos lots of people on social media had a hissy fit.

It still remains ok to burn the pope though.

It still remains ok to burn the pope though

And Cameron, Clegg, Putin, Merkel, Morgan, Wiggins, etc, etc.

just ‘cos lots of people on social media had a hissy fit.

Eggzakkly.

Love the police response – basically, nowt wrong here but some sadsack has complained, so we’re obliged to give the impression we’re investigating. 😀

I suppose I can’t complain, some payback for the laugh I had during the Lewes floods.

As a yes supporter and non catholic I’m not worried at all about tha Alex Salmond effigy, thats just political satire.
I’m a lot more uncomfortable with the bigoted religious sectarianism on the grounds of tradition and fun.

It’s spelled potpourri !

And it stinks if you burn it.

Well played
APPLAUSE

I’m a lot more uncomfortable with the bigoted religious sectarianism on the grounds of tradition and fun.

Honestly, what could possibly be wrong with funny outfits and burning crosses?

Lance Armstrong a few years back ?

Nope, that was Edenbridge in Kent. It’s all harmless pantomime, pick a baddie that everyone recognises and burn him for a laugh, if you take it seriously you’re missing the humour gene. The real issue is that it’s not a great likeness 😉

It’s amazing how fickle some on STW are.

A solid bit of religious bigotry is dismissed as “tradition and fun”.

There are parts of the UK that still have some major issues with sectarianism but these small minded Southern tossers can carry on with it for their own entertainment.

I wonder how the hand wringing, coffee drinking, pricks who think this is “fun”, would react if they were burning Korans and effigy’s of Mohammed?

How about burning a Star of David? Would that be fun?

I went one year and it was awesome. I got my pager nicked out me rucksack mind, shows how long ago it was.

I love the pantomime of it, and it should be encouraged.
😀

Seems to have got more interest than a poppy seller being burned

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-29870960

small minded Southern tossers

says the man complaining about bigotry 🙄

Yep gotta love the Lewes bonfire societies 😆 keeping health & safety at bay and winding up the whingers all in one night.

Given that the parade & Lewes in general is a peaceful multi-cultural place it can be viewed as a bit of fun… ‘cos no one takes it seriously.

Exactly. Just because some parts of the UK can’t sort out their own sectarian problems shouldn’t mean that the people of Lewes shouldn’t carry on with a tradition, which actually springs from a history of protest against the persecution of a religious minority – in this case the burning of protestants during the Reformation.

If there were problems with sectarianism on a day-to-day basis in Sussex I could understand why this event might be a problem.

keeping health & safety at bay

I’d say it’s more about kicking health and safety in the nadgers and then putting a bag over it’s head for the night.

If there were problems with sectarianism on a day-to-day basis in Sussex I could understand why this event might be a problem.

Cool so if there is no day to day problems with racism then they can be racist for the day etc and burn some “darkies”? Some muslamic ones?
Its does not offend me but your logic is weak IMHO
FWIW the history is somewhat mixed.

Celebrations in Lewes were not planned or carried out annually, but were more random events that were more like riots. They continued until they were banned by Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth. However, they were reintroduced when King Charles II returned, but still on a random basis. Interest waned by the end of the 18th century but in the 1820s large groups of Bonfire Boys started celebrating with fireworks and large bonfires. The celebrations became more and more rowdy until in 1847 police forces were drafted in from London to sort out the Bonfire Boys. There were riots and fighting, and restrictions were clamped down on the celebrators, their locations moved to Wallands Park, at that time fields, not the suburb it is today. However, in 1850 they were allowed back to the High Streets. By this time the former riots had become much more like the processions carried out today. In 1853 the first two societies, Cliffe and Lewes Borough were founded and most of the others were founded later in the same century

They can burn who they like but you have to expect some folk are going to object when you burn the effigy of a living person.

Most people who live in the area manage to understand that its a big laugh. A bit like spitting image with flames.