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Armoured vehicles and tanks used in silly publicity stunts


singaeger

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Those of you who live in London may have seen in the'Metro' paper a Ferret armoured car being driven by the Occupy Londonprotesters. The car had the 30calbrowning fitted, but the last 4 inches of the barrel were covered.

I don’t know if the protesters own the vehicle, or havehired it in, but do wish that tanks and other military vehicles would not beused for these sorts of publicity purposes.

I have no political agenda and don’t have an opinion oneway or another on Occupy London.

But im sure that there are many people out there who mayconsider such groups to be potentially dangerous and not the sort of persons tobe driving armoured vehicles.

Especially with guns attached, as the general public don’tgenerally know about deactivation and the like)

As a restorer and collector of WW2 armour, the last thingI want is some kind of knee jerk reaction from the government, that bansprivate ownership of armour.

I believe such a law is already enforced in parts ofEurope.

So please if you are approached for the hire of a vehicleby anyone who may unwittingly bring our hobby into disrepute.

Please think about the possible consequences anddiscourage such use.

I invite your thoughts on this subject.

Cheers

Singe

www.daimler-fighting-vehicles.co.uk

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I believe stunts like this just get the hobby a bad name.The Reg of the Ferret is VYJ 763 Anyone on here own it??

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/20/occupy-london-protesters-_n_1160010.html?ref=uk

 

Please don't use this thread to discuss Politics..

Edited by Marmite!!
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I can only agree.

 

I think we are very fortunate in the UK that private individuals are able to own ex-military vehicles and do hope that activities like this don't occur in future to threaten this. From what I have read on this forum Ireland crushes their ex-military vehicles, and it would appear that Canada may be going the same way.

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Not the cleverest thing to do, armoured vehicles are best left at home it only takes one instance and the media will jump all over us in the military vehicle world.

 

I seem to remember that this Ferret was used in a road.sure advertisement on the back off CMV. I only remember because of the long legged lassie draped over the vehicle thats my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

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I think if they are persistently used in stunts like this that not only do they bring the military vehicle movement into disrepute and that as already been said it is likely the government will tighten the rules on weapons and armour if not ex military vehicles as a whole.

Edited by Degsy
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I think if they are persistently used in stuts like this that not only do they bring the military vehicle movement into disrepute and that as already been said it is likely the government will tighten the rules on weapons and armour if not ex military vehicles as a whole.

 

perfect example is over here ie anything armoured has to be cut up, never a chance a civilian can touch it

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Wasn't the ex-Hong Kong Police Saracen used in one of the May Day anti-capitalist 'protests' a few years ago. I seem to remember it was true to type and conked out somewhere inconvenient up in town...

 

Agreed it brings the hobby into disrepute. Use of ex-mil vehicles in this way should be frowned upon by all serious collectors and enthusiasts. Same goes for those who wreck green lanes.

 

- MG

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This thread was posted on the wwiireenacting website and some of them said "good on them" and "why not?"

 

As a reenactor first and military vehicle owner second, and having owned a Dingo, i was quite disgusted with the attitude of them!

 

Its nice to be on a site where the contributors are sensible!

 

Colin

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This thread was posted on the wwiireenacting website and some of them said "good on them" and "why not?"

 

As a reenactor first and military vehicle owner second, and having owned a Dingo, i was quite disgusted with the attitude of them!

 

Its nice to be on a site where the contributors are sensible!

 

Colin

 

I must admit I only enjoy military vehicles the dressing up bit leaves me cold, if something was to happen (please let it not happen) at a demonstration involving an armoured vehicle do you think that the government in its knee jerk reaction would not only ban the vehicles... would they heck. Extremely short sighted its not in my back yard why should I not be interested bloody selfish.

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I must admit I only enjoy military vehicles the dressing up bit leaves me cold, if something was to happen (please let it not happen) at a demonstration involving an armoured vehicle do you think that the government in its knee jerk reaction would not only ban the vehicles... would they heck. Extremely short sighted its not in my back yard why should I not be interested bloody selfish.

 

Quite agree, it makes my blood boil, but you cant tell some of them!?\!

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I also agree that the use of the Ferret in this manner was stupid, and potentialy harmfull to our hobby.

 

What can we do about it? Do we sit here and wait for the next incident and make a new thread like this one and hope the government/ public do not notice again? Do we risk it all and approach government asking for guidlines to be put in place to legally prevent vehicles being used/ abused in this fashion? Do we club together and buy a huge island somewhere where we can all live together and enjoy our hobby in relative peace?

 

To be realistic I have no idea how we can prevent owners using thier own vehicles to do things like this; and I actually think that it is foolish to think we can?

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Unfortunately, I would guess the people involved in these stunts do not have any thoughts for the military vehicle movement, as they have another agenda (whether that is political or financial)...unlike those on here who have each others' interests at heart, and a much longer term view.

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To be realistic I have no idea how we can prevent owners using thier own vehicles to do things like this; and I actually think that it is foolish to think we can?

If we become aware of owners who are using, or allowing others to use, their vehicles for this sort of purpose, we should explain to them why it is against the interests of the hobby for this to happen. Similarly if we are selling a vehicle and the prospective owner's motives for purchase are questionable we should resist the lure of the cash and wait for someone more suitable to come along.

- MG

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