Arrested protesting for Extinction Rebellion. AMA

[Pinktable11]

32 year old woman, separated, one child, healthcare professional .

I've read the posts about XR on here over the last week

Happy to answer anything, but do keep in mind if I'm arrested again today I may well be out of touch for 24+ hours, and longer if my phone is impounded 😁

@SeaDreaming

*Imagine if the public showed the same level of hostility to governments breaking climate agreements as they do to XR blocking a road a couple of times a year. Or to oil companies dumping in the ocean. Or to politicians campaigning for more airports etc...*

I am more than capableof having multiple hostilities.

Same here. I feel hostile towards people who deliberately antagonise me when what they actually want is my support.

That's very sad. Had it been known at the time, he would have been escorted through

Bullshit. Its a platitude once your got caught out by a high profile incident. For every incident like that, how many other very heart breaking crucial trips are you unaware of. The doctor who is supposed to be a surgery but has patient appointments cancelled for example...

Its the blinkered narrowminded crap that pisses people off. People who are worried about climate change but dont possess the immaturity and selfishness of this group.

Meanwhile all those held up people are running their engines waiting for the protest to end...

For people that care about the environment a lot of the publicity stunts seem particularly unfriendly.

Holding up public transport or blocking roads = (large numbers of) people likely choosing a taxi or uber over public transport or a short car journey taking 5 x as long and burning more fuel and creating more pollution.

Destroying green areas = disrupting wildlife and natural habitats

Pouring enormous amounts of paint over roads/buildings to look like blood = need to be cleaned with chemicals (unnecessary pollutants) or even water (wasting a natural resource)

[quote StopGo]@Pinktable11 I wonder if you were in the City of London on Friday? My DS was in a mini bus with several very vulnerable ASD adults. Your charming cohorts thought verbally abusing these people and banging on the van was totally acceptable and absolutely refused to let them pass through. They were held there until rescued by the police.

Non violen? Pull the other one.[/quote]
Bloody hell That must have been terrifying for them - are they Ok?

Haha the second anyone says they are cutting down on dairy and meat to save the planet I know they really are bonkers. Maybe do your research and by research I mean actual facts not lies & bullshit.

Enjoy your air freighted in avocado while littering the streets of London all in the name of 'climate change'

I was in London during previous XR protests and the litter was worse that after a football match.

A certain number of the police are on our side, and many who don't agree with ER still respect it

The police do not take sides.

@bamboocat

ER lost my support when protesters vandalised Trinity Lawn in Cambridge.

I will not support any organisation which destroys wildlife habitats. And expecially not one which is so two-faced and hypocritical.

I was going to say exactly the same

Never mind arrested you should all be locked up for wasting police time never mind all your other stupid ideas

@Ihaventgottimeforthis

This thread sums up XR for me really. They plop in, wind everyone up, reveal that they don't actually have a plan or even know what they're talking about really, then disappear until the next time they turn up like an annoying boil. I'd welcome more direct, local, informed, positive action. For example organising a climate action union in your local workplace, raising awareness on carbon neutrality, influencing workplace travel strategies, energy efficiency, procurement policies, campaigning for car share & public transport & remote working arrangements, work with your parish council to organise a climate action group, get your MP to at the very least make some public statement, get your council to declare a climate & biodiversity crisis, start a regional campaign for better public transport & cycling networks, LTN's etc. Stop antagonising the vast majority of the general public who we actually need to join in.

Yep less virtue signalling protests for facebook and more meaningful practical change making which actually does something rather than shouting at people for not doing something whilst also doing nothing apart from create more waste and pollution whilst protesting.

@MadMadMadamMim

A certain number of the police are on our side, and many who don't agree with ER still respect it

No. They really don't. The police are professionally and quietly doing their jobs, speaking politely to you whilst thinking - as practically everyone else does - what total dicks you are.

I don't know anyone with any respect for ER after all the damage they have caused. Hypocritical, privileged, thick, twats.

You are so right

@Soontobe60

That's very sad. Had it been known at the time, he would have been escorted through

Sad? It’s sad if you are late for a date, it’s sad if you can’t wave off a friend going on a world trip. Not being able to be with your wife when she dies, so that she dies alone, is absolutely fucking disgusting. ER should be totally ashamed of themselves. They claim to be saving the planet for the people living on it, and seem not to give a shit about the very same people.

Absolutely op are you patient facing? How about how 'sad' it will have been for your nhs colleagues to sit with that man's wife (should they actually have been able to given how understaffed we are) as she died, and then how fucking 'sad' they were to have to tell him he was too late to say goodbye,because of fucking XR idiots blocking him.

We need to stop using fossil fuel. That's the main thing. There are many different ways it's use can be cut right down. It doesn't matter which way it's done, but it needs to be done

Yes, but how. Which many ways? Most of the ways so far proposed suggest dumping perfectly servicable vehicles, boilers, etc, and manufacturing new ones at great environmental cost, with the use of precious rare metals, mined from the earth (at, you guessed it, great environmental cost) and at a cost most people can't afford.

I admire people who protest for something that they believe in but you must be true too your believes and not go along because it is the fashionable thing to do like maybe drive a big gas gushing vehicle and a heavy user of fossil fuels in general.

That's very sad. Had it been known at the time, he would have been escorted through

So who gave you the right to decide who shall pass?

@ElizaDarcysDeeds

Considering the factual inaccuracies and the absolute lack of policy knowledge, do we really think this is a protestor? Or is it someone mocking Extinction Rebellion by pretending their supporters are as policy, campaigning and empathy free as we've always suspected?

No idea, but they have the hide of a rhino. All criticism just bouncing off.

Why did you choose to join a group that physically and verbally assaults members of the public?

Why did you choose to join a group who stop people accessing medical care?

Why did you choose to join a group that causes criminal damage?

Why did you choose to join a group who leave behind large amounts or litter (mainly single use plastics)?

Why do XR members think its okay to call members of the public (and in this case a six year old child) “fucking wankers” for walking past NHM?

@BigWoollyJumpers

We need to stop using fossil fuel. That's the main thing. There are many different ways it's use can be cut right down. It doesn't matter which way it's done, but it needs to be done

Yes, but how. Which many ways? Most of the ways so far proposed suggest dumping perfectly servicable vehicles, boilers, etc, and manufacturing new ones at great environmental cost, with the use of precious rare metals, mined from the earth (at, you guessed it, great environmental cost) and at a cost most people can't afford.

Exactly @BigWoollyJumpers. I drives sporty car that goes like stink but it’s old - a classic. I’m guessing I’m supposed to go electric. But I intend to run my car til it dies.

Last time I was in London XR were doing one of their occupation things. There was a column of people in red robes with white masks on, marching along the South Bank in a procession. I have to this day no idea what they were meant to represent… does anyone in XR stop for a moment to consider how you are perceived and if your tactics actually work? I was a campaigner for almost ten years and one of the most important things to do was to review whether we were making progress. XR just seems to do more or less the same things over and over, and I’m just wondering if there’s any level of self-reflection within the movement or not.

@skodadoda

That's very sad. Had it been known at the time, he would have been escorted through

So who gave you the right to decide who shall pass?

And this.

[quote StopGo]@Pinktable11 I wonder if you were in the City of London on Friday? My DS was in a mini bus with several very vulnerable ASD adults. Your charming cohorts thought verbally abusing these people and banging on the van was totally acceptable and absolutely refused to let them pass through. They were held there until rescued by the police.

Non violen? Pull the other one.[/quote]
Sadly this doesn’t surprise me, they called my six year old a fucking wanker for daring to walk on the pavement in the city he lives in.

Only an absolute group of scumbags would verbally abuse a child or target those with additonal needs. We’ll probably get the standard bullshit excuse “if you’d told us they had additional needs we wouldn’t have been complete scumbags”.

In my opinion you deserve it. If you want me, and I would suggest the majority of the country to take you seriously then stop the vandalising and blocking of roads, destroying habitats and the rest and work with people not against them

@Spudlet

Last time I was in London XR were doing one of their occupation things. There was a column of people in red robes with white masks on, marching along the South Bank in a procession. I have to this day no idea what they were meant to represent… does anyone in XR stop for a moment to consider how you are perceived and if your tactics actually work? I was a campaigner for almost ten years and one of the most important things to do was to review whether we were making progress. XR just seems to do more or less the same things over and over, and I’m just wondering if there’s any level of self-reflection within the movement or not.

I suspect that a review of tactics and assessment of progress and public engagement comes much further down the list behind media exposure and self promotion.

To not rely and phase out the need for fossil fuels, would you support the transition to nuclear fuel, and fusion, hydrogen ect ?

And if I was your husband I would be filing for full custody, you are no example to your child,

A few questions from me:
A) what do you personally do to help the planet? Vegetarian? Non-car driver? No flights?
B) how do you feel about the leader of ER admitting she drives a big diesal car?
Where I live, there's a flurry of roadblocks being installed to 'help the climate' all by local authority XR activists. What they actually do is provide little private enclaves for the same middle class twats who come to a multicultural community and destroy it with class war gentrification tactics. XR gives environmentalism a bad name.

When are you going to China to protest there.

Also

Do you have a TV?