Extinction rebellion. Waste of police time.

[sabrinablue]

Whilst I worry about climate change and try to do my bit, I can't help but feel that the extinction rebellion protests are going a step too far. So many officers in London are dealing with protestors that they can't get resources to those who are in trouble and need it. As a survivor of domestic violence who needed to call the police and have them attend quickly, I can't imagine what would've happened if they couldn't attend.

AIBU to think that a) the protests will likely not influence any government plans to tackle climate change, and b) that protests such as these are a huge unnecessary drain on police resources as soon as people start breaking the law.

Or am I missing the point entirely?

As a pp suggested, a beach, city street or canal side clean, with pictures of the resulting piles of waste, would be more effective

Nah - not so much fun. Perhaps they intend the more prosaic stuff to be done by those in the 1 million public service jobs they hope to create?

www.campaigncc.org/climatejobs

Yes maybe people should be able to exercise their right to protest peacefully without police getting totally obsessed???

The frustration I am hearing in my area stems around them wanting government to do certain things for them but parliament is in recess. Maybe they should have started before they left or waited until they returned. Also wondering about the impact on major events like the London marathon and to a lesser extent Anzac Day memorial service. Yes they have important issues to raise but they are also preventing other protests and vigils.

I agree with their cause.
But the working class masses are not going to listen to Robin telling them to only use air travel in an emergency while he has a social media full of ski trips and long haul holidays.

Not some doctor who says she changed after taking Psychedelic drugs and who says leave your work and come and have fun while they leave rubbish everywhere and drink from single use bottles.

Put the guys on TV who've walked for four days to get to London and I'll listen.

The problem is that the personal lifestyle sacrifices required to make a discernible difference go way beyond ‘use more public transport’. It means, amongst other things

• no air travel
• minimal car travel
• max 2 children ( To result in population decline on average , not ‘oh well I can have 4 as some people don’t have any)
• no pets
• vegetarian locally sourced diet ( think about what that means in the uk in winter)
• significantly lower home heating and hot water consumption.
• significantly fewer possessions

Good luck enforcing that in a liberal democracy where people get to vote out unpopular decisions.

This is why climate change is such a fucker of an issue.most people in the West would probably choose to die out in 2 generations than live a genuinely sustainable lifestyle because frankly that would be pretty shit.

The problem is lack of police. No. The problem is climate change, influenced by us all!

There would be more money available to tackle policing and climate change if the UK government hadn't spunked it all on Brexit

Most change come through civil disobedience though. Votes for women, civil rights, gay rights. Passive marches did nothing. We need more than reusable water bottled and bamboo toothbrushes. We need structural change from governments.

“This is why climate change is such a fucker of an issue.most people in the West would probably choose to die out in 2 generations than live a genuinely sustainable lifestyle because frankly that would be pretty shit.”

Agreed. That’s the crux of it. You can do small, baby ineffective steps democratically, or you can go full tyranny and end up having no human society worth saving.

(Which is kind of an anthropo-centric viewpoint of mine; if humanity crashes and burns but we successfully save the planet for the rest of the species, maybe it’d be worth it.)

And I consider myself a libertarian... I think ideology breaks down a bit when you run into a true existential threat.

I think it’s a reasonable protest, once again spoiled in implementation by the usual under-employed incoherent dancing twats who turn up to whatever protest is going.

It's raising awareness which can only be positive. Good for them, I say!

Why didn't the activists target the Chinese embassy instead of inconveniencing gen public? It has raised awareness but to what end? We are a small country. Even if every person in the UK walked everywhere, never travelled abroad, never used any plastic etc there are still countries like China and the US who top the league tables for emissions so our efforts are completely in vain. Although we should of course try.

I do think we need to rethink our lifestyles, we are damaging our planet, but every person on the planet needs to be on board.

Unfortunately I do not think a global concerted effort will happen until the big hitters get on board.

There would be more money available to tackle policing and climate change if the UK government hadn't spunked it all on Brexit

Amen to that.

Had a grand time pointing out their signs and tents are all made of plastic, which needs oil to manufacture.

I think a lot of people don't realise how bloody serious this is. And the fact of the matter is the government are not doing enough

This. Do people on this thread understand what's at stake?

We're talking about the potential breakdown of civilisation. Of wars as people fight over dwindling resources. Food shortages, famine, extinction of a huge number of species, possibly including humanity.

And people here are complaining about being inconveniences by the protesters?

You might want to rethink your priorities a little!

Are people really this ignorant or is this Mumsnet full of bots these days?

I do think we need to rethink our lifestyles, we are damaging our planet

It is too late to save our species by recycling a bit more. That moment has passed. We need large scale problem solving from government across the globe if our civilisation and even our species is to stand a chance of survival.

But what are they doing? Brexit. Talk about rearranging the deck chairs. It's a criminal waste of time and resources IMO.

It's the activists' conundrum: disrupt the public and risk losing its support, or try not to be disruptive, and be ignored.

Personally I'm pretty jaded after decades of being on the losing side - tuition fees, Iraq, welfare reform, Brexit, you name it. I'm done with waving sodding placards. I haven't actively taken part in anything since Occupy and I didn't do very much actual occupying, just donated blankets and jumpers and stuff.

I'm quite taken with the idea of "deep adaptation" but at the level of individuals, families and small groups. Trying to drive any kind of change at governmental level is a mug's game, though kudos to those who try. Perhaps it will work this time through sheer force of numbers, as the young seem genuinely engaged - whereas we Gen Xers have always been supremely apathetic.

Can't see that the protest is raising awareness a single jot. Its just entitled luvvies having a party screaming, "look at me".

What is the point in the police 'arresting' them. They are let straight back out to go back to the party. Why aren't they being locked up for a few months minimum?

And wtf is the supposed Mayor doing, bugger all. Why aren't the police using tear gas to move them on. Or maybe get some water cannons. We need some leadership in this country.

And the hypocrisy of Emma Thompson FLYING in just to promote her own brand.

Walkingdeadfangirl people are trying to raise awareness of the destruction of the ecosystem on which everyone (that includes you) depends on for our survival - and your suggestion is that our government should behave like fascists?!

People like you make me fear we really are doomed as a species.

If !nyome would like an idea of your own footprint, here's a quiz that calculates it:

footprint.wwf.org.uk

There is nothing 'fascist' about the police moving people who are illegally blocking roads.

howmanyleftfeet, I have nothing against people raising awareness but this is not doing that. All they are doing is raising peoples anger at the disruption to their travel plans, jobs & lives. And the irony that the protest is probably increasing pollution in London, wasting police time and allowing criminals to go unchallenged.

Water cannons and tear gas for peaceful protestors

Why not get the rubber bullets put whilst we’re at it

I’m really confused about them trying to disrupt public transport. So instead of getting the tube I should drive to work?

I really am very interested in climate change and what I can do more but they haven’t made me want to engage with them one bit.

I walked through the Waterloo protest today.
I have the upmost respect for people who manage to do this. Alcohol free, drug free.

Totally inclusive.

It’s been all over the news and the radio. David Attenborough speaks sense.

What’s a couple of weeks of disturbance versus end of days.

Oh yeah. No one really believes in end of days. They’re all just selfish self absorbed individuals. Who cares what happens to the planet. Who cares that someone was a bit tired I had to walk a bit today and then got a takeaway and threw all the non recyclable in the bin because those protesters are hippy cunts who made that person walk a bit.

I mean give the fuck over.

Humans deserve everything that’s going to happen to them. Sadly it won’t be the people on these threads it will be their children’s children. And by then they’ll be dead. So they don’t really give a shit.

Power to people that actually care

Why aren’t they going to protest in those countries who are not doing anything! We have signed up, countries like the USA haven’t because of don the donkey. Why not India , China and the rest! Instead they use up god knows how much in emissions to get there, people who would normally use transport are now finding other ways in, so more emissions, how will they recycle their plastic non rectangle banners, the police will be creating more emissions carting them back and forth to police stations, not to mention not being available to deal with other crimes. They may consider they have a point but it’s now pissing people off and sympathy is fast waining.

Betsy where’s the 25 years come from then? Will it be a Big Bangand that’s it?

That WWF quiz was definitely not designed by someone living in the private rented sector: there was no box to tick for no heating/ heating doesn't work.