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?

I noticed that Charlotte. No box for hot water bottle and jumper and no box for I live in a bus.

@FaFoutis Plus they can't conceive of somebody having no electricity! Albeit this must be rarer than having no heating because of a broken boiler. Then they compare your results with worldwide data which must include people from countries or regions where heating and mains electricity aren't usual at all. I was half expecting it to ask how many ponies my DDs have and whether DS went to Eton or Harrow. :)

@Chloemol
You think they don’t want these countries to change. You think they wouldn’t want to go to these places.
Does anyone understand the complexity of all of this,
Do we just do nothing. When the suffragettes caused chaos what do you think people thought of them.

I only hope that people in the future take what people like extinction rebellion did for granted. Because that would mean we would still have a world

We have killed 60% of all animal life in the last 70 years. 70 years.

But yes I guess this protest is a bit annoying 🤷‍♂️

@Walkingdeadfangirl
You want to use force on peaceful protest, you would have been the first to sign up with the SS. You’re that type

As pointed out earlier, protests seem to do well when the warm weather is out and not when it’s pissing it down. The other stuff like yoga and Morris dancing just pisses people off also and actually doesn’t help the cause despite what people say. Yes, the press are good at seeking out the loons as it makes good TV but when you see a bunch of vox pops from Bong Therapists, posh global travelling public school boys etc it really doesn’t bring attention to climate change in a positive manner for the majority of Joe Public. It actually does the opposite. And yeah stopping public transport great idea.

Cherry on the top however was Emma Thompson flying in from LA. Not economy either as she is too old for that apparently but in defence will plant some trees. Great idea. Perhaps the entire country (and world) should all just take 50 flights a year. As long as we plant a few trees then it doesn’t matter how many times we fly. What hasn’t this been offered as a solution? It sounds genius. Extinction Rebellion for some reason haven’t asked for this

I wonder how many people watched the David Attenborough Climate Change documentary last night . I’d imagine that raised more awareness than these demonstrations .

@Caucho
Do you plant trees every time you travel
What’s wrong with making sure you’re carbon footprint is neutral.
Oh sorry that’s just hippy thinking
God all these stupid people,

Having heard the news and listened to interviews etc I still couldn't tell you what these protesters want apart from "we should do something, its really bad and no one has noticed".

It is quite patronising to tell people they dont know about climate change (we do). Its patronising to tell people we should do something (we are). Its quite patronising to tell people they dont care (we do).

And its also idiotic to think gluing yourself to a train (should we all get into cars?) is the answer (what was the question?) or having 6 grown men carry you to a police car, as if you are a baby and have forgotten how to walk, is going to help anything.

Everyone’s attitudes on here make me feel really sad,

I actually live in the middle of all of this. I work in the middle of all of this. And even I can’t find a reason to be pissed off. It’s a bit inconvenient.

This is Britain all over. A deeply selfish nation.

@Walkingdeadfangirl
Why do you care. I mean seriously
You do your bit. You should be proud of that. You know about the issues you should be proud of that.
Why be annoyed that they are trying to reach a wider audience. Just because you’re already on the case doesn’t mean they shouldn’t bother protesting.

I genuinely care about climate change. I recognise we are on the path for environmental catastrophe and extinction (which ultimately would be the best outcome for the planet). I just don’t think most of these protesters actually do care. They’ll be on a march for something completely next week. EU something or other, Black Lives Matter, Trans Rights. It doesn’t really matter. It’s just a hobby for some people.

And flying is disastrous. It can’t be offset. It’s like when you’re overweight and dieting you realise you have to do a 10k run just to burn off half a doughnut. I fly and go on holidays myself so won’t protest as that would make me a huge hypocrite

@Caucho
You may well be right
But why be annoyed about it.

I mean what does it matter it they’re Hippocrates or not. What does it really matter.

Meandwinealone Because I think they are making things worse not better, they are spreading the wrong message to the wrong people.

If they want to make a difference they should have a legal protest, they should have coherent ideas that are achievable. They should make change happen rather than blame it on other people. Look at the anti Brexit protests they have arguably achieved a lot more without having to break the law.

No one is carbon neutral. The box you can tick just marketing drivel from the airlines designed to keep you flying and make them profits but make you feel you’re doing no harm.

It is hippy shit. Everyone can’t fly here there and everywhere but remain carbon neutral by planting a couple of trees. Why has this not been suggested by the UN? Why wasn’t this is in the Paris Accord. Are the politicians not missing a trick here by failing to present this solution lol

@Walkingdeadfangirl
How are they making things worse

Why are people angry
Put your hands up if you are actually affected. I am, I’m not angry.

It’s this old time thought process, fuck those hippies. They’re full of hypocrites. Who cares.

It makes things worse because the wider public, the people who you need to get on board the most to make a difference, will just see a bunch of self satisfied smug toss pots and say ‘that’s rubbish’. Especially if they’re hypocrites. It actually does matter if the spokespeople are seen as hypocrites. If you genuinely want to advance your cause it requires people to take action but they certainly won’t off the back of these hippies

Fake hippies I should add

@Meandwinealone SPOT. ON. Couldn't agree more

Agree with everything you've said OP.

Living in a high crime rate area of London (I think we have the highest crime levels of the whole UK actually) with young people getting stabbed frequently, two stabbings on my street so far this year & the blood doesn't get cleaned away so it stays there for days unless it rains. My 4yo has virtually walked though it on the way to nursery.
I think we need the police time and resources here rather than protesters taking up their time for something that's unlikely to make any difference anyway in central London.
Call 999 here and no one will come until it's too late. I called in last week 11pm - a female neighbour was getting beaten in the street by her partner, police came at 8.30am following morning .. how does that work.

I am delighted that young people, protesters are highlighting climate change.
Thank goodness for people, however flawed, who frankly give enough of a shit to put themselves out there.
We have only a decade to make enough changes to prevent catastrophic temperature rises, after all.

Every single person I know his who is moaning about the protests take several flights a year and think climate change is about recycling. No idea and selfish selfish selfish.

Wake up and smell the insect free roses

YANBU

Loads of rich kids having a nice time in the sun.

Whilst I'm sure there's genuine climate change protesters among them, it's mostly students and teenagers playing at protesting on their Easter hols, the same ones off backpacking in Thailand in the summer - I know several young people down their and they all come from upper middle class homes, have cars, go skiing, etc etc. The hypocrisy of one of them is extreme, she flew back from Costa Rica a week early to join the protests.

So long as something changes it doesn't matter if they're all raving hypocrites.