Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to support extinction rebellion - more London action tomorrow

996 replies

54321nought · 19/08/2021 23:40

I am not sure what, but I have seen their previous demonstrations, and support their cause.

We were given badges at one event, and travelled home on public transport wearing them, and received absolutely nothing but 100% support from other travellers, which was nice, as I expected some hostility, publicly wearing their badges while roads in London were closed by them

OP posts:
Bythemillpond · 23/08/2021 20:18

People howl at the hypocrisy of Emma Thompson flying (rightly so, imo), which reinforces the message that flying is bad for the environment

No. You are missing the joke.
XR are the ones saying flying is bad but then get in someone who flys in join them.

mustlovegin · 23/08/2021 20:19

Xr seem to think a few outliers gluing themselves to trains will break the system. Not sure why they think that

You are assuming they can think. Years of self-denying absorbable food and nutrients may have impaired their reasoning ability.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/08/2021 20:21

@Darker

The plan is for governments to work out. XR wants to get them to stop kicking the can down the road.
Can't do much can kicking when there's a bunch of underoccupied and over privileged white folk who were genuinely spreadeagled across the roads today, going by the images in the news.
Darker · 23/08/2021 20:22

I’m not missing anything. I think it was a mistake. But the fact that there was such an outcry shows that people were listening and understood that it was hypocritical.

Darker · 23/08/2021 20:22

By which I mean they understood that flying is bad for the environment.

Hekatestorch · 23/08/2021 20:24

@Darker

By which I mean they understood that flying is bad for the environment.
People knew this before XR.
Nanny0gg · 23/08/2021 20:27

@NantesElephant

Good for them. I support their actions, and the more disruptive the better if it wakes people up. The disruption will be nothing compared to what runaway climate change will bring.
All they succeed in doing is alienating people.

They should go and do something useful like plant a tree

lannistunut · 23/08/2021 20:30

@Bythemillpond - it sounds like you don't know much about them, they have some FAQs on their website: extinctionrebellion.uk/the-truth/faqs/# - I had not read these until this evening.

I quite appreciated the honesty in the answer to the question 'Aren't you alienating a lot of the people that you should be working with?' They said 'Yes, we may be...'.

I think those who think they have somehow 'failed' if they can't win you over are missing the point. They are not trying to win your vote.

mustlovegin · 23/08/2021 20:35

They should go and do something useful like plant a tree

How about doing some real work?

Darker · 23/08/2021 20:36

People knew this before XR

People still fly. Look at the hysteria around getting away for a ‘proper’ holiday this year even while Covid is a thing. It’s deeply ingrained that it’s our right to do what we want even if it causes harm.

Hekatestorch · 23/08/2021 20:37

I think those who think they have somehow 'failed' if they can't win you over are missing the point. They are not trying to win your vote.

Then they won't get anywhere. So it's a waster of time.

EstuaryBird · 23/08/2021 20:38

If they want to gain the Government’s attention then they need to ‘disrupt’ people that the Government cares about.

The Govt do not give a shiny shit about a Zero Hours Security Guard from Newham losing 4 days pay. It does however have a massive detrimental effect on him and his family.

I have read all the posts here approving of them targeting poorer people for their disruptive action but I find it despicable. I can only assume that they are mostly comfortably off and do not understand how tight things are for many people.

I have no issue with their aims, I was active with Greenpeace when I was younger and still support them, but I have huge issues with their means of achieving those aims.

lannistunut · 23/08/2021 20:38

How about doing some real work?

My aged grandparent said exactly that about Swampy.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/08/2021 20:40

[quote lannistunut]@Bythemillpond - it sounds like you don't know much about them, they have some FAQs on their website: extinctionrebellion.uk/the-truth/faqs/# - I had not read these until this evening.

I quite appreciated the honesty in the answer to the question 'Aren't you alienating a lot of the people that you should be working with?' They said 'Yes, we may be...'.

I think those who think they have somehow 'failed' if they can't win you over are missing the point. They are not trying to win your vote.[/quote]
Their answers are all 'Well, we don't care about that'. Look at the ones about ambulances - not their problem, apparently, they'll just have to reroute around them. If somebody dies or misses a funeral, oh, well, we're risking being arrested, you know, so we're taking just as much of a risk for something far more important than that.

Hekatestorch · 23/08/2021 20:41

@Darker

People knew this before XR

People still fly. Look at the hysteria around getting away for a ‘proper’ holiday this year even while Covid is a thing. It’s deeply ingrained that it’s our right to do what we want even if it causes harm.

And people still flew after Emma Thompson.

The only reason flights would have dropped since then was the pandemic. Because there were less flights available

The reduction in people taking flights is not down to Emma Thompson and her, oh so hyportcrital flight to support them.

And again, did XR publicly state they would have preferred her to not fly to support them?

mustlovegin · 23/08/2021 20:42

My aged grandparent said exactly that about Swampy

Your grandfather is a wise man

54321nought · 23/08/2021 20:47

@lannistunut

How about doing some real work?

My aged grandparent said exactly that about Swampy.

Swampy di a lot of "real work" including building toilets, running hostels for the homeless, cleaning,

he was incredibly hard working

OP posts:
lannistunut · 23/08/2021 20:51

@Hekatestorch

I think those who think they have somehow 'failed' if they can't win you over are missing the point. They are not trying to win your vote.

Then they won't get anywhere. So it's a waster of time.

What do you see as 'getting somewhere'? Where do you think they can get to by being a bit quieter and allowing everyone to ignore the climate situation for a few more years?
Hekatestorch · 23/08/2021 21:00

@lannistunut - getting their 'demands' met.
Or are we pretending that the list of 'demands' isn't their end goal?

lannistunut · 23/08/2021 21:03

[quote Hekatestorch]@lannistunut - getting their 'demands' met.
Or are we pretending that the list of 'demands' isn't their end goal?[/quote]
Yes, but how do you think they should go about getting their demands met?

Do you genuinely believe a petition will work?

What do you think they should do instead to effect major political change?

Hekatestorch · 23/08/2021 21:08

@lannistunut I have answered this several times on this thread. I am not scrolling g through pages to cut and paste. I even came up with ways the XR could do what they are doing, but gain my support.

Throwing the most vulnerable in society to the wolves, is not something I will ever be on board with.

And it's not effective. Because the government don't care about the vulnerable, which is who XR are disrupting most.

Its not effective. Its damaging people who deserve more for the rest of us.

Pointless.

lannistunut · 23/08/2021 21:12

@Hekatestorch

IMO you have not answered how they can make things happen more effectively - you have just suggested how they can be less disruptive.

Hekatestorch · 23/08/2021 21:20

[quote lannistunut]@Hekatestorch

IMO you have not answered how they can make things happen more effectively - you have just suggested how they can be less disruptive.[/quote]
Yes I have. As I have just said.

Already posted it. Along with ways they could mitigate the damage they are causing.

Therefore gaining more support. If you want to know, you can go find it.

I don't need to keep repeating my posts.

Imo, you keep ignoring that they don't give a shit about vulnerable people. Keep pretending it's not a big deal or it's actually doing these people a favour.

You can't come up with a valid reason it's OK for XR to harm these people.

lannistunut · 23/08/2021 21:29

Imo, you keep ignoring that they don't give a shit about vulnerable people. Keep pretending it's not a big deal or it's actually doing these people a favour.

Confused not me, I have not at any point said they are doing anyone a favour.

All I have said is that their aim is to be disruptive, I understand why people/movements use disruption.

I am not going to say who they give a shit about, as I don't know any of them! You speak as though you know what they all think.

Hekatestorch · 23/08/2021 21:32

@lannistunut infact it was a reply to you

I found it, because enough though you were oh so clever suggesting I could never be convinced.

No actually, as I said, I would be open to supporting them.

If they did things like (as well as crowd funding for legal fees) crowd fund or set up a foundation to help the people, who need to get to work to pay their basic bills and are stopped by XR.

Completely denounce any of their protestors blocking ambulances or access to medical facilities.

Make sure they don't leave their shit behind, make sure they provide the facilities they need to they aren't damaging the environment.

In addition, actuly have a members register. Use the membership fee to reimbursement people. Get celebs like Emma Thompson to donate to replacing lost wages, rather than fly in.

Publicly say they do not want celebs flying in to support them. No one is answering wether they did, so I am guessing they didnt.

Understand that they are disrupting people who need support. Not harm.

Not be patronising and tell people 'o know you won't be able to pay your bills, but ots for your own good'

Not suggest harming vulnerable people now, is just acceptable collateral damage. Because that sounds really really disgusting.

If you couldn't be arsed reading it the first time, not sure why I am bothering, again.