Just Stop Oil's daily protests

[CatsAreAlwaysCute]

Is anyone else concerned about where these daily protests will lead us?

The public are clearly getting more and more irritated by their antics. It's only a matter of time before one of the protestors are seriously injured.

I'm also worried that the government will ban certain types of protest as a result?

I am a huge fan of natural consequences. The media need to ignore them. If they are doing a stunt like that bridge nonsense, leave them up there and let us go about our lives. The whole protest relies on media coverage. The moment nobody pays attention to them they will stop. Of course, they may escalate the behaviour in the short term, though if we close roads etc we will be giving them exactly what they want. It's a shame police can't put out a statement saying if anyone gets injured by acting dangerously in a public space during a protest, they will not be held responsible for providing adequate safety measures.

Criminal damage is already illegal so maybe a high profile prison sentence will do the trick.
They seem mostly young posh females to me probably from middle /upper middle / even posher backgrounds that would never otherwise be in prison. I would even argue they have been groomed into doing it by older members of the group probably males ( but I accept they are adults and have full responsibility for their actions and cannot blame anyone but themselves)

Who cares if they are seriously injured? They’ve done it to themselves.

Block a road? Yeah, you’re likely to get run over 🤷‍♀️

I think their campaigning is doing amazingly, everyone’s talking about them. Protests are usually violence and disruptive - they have to be to make changes. And their cause is one that should be listened to. Our planet is burning.

Actions have consequences.

If I sat in the middle of the road, I’d accept the risk of getting run over.

Commit criminal damage? I’d accept the risk of being arrested and prosecuted.

None of this does anything to win over hearts and minds which is a shame because in a broad sense they have a point.

The public are clearly getting more and more irritated by their antics. It's only a matter of time before one of the protestors are seriously injured.

I'm also worried that the government will ban certain types of protest as a result?

Massive yes to both these I hope it happens on both counts they are complete idiots and gain little support from most people. 🙄

It makes me laugh when everyone’s all “fuck them, let them be seriously injured. Just ignore them they’ll grow up eventually.” Same could’ve been said for Emily Davison and the suffragette movement as a whole. It’s never compared though is it?

Exactly. You can't complain about being seriously hurt, if you're the one who willingly and knowingly put yourself in the situation in the first place.

Everyone is talking about them, but what are they saying?

Its also becoming a bit of an old hat - glueing themselves to a painting, again. It doesn’t even have shock value any longer.

I agree the media need to start ignoring them. They're making these protests because they're getting headlines. Remember the million-person pro-Brexit march through London? No, because there was a media blackout (to the fury of those who organised it). The media regularly ignores things it doesn't want to draw attention to, so why not this?

@electricdreaming Are both you and them so stupid to think the general public are ignorant to what is happening to the planet? Maybe other peoples priorities are not as high as your at the moment.

Your not teaching any one any thing your just making idiots of yourselves.

Because it isn’t even remotely the same. These are bored, spoilt brats who need to be thrown in prison (if they don’t get justifiably run over first).

Their campaign tantrum is bullshit.

The police need the power to come down harder on them. Arrest them, prosecute them, run them over, as long as we get rid of them somehow I don't care how that comes about.

I think young people especially are massively supportive of the cause. I’m in a bit of an echo chamber admittedly as I’m left wing and relatively young, as are most of my peers. If I was stuck behind them whilst they were glued to the middle of the road, I’d obviously be frustrated. But that’s the point isn’t it? To disrupt people’s lives and force a change.

Tell me why it’s not the same. They’re both equally valid causes. They both caused disruption. The suffragettes were arguably more violent. Do you not think a “tantrum” about climate change is worth having? I wonder how many people in the early 20th century would label suffragettes as silly girls having a tantrum because they haven’t got their way.

Earlier, two men glued themselves to "Girl with a Pearl Earring" to a resounding chorus of "shut up" and "shame on you" from the bystanders.... This will not end well.

I don’t know anything about this protest (obv living under a rock!) but I am curious about how posters think this issue should be raised?
it’s pretty clear that 1.5 degrees is an unachievable dream now, but the consequences for everyone are going to be quite a lot worse than being delayed for a couple of hours. What should be done and how?

What do Just Stop Oil propose as an alternative power source to stop millions of people starving and freezing? Do they support fracking or nuclear? Even Greta is pro nuclear now.
Maybe it would be better to campaign for something rather than against. Nuclear Power Now! for example . They might get a positive hearing in Government.

Renewable energy is the cheapest. We’re an island with plenty of wind and surrounded by sea, both of which can create energy. Why is this not much more heavily invested in?

The police and cps have shown zero enthusiasm for prosecution the girl who shitted up the statue of tom Moore was given a suspended sentence she will do it again and probably get another one suspended again make her litter pick or something we have volunteer canal clearance in our area (no funds for official cleaning) I'm sure shoved in waders up to her arse in mud and gunk she might rethink her choices while wrestling trolleys and random clothing out the canal plus it helps combat pollution

It is just not by the UK

Agree with this. The media is not reporting the actual message the protesters are trying to get across, which is that the planet is being vandalised beyond repair by the oil giants and in the not too distant future famous works of art will feel insignificant when there is no food to eat.

But we are the world leader in wind renewables I think so that’s an argument that has already been won. Government’s are doing it. But it won’t supply all the energy we need so what are the other possible energy sources? We need to be more energy secure in this country and not import our gas from overseas. That I can get behind.

Protestors like these are just deadbeats, and should be shunned and locked up.

If you want to make a serious change, do some thing constructive and get a job in the conservation and environmental sector and force change that way. That means getting of your back side learn the science get a degree and fix it from the inside. Not pratt about pissing every one off.

I have worked on many controversial projects in my life, retired now. But change never ever came from protestors it came from designers and workers within the industry, protestors are seen as an annoyance and seeing them claim victories every time we made a change that was noting to do with them was laughable and still is.

They deserve every thing they get and have coming to them.

electricdreaming and what exactly do you want people to do? You are obviously typing your replies on an electronic device - how do you justify that when the world, as you put it, is burning? To halt climate change currently we would most likely have to go back to pre-industriul revolution levels of energy usage without immediate alternative renewable sources of energy.
No phones no central heating, no cars....you get the drift.

Ordinary people can play their part, yes, but this needs a phenomenal global effort by all governments.
All they are doing is alienating people who have no real power to change things anyway (especially when even those who support their cause can't even stop using phones/laptops to post on forums!).

I agree with the pp who suggests they would be better off putting their energy into encouraging the building of nuclear power plants etc than just saying 'stop oil' which is really rather unrealistic in the immediate term.