To risk arrest for protesting about the climate emergency?

[medicellen]

I have recently taken part in climate protests with Extinction Rebellion but have stopped short of activities that would lead to an arrest.

I am a scientist and it has been beyond doubt for some years that the climate emergency is accelerating.

And yet, global carbon emissions continue to increase. Our government is granting new licences for fossil fuels, whilst oil companies rake in massive profits. This is utter madness (aka "collective suicide" according to the lead of the UN).

I have an 8-year old son who says one day he might like to have children. I have avoided saying that this may be either not possible or not desirable due to the state of the climate by then.

Petitions, campaigning, pleas, marches have failed. In my mind, the only option left is civil disobedience. Mass arrests advanced the causes of suffrage and civil rights and I am now contemplating arrest as the only meaningful contribution I have left.

Like it or not, this is the result of 'non- violent ' protest.

Climate nutters Various people have concluded that the public are I am somehow a cheerleader`s for climate change road blocks on the M25 and care nothing for anyone involved. It seems as though making assumptions to fit their your own prejudices somehow justifies venting their your fury on anyone who dares question them contradict you.

There changed your own statment works both ways 🙄.

That is some piece of DARVO and cognitive dissonance you just wrote.

Not a shred of sympathy for the policeman who was protecting those you claim to support.

I hope the police officer is OK. The last time an injury was reported during a protest the right wing media said that protesters had blood on their hands. The ambulance service later reported that it was nothing to do with the protests. I think policing in a climate changed world is going to be very dangerous indeed. Unfortunately the police have been busy arresting journalists covering protests recently so it appears that our democracy is in as bad a state as our environment. I live and act in hope still. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33284705/

I am perfectly happy for any of the pathetic protesters to get injured but one police officer is one too many. It’s just silly middle class people having a tantrum and getting in the way of people who need to earn a living. Just fuck off.

You actually really are an absolute disgrace.

You have done so much damage to your supposed cause 👏 well done.

You - and the guy from JSO interviewed on the radio yesterday - still have not convinced me (or a lot of other people) that this is an effective way to achieve your aims.

I agree there is a climate crisis but cannot see how this is going to help address it except by making you feel good that you have done 'something', however pointless it is.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a funeral to get ready for. Hopefully my sister who is reading the eulogy for my dad will make it. Obviously she'll be sitting in traffic for 4 hours rather than getting here in an hour or so but I expect you'll write that off.

What is it with all you climate activists, all you do well is piss off the general public.

All I hear is "Bla, Bla, Bla" and you continually posting links like ear-grating alley cats, as thought you have discovered some thing new to bring to the table. Let tell you a secret you obviusly are not aware of we already KNOW!

You are not more educated than a majority of the public, most of the people who you are interupting are far more educated than any of you blithering idiots.

You have nothing to tell us we know their is a climate issue, but you are all fucking idiots making our lives even more worse. No one is deniying the facts, but they currently the general public have already bigger pesonal issues or are actually doing more than fucking idiot eco-mobs, but your to bloody blind to see it.

I am sorry for your loss @Clymene I hope your sister makes it.

You are assuming that I am a protester? I only wanted to challenge the narrative and presumptions made by the mainstream media. I am not comfortable with ongoing disruption of citizens and would say targeting polluters and those that finance them is more appropriate. I do work in sustainability in the healthcare sector, have given up flying, eat mostly vegan, try to consume less, donate to charities promoting justice and equality in the UK and abroad, plant trees, grow some of my own food, take part in nature restoration projects. Is that enough? I don't think so. We are in a period of what will be rapid transition. Division will not help us adapt. People say the protests increase division but it is the media and politicians that have been more expert at doing that over decades. Citizens assemblies may allow us to come to some agreement about how this transition happens. That is one of the asks of XR. Not really too radical. The system will change but its just a question of whether we have a say in how it happens.

This! I loathe self-righteous folk like the OP who do not actually do anything constructive or positive.

You are assuming that I am a protester

Your posts make you sound like one. Have you never ever been on one of these protests then?

You, ER & JSO OP make me want to hop on a plane to see all these incredible paintings & artefacts before idiots like you destroy them for the rest of us.

Not quite the result these "non violent" protests are meant to achieve eh?

No art was damaged. It was behind glass.

Weird how people are indignant about stuff that wasn’t damaged instead of all the stuff that is being irreplaceably damaged around the world.

Like the policeman injured in the line of duty? Let's hope he / she isn't irreplaceably damaged eh.

Most people I know are unsympathetic to the protestors.
Most people I know would like to do their bit.
Most people I know are alo struggling.

I know very well it was behind glass, but how long do you think it will be before this is stepped up?

They are getting absolutely nowhere at the moment, in fact the exact opposite, so more drastic action will be needed surely, as that poor policeman found out to his cost this morning

This post is bleak reading, spot the daily mail readers: the angry rude ones calling others clueless and in the same breath showing their own ignorance.

As I’ve said before on posts like this, don’t take the word of ransoms on MN, check what the experts are saying. Here’s a NASA a scientist.

I’ve also attached a screenshot by a tweet from the secretary general of the UN.

Most people I know are unsympathetic to the protestors.
Most people I know would like to do their bit.
Most people I know are also struggling.

They don't want to hear this - they keep refuting that people are aware.

I think they are confusing "raising awareness" with actually doing something which as many poster have pointed out is hard and frustrating and involves much less drama.

These threads have changed my mind in one way- I think police and courts need to start being very harsh with these people because they clearly won't listen and stop with out that.

There is a breathtaking ignorance. From activists who decide they have the right to bring the road network to a standstill. And accusing people who need to work /are being prevented from doing so as ignorant daily mail readers. It makes you look like a twat with no understanding of the real world. Your actions achieving nothing. Apart from the increasing likelihood of an angry motorist driving their car straight over you. Do you think people would feel sorry for you? Or just think you deserve it?

cool. I agree.

Thus far, the vitriol here on mumsnet matches the very best on the Daily Mail forums. I anticipated it and therefore can take it, but its been an interesting experience in how people choose to direct their hatred

Translation - 'Oh bugger, I just got my arse comprehensively handed to me over 23 pages, didn't expect that, better reverse out and start whining about 'vitrioil' and 'hatred.''

🎯🤣