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Original poster

To risk arrest for protesting about the climate emergency?

693 replies

medicellen · 08/11/2022 08:25

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.

OP posts:
Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/11/2022 13:25

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 10/11/2022 12:53

OP's final post is all a bit 'I hate you all and I'm right SO THERE!!' before slamming the sitting room door and running upstairs to cry in her bedroom, isn't it?

IME it tends to go with the mentality of many "protesters"; like many teenagers they're hot on soundbites and mindless "justification", but expecting them to engage on any higher level can be a waste of time

Popgoestheweaselagain · 10/11/2022 13:59

medicellen · 09/11/2022 19:15

One final attempt to contextualise this discussion. Having taken part in (legal) protests with Extinction Rebellion, I posed a theoretical question about taking part in a future protest action with the risk of arrest.

I have no problem with people disagreeing about the idea of non-violent direct action – that’s the whole point of having a discussion on social media. For those of you who expressed your views in a reasonable way, I thank-you and have taken on board your comments.

However, there are a series of responses to thinking about a possible future action, that I think are unjustified. NVDA takes many forms and does not necessarily mean blocking roads. To recap:

@Prinnny You stopped a man trying to get to the hospital to see his dying mother. To be honest you’re lucky it happened down south as northerners would have dragged yous all out the way and hoyed you in the Tyne

@Alexandernevermind Pooring poo over a Captain Tom memorial didn't do you any favours, nor did trying to destroy a Van Gogh, and what was custard pieing King Charles's wax work all about, he's long been a environmental advocate?

@CourtneeLuv Most people think you are behaving like cunts.

@Theluggage15 The middle class handwringing over this issue is pathetic. If the U.K. disappeared tomorrow it would make absolutely no difference to the climate. But yeah stop people getting to work, delay ambulances while you fuck about and piss people off.

@Biker47 Blocking me getting to work or where I need to be isn't going to get me on your side, I'd just think you're a cunt. Same goes if you throw some soup over a painting, grade A cunt.

@fernfen XR and Just stop oil are pathetic always have been and always will, spoilt little brats desperately looking for attention and achieving nothing.

@CMZ2018 I hope you get an absolute leathering off the public then locked up.

@TheSomersetGimp Fucking twats the lot of them

I missed the bit where you contextualised anything in that post ....

Tigofigo · 10/11/2022 14:09

Daftasabroom · 08/11/2022 08:55

@medicellen There is lots you can do personally that can have significant impact. Rather than spend your time protesting, which by and large will just piss a lot of people off, why not volunteer to become a sustainability champion at work of within you local community, perhaps your sons school of local sports clubs? All these organisations will need people like you, and to be honest as a scientist you're incredibly well placed - carbon footprint calculations are GCSE level max. Once you understand the carbon footprint of e.g. your village hall it's relatively simple to identify the changes required - more insulation, zero CO2 heating, charging points. It then needs someone to raise the money and find and apply for grants. Once you've done this advertise it! We need positive examples.

We need to stop shifting responsibility to big business and governments and take individual and community responsibility.

I'm assuming this post is a pisstake and some kind of parody, but assuming it's not for a second... No. It's big business and govt that can and must make the biggest changes here. Putting fucking insulation into the village hall will not move the needle but thanks for the laugh.

Andante57 · 10/11/2022 14:23

TheSomersetGimp · 10/11/2022 12:54

Well at least she hasn't glued herself to the thread 😂

😀😀😀

TimBoothseyes · 10/11/2022 14:36

TheSomersetGimp · 10/11/2022 12:54

Well at least she hasn't glued herself to the thread 😂

Don't put ideas in her head.

TheSomersetGimp · 10/11/2022 15:05

😁

QuestionableMouse · 10/11/2022 15:10

medicellen · 08/11/2022 08:31

@MyLovelyPen - if it worked for suffrage and civil rights, why should be doomed for this cause?

It didn't.

The social and political climate was vastly different then and things had already started to go their way.

You can protest all you like but unfortunately all you're doing is risking your own safety and security.

Original poster
medicellen · 10/11/2022 15:38

No tears required. I think people can decide for themselves where the hatred in this discussion comes from

OP posts:
TheSomersetGimp · 10/11/2022 15:50

No hatred. Just think that the protesters are a bunch of dicks.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 10/11/2022 16:05

I think people can decide for themselves where the hatred in this discussion comes from

OP - I waste 'hate' on the things and people that are worth it. Calling disagreement with you 'hate' and 'hatred' is juvenile rhetoric. Granted, it's very widespread juvenile rhetoric but it's juvenile all the same. And name calling because you can't bring people round to your way of thinking just makes you sound silly as well as juvenile.

Popgoestheweaselagain · 10/11/2022 16:32

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 10/11/2022 16:05

I think people can decide for themselves where the hatred in this discussion comes from

OP - I waste 'hate' on the things and people that are worth it. Calling disagreement with you 'hate' and 'hatred' is juvenile rhetoric. Granted, it's very widespread juvenile rhetoric but it's juvenile all the same. And name calling because you can't bring people round to your way of thinking just makes you sound silly as well as juvenile.

To be fair to OP, there is quite a lot of hatred on this thread directed at people gluing themselves to roads and stopping people getting to funerals, hospital, injuring policemen. I wonder why that might be 🤔

Terven · 10/11/2022 16:39

You’re a scientist in what area, please?

Sausagenbacon · 10/11/2022 16:39

You can protest all you like but unfortunately all you're doing is risking your own safety and security.
No, the safety and security of others. A win-win situation.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/11/2022 16:51

Calling disagreement with you 'hate' and 'hatred' is juvenile rhetoric

Indeed, though thankfully at least it wasn't spelled haterz Confused

And that's what I meant about the teenage mentality of some protesters ...

PetraBP · 10/11/2022 17:08

I’m all for free speech, the right to protest and even civil disobedience, but when your protest means an ambulance can’t get through and somebody dies, the blood is on YOUR hands, however you might want to dress it up in abstract terms.

The relative whose loved one has died because of YOUR action will not understand that it is for the greater good, because it isn’t.

Why do YOU get to decide whether that ambulance gets through or not?

Personally, I’d pass a law permitting emergency ambulances to mow down those who have glued themselves to the road. They have CHOSEN to put themselves in that position. The dying child in the ambulance doesn’t get to make that choice.

TimBoothseyes · 10/11/2022 17:19

medicellen · 10/11/2022 15:38

No tears required. I think people can decide for themselves where the hatred in this discussion comes from

Not sure it's hatred. Many people agree with the cause but not the actions. Maybe address that and there won't be such animosity towards those protesting for change. As I said upthread, target the right people and you'll no doubt gain support, carry on as you are and eventually there will be very few left supporting you and you will have failed to achieve anything.

Sausagenbacon · 10/11/2022 17:30

but the 'right people' are us, aren't they?

TimBoothseyes · 10/11/2022 17:38

Sausagenbacon · 10/11/2022 17:30

but the 'right people' are us, aren't they?

No the "right people" are governments and big oil companies, those that can make an actual difference. It's all very well saying "we need to use less fossil fuels" but if those people aren't investing in alternatives it's not the general public's fault, but it seems to be easier to target us rather than "them".

Original poster
medicellen · 10/11/2022 17:53

@Puzzledandpissedoff as per post above I have said that I don't have any issue with disagreement, but have cited some examples of comments directed at me personally for a theoretical action that has not actually taken place. Those example seem fairly "hatey" in my eyes. Most of the other comments, no problem and fair

OP posts:
Meseekslookatme · 10/11/2022 17:53

Another point to the ridiculous protests, Is that if laws are passed to stop the petulant little twats from getting off easily, it will affect protestors that genuinely might be doing something useful.

Sausagenbacon · 10/11/2022 18:19

no, I do think it's us. Busy busy busy, consuming all day long.

TheSomersetGimp · 10/11/2022 18:54

Why do YOU get to decide whether that ambulance gets through or not?

One day they'll stop the wrong person trying to get their loved one through to emergency care. I hope when it happens, someone uploads it so I get to watch when it happens.

onlythreenow · 10/11/2022 19:04

The op hasn't achieved anything. Although it has been helpful to clarify that the majority of people think that demonstrators who block roads are not achieving much, their message is lost, and that the people carrying out these protests are a self absorbed bunch of twats.

And yet the OP still believes they are in the right, and if the planet suddenly magically heals it will be because of them! You sound rather naive and immature OP, but you go ahead and do whatever you like. Then you can come back and tell us how well it went.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/11/2022 19:15

Why do YOU get to decide whether that ambulance gets through or not?

Think about the power trip for a moment ... for some activists who've spent so long telling us just how soon we'll all be dead there may be a perverse satisfaction in actually seeing it happen, even if a little early

Then of course there's a good chance they'd be arrested and get to smirk at the news cameras, while crying a version of "This will be ALL of us if you don't listen NOW!!"

TheSomersetGimp · 10/11/2022 19:17

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/11/2022 19:15

Why do YOU get to decide whether that ambulance gets through or not?

Think about the power trip for a moment ... for some activists who've spent so long telling us just how soon we'll all be dead there may be a perverse satisfaction in actually seeing it happen, even if a little early

Then of course there's a good chance they'd be arrested and get to smirk at the news cameras, while crying a version of "This will be ALL of us if you don't listen NOW!!"

I guess I might find a perverse satisfaction if one of them fell off a gantry. As long as no innocent people were injured as a result of this 🤷‍♀️

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