To take DD to the Extinction Rebellion protest next weekend?

[Rainallnight]

DD is 6, going on 7. Saturday is some sort of family oriented Earth day. I’d like to take her because I think it’s an important historical moment in the climate crisis.

BUT I have no idea if it’s safe, or even whether getting there and back will be a nightmare for small people.

Has anyone taken DC to one of these before? Is it manageable?

Your daughters right to peacefully protest is so important. I would take her. Going to these protests is different to discussing them at home and it opens up discussion. You are a great mum.

You do realise that for most jobs that need clearance for. Which will be most of the companies working on combating climate change will require a level of clearance right ?

So having a record of you and your family being part of a militant anti government group would automatically bar you for life. Despite what age you are

Lol. Your six year old is a parrot of your own ridiculous bias. They don’t actually give a shit, nor should they.

Oh, and again for Sunday, some practical points as there will be tens of thousands on Westminster for the marathon (and I hope XR won't be counting them in their figures!)

There will be thousands of clicks/uploads on strava/garmin, plus attempts at sending happy selfies. It takes a frigging age for anything to load, let alone get through as the signal really struggles at times.

So if you're not sure of your way around, print and take a paper map!

If you're heading for Parliament Square, there aren't many convenience stores/local supermarkets nearby, so take food/drink with you.

And plan your route - get tube to the side of the route you want to be, then walk. Loads of buses will be stopping short (some don't go on diversion round, as it's just too far and too congested, so go under!)

I don’t have children. I wasn’t being literal.

Is it really a matter of opinion about the state of the planet/humanity?

Scare monger

I would not go, not because of any concern for a child, but because I disagree with the tactics of Extinction Rebellion. Protesting in places with the highest percentage of public transport use to travel there, throwing paint on artworks, for example.

YABU. Once those bastards starting blocking ambulances they lost their argument.

I assume you have the same intolerance for political parties, companies and institutions that foster environmental destruction?

OP you buy multiple items of needless, unsustainable plastic technology made in sweatshops for your young children, including from Amazon, one of the most corrupt, tax-dodging, worker-exploiting, environmentally-destructive companies in the world.

To take your child to this protest is to induct them into a world of utter hypocrisy, where you virtue-signal about your actions and post about empty protests on social media, while not being willing to inconvenience yourself at all in reality.

So - assuming that's what your aim is - absolutely take her.

You mean like Amazon, of whom OP is an enthusiastic customer and posts positive recommendations of their products on social media?

Amazon, whose environmental and ethical footprint is about as bad as it gets?

Is this a wind up??
You cannot be serious!

Everyone is at a different place with this. Making it personal just distracts from the real debate.

Take issue with those who weald the real power, not those who are perhaps at an earlier part of the journey and trying to figure out what to do and how to be heard.

You misunderstand. It's not 'making it personal'. It's pointing out that virtue signalling and posting yourself and your children all over social media for likes and approval, while in fact doing everything you can to shore up and support the current system, is pretty much everything that is wrong with XR (and related movements) and explains a lot about why it's such a massive, massive failure.

I mean unless you count making some car showrooms wash paint off their windows, stopping a few hundred poverty-line workers from being able to get a tube to work at 6am, and preventing people from saying goodbye to their dying relatives in hospital as successes.

Assuming those are their actual objectives - well done, guys! Great job! #makingmemories #fuckthepoor #hypocrisy #doingfuckall

So much scaremongering here! OP there's an XR families group. If you follow their social media you will find specific family areas at the protests.

I've been at Fridays for Future marches, XR marches, Mothers rise up marches and they have all been fabulous family friendly events.

These marches and events are about securing a livable future for our kids. Why shouldn't they be there?

We need to stop using fossil fuels as quickly as we can. We all have a part to play in doing that.

Thank you to everyone who has direct experience of taking a DC on one of these protests, for the constructive, helpful advice.

Sadly there is a lot of misunderstanding on this thread about the nature of this particular event and I think the XR change of tactics has passed people by. I'm weighing up taking my girls on the Saturday as part of faith group, we'll be marching with many others in the peaceful family friendly event. I'm wary of course, I don't want them to be overwhelmed but erring towards going for it!

This! Great post.

I’ve been thinking to 2 XR protests with my young DC (pre covid so a while ago) and they were both peaceful and fine. They were both specific family events

that should have read I’ve been to and as BigGreen says fossil fuel use needs to end. Someone has to say it and be heard hence organisations like XR resorting to civil disobedience. We will be infinitely more inconvenienced by climate change if we don’t. Good luck if you go OP

China will never stop using fossil fuels until a cheap energy source is figured out for them. The UK’s use is tiny weeny compared to that.

Ssshhhh. That’s an inconvenient fact.

The bamboo toothbrush brigade need their days out at protests. Because it’s progressive, innit.

I've been to plenty of protests in my time and it's never yet caused me a problem getting a job, or indeed any of my family.

And yes that includes the type of companies you're describing in your post.

Six year olds certainly don't get barred 15 years from now because their mum took them to one climate change protest specifically aimed at children.

Just steer clear of the Mermaids stand as XR are heavily into gender stereotypes. If you're female, wear feminine clothing, make the tea and get your kit off. If you're a girl who likes building stuff, you must really be a boy.

www.beatrixcampbell.co.uk/tag/extinction-rebellion/

XR have already protested, yet surprisingly the climate is still changing.
Why protest again?