Thinking of going to XR Big One in London on Sat...but will it be very full-on?

[Noteverythingisasitseems]

Want to go, and take DC. I'm not amazing with big crowds, but can handle it if it doesn't get too pushy/shove-like and full on. Never been to an XR gathering before - if you have, what should I expect, please?

Is everyone on this thread OK??

I’ve been to lots of XR protests and taken my little one. I know lots of people who take their kids.

The XR people are invariably lovely, kind and peaceful. I have felt intimidated by the police on occasion (and I wasn’t doing anything unlawful) but I just left the area. Saying that I’ve felt intimidated by the police when not protesting too. The met are thugs and enjoy any opportunity to act like it.

I say go along and take your family but find the XR families hub when you arrive to meet other families and get advice, and stay on the periphery of the protest if you don’t like crowds.

This issue is too important to sit at home writing to MPs who will ignore you, waiting for business to take action, or making individual lifestyle changes. None of that is enough, we need a massive shift that only governments can achieve.

I think I'm okay, every day can't be the best day.

why do you ask?

What a load of old bollocks. I made it my career to increase bio diversity and support our wildlife. XR do nothing of value.

If your so concerned about saving nature, the planner and increasing habitats for biodiversity, find a local wildlife charity or NGO go volunteer at a wildlife reserve, RSPB site, National Trust ect . Do some meaningful work they are always desperate for volunteers. Build fences, repair paths pick up rubbishy, help remove invasive species, creat and maintain habitats.

Marching in London pissing the public off is a joke.

VegMam "we need a massive shift that only governments can achieve."

do you have any interest in saying what you'd like govt to do please?

Why do XR only seem to protest in the spring and summer? Only fancy it when the weather is nice I guess?

They do protest in winter, I'm in central London about two days a week. I have definitely seen them on bitter winter days. In fact, I think the last two Novembers were official months of action?

The science is clear and the solutions have been provided by the IPCC here, not sure what you think I can add to the solutions presented by the world's leading scientists?

I also agree with XR's requests which are:

1. Tell the truth - asking the media to report honestly on the reality of the climate crisis.
2. Act now - take urgent action.
3. Citizen's assembly - give the people a say in our future through a citizen's assembly.

It will probably be very busy as it’s also the London marathon, but expect it will be fine to take children to.

London will be heaving...it's the Marathon too on Sunday

Oh my god. Did you really just write 'simples'?

I'm going, either on my own or with 17yoDS but am planning to go to the Faith Hub and stick with the Christian Climate Action and Christian affiliated groups, just in case

I'm all for reducing the human Induced effects on climate change but refuse to be associated with these eco terrorists.

The privileged middle and upper class kids who know absolutely nothing of the real world who represent XR make it an even more bitter pill to swallow.

Woke bellends.

Great minds think a like 😉
Exactly what I was thinking is every person attending walking from their home to it ?

Thank you

Hands up - I am not going to read a full IPCC report

I looked at it briefly a while ago and can't see anything about

• control of population and incentives for smaller families, actually disincentives for larger would be even better

• intense strain on environment due to making things electric, lithium mining etc

• relentless production of consumer electronics (which often become obsolete very quickly)

• strain on environment from planned digital currency, already seen in crypto

• big data and subsequent storage like the ones in the Arctic Circle - how many servers do we need, is there no impact on the environment out there? Maybe there isn't.

• ditto consumer goods generally

• how we keep people and homes and hospitals warm with "renewable" energy

• all countries building more and more high rises on green spaces and plonking trees on the roof to claim it's okay

If it's all in the report, I beg pardon for missing it.

I do wish I had my parents VHS tapes from the 70s when the panic was an Ice Age.

I worked with someone twenty or so years ago who said our riverside office would be underwater in ten years. He earns great money on TV and doing consultancy about all this now.

Sorry, I didn't put in those big gaps, just did a one line spacing but it's posted like that.

It’s not just XR. It’s lots of organisations. it is not about disruption or direct action this time. It’s about peaceful protest. As is our right.

Love or loathe XR, this is an important issue that affects every single human on the planet to varying degrees and will affect our children’s future in so many ways.

As a family, if we could go we would. The carbon footprint of travelling would be outweighed by having a critical mass to show, without doubt, that we the public, want the government to listen to the science and take appropriate action.

Anger with XR, pointing out the carbon footprint of people travelling to London, asking people to give personal
opinions about what change they want, is just noise. If you don’t care, don’t want to go, just say. Or better still, just don’t say anything and just stay away. This isn’t a debate on climate change, it’s a discussion about whether it will be family friendly or if it will be too full on.

OP, if you do go, have a great day. I wish we were able to go. I’d definitely take DC and lots of my London based friends will be there with their children.

@EmmaEmerald do you really think the world’s leading scientists haven’t thought of those things? What makes you more qualified than the vast vast majority of scientists who agree with the ipcc report?

Perhaps an example of the Dunning Kruger effect…or are you a conspiracy theorist (maybe it’s both)?

There's no need to be antagonistic.

it's because I'm not an expert that I'm curious why some things are mentioned and others aren't. Or some things are prioritised and others aren't. I attended an event where Tim Flannery was speaking and he got really annoyed about a question on overpopulation.

I said on another thread about a nice calm chat I had with a pro Trump person, it's sadly rare to be able to ask questions as people assume you're out to get them. I'm anti Trump, she's pro, we had a nice balanced chat and I think we both learned something.

Anyway, as I say, I hope it goes well.

Marching in London pissing the public off is a joke.

@Sockloon I live about 15 minutes' walk from Parliament Square so I must be the public of which you speak. The march won't be pissing me off, so don't worry on my account. I never have a burning need to be there on Saturdays.

Or are the public you're worrying will be pissed off the people who don't live here but have come up for the day to sightsee? Now that is a joke.

I don't know where you live but how will it disrupt your plans? Or will you be busy picking up litter near your home?

I could easily walk from my home but won't bother attending. I expect the rest of them will take the excellent public transport round here. It's not bothering me, so I don't understand why it bothers anyone else.

Sure you do. Along with every other hobby activist with a bamboo toothbrush.

Threads like these really give credence to the idea that woke is the same as virtue signalling. Thousands of ‘progressives’ going for a day out pretending that they care about a cause. In a country that is accounts for less than 1% of global emissions. Pathetic.

To your original point. I took DS to one (or similar) a few years ago and it was a great atmosphere, peaceful protest & mostly families and he still remembers it.

it was really busy though so if you do end up going then take lots of supplies and water and plan your route well. Lots of people congregated at the end point rather than do the whole walk with young children.

FYi yes I will be picking litter up as you suggest as in my spare time I volunteer for a local wildlife site and the rest of time I work in the environment sector actually doing scientific work and actually saving biodiversity not doing pathetic marches and virtue signalling. So yes I have every right to look at XR and it's followers with complete and utter distain.