Extinction Rebellion Protests

[mongers]

These protests/disruptions have been going on all week in London, what do you think of their effectiveness and justification?

Lots of coverage on the BBC news website recently.

Now 'the police' (home secretary/Tory leadership candidate) seem to have had enough of it:

Extinction Rebellion: Police move in on London protesters
19 April 2019 

Hundreds of police officers have closed in on Extinction Rebellion protesters in central London as demonstrations entered a fifth day.

Officers surrounded a pink boat in Oxford Circus as actress Dame Emma Thompson told activists her generation had "failed young people".

More than 570 people have been arrested at protests this week in Oxford Circus, Parliament Square and Waterloo Bridge

Dame Emma joined the protests after flying from Los Angeles on Thursday.

She said: "We are here in this little island of sanity and it makes me so happy to be able to join you all and to add my voice to the young people here who have inspired a whole new movement."
.....

full item here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-47987891

I'm of the opinion that the worthy people taking part are in some respects dupes, because their campaign seems designed to alienate as many commuters and ordinary workers as possible. 

Almost as if some one set up the protest organisation to help discredit environmentalism. 

[Tamas]

Yeah, this is already well on its way to "occupy wall street" level nonsense pressure-release.

Similar to that, the very core of the grievenaces have a lot of validity but the protesters put great (unintended) effort to discredit those.

[jimmy olsen]

The issue they're protesting over is completely valid.

How else are protests supposed to work other than be as large as possible and cause as much disruption as possible? That does not mean they should be committing violence, but it also doesn't mean they should stand in a corner singing kumbaya and not bothering anyone either.

MLK did not just give a speech before the Lincoln memorial, he lead marches across bridges and down streets that blocked traffic. He got involved in Strikes. He and other civil rights leaders challenged the powers that be and were often arrested or worse. And without those actions they would not have succeeded.

[Monoriu]

I hope the UK won't give in.

[Tamas]

The issue they're protesting over is completely valid.

How else are protests supposed to work other than be as large as possible and cause as much disruption as possible? That does not mean they should be committing violence, but it also doesn't mean they should stand in a corner singing kumbaya and not bothering anyone either.

MLK did not just give a speech before the Lincoln memorial, he lead marches across bridges and down streets that blocked traffic. He got involved in Strikes. He and other civil rights leaders challenged the powers that be and were often arrested or worse. And without those actions they would not have succeeded.

Yes but having realistic goals helps. Making a 60 millions large country "carbon neutral" in 6 years is not a realistic goal. Even with ignoring the fact that the UK going carbon neutral (whatever that means) would do precisely nothing for the climate where literally billions of people are going through developments leading to increased consumption.

[Tamas]

Also, Emma Tomphson flying over from LA to participate, speaking from a pink-painted boat equipped with electric speaker equipment is just kind of typcial.

You demand an absolutely dramatic throw-away of most conveniences of modern life, but even while issuing these demands you refuse to do so yourself.

[mongers]

The issue they're protesting over is completely valid.

How else are protests supposed to work other than be as large as possible and cause as much disruption as possible? That does not mean they should be committing violence, but it also doesn't mean they should stand in a corner singing kumbaya and not bothering anyone either.

MLK did not just give a speech before the Lincoln memorial, he lead marches across bridges and down streets that blocked traffic. He got involved in Strikes. He and other civil rights leaders challenged the powers that be and were often arrested or worse. And without those actions they would not have succeeded.

Because they're uncomparable issues, MLK fight was for rights denied to them by the 'state', whereas climate change is a direct consequence of the cumulative actions of all of us, so one thing is certain, their protest will result in more congestion and so more pollution.

I'd argue they'd be better off quietly engaging with people around them to work on way to reduce their own carbon footprints and lobbying their councillor/MPs to change government policy.

Tim in one way your post almost hit the nail on the head. 

[mongers]

Also, Emma Tomphson flying over from LA to participate, speaking from a pink-painted boat equipped with electric speaker equipment is just kind of typcial.

You demand an absolutely dramatic throw-away of most conveniences of modern life, but even while issuing these demands you refuse to do so yourself.

Yes I didn't emboldened it, but it is deliciously ironic that someone should fly thousands of miles to protest about atmospheric pollution.

In the process probably creating more C02 pollution than someone like me does in a whole year. 

[Valmy]

They should raise money for more electric cars and battery research.

[derspiess]

And, well, you know...


green jobs

[The Brain]

I have to agree with mongers that this issue isn't very comparable to the issues MLK confronted.

The idea that protests have to use illegal means is I think A) retarded and B) dangerous to democracy. There are plenty of legal ways to protest in a modern Western country. It strikes me as unhealthy to undermine the rule of law (which in a democracy includes democracy) over any and all political issues that you happen to care about.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I think the protests are infantile and counter-productive.

I've been going greener lately; sworn off airflights, cutting down on meat and dairy products etc. The problem is enormous and I think we all should make an effort; but fatuous grandstanding by a load of privileged middle-class wankers is no help at all.

[Admiral Yi]

In functioning democracies protests are essentially exercises in self-gratification.

[mongers]

I think the protests are infantile and counter-productive.

I've been going greener lately; sworn off airflights, cutting down on meat and dairy products etc. The problem is enormous and I think we all should make an effort; but fatuous grandstanding by a load of privileged middle-class wankers is no help at all.

Excellent, Tricky.

And your 2nd point is spot on.

[Oexmelin]

In functioning democracies protests are essentially exercises in self-gratification.

Functioning democracies requires citizen to be gratified.