Can a person who gets up in the morning and goes and sits in the middle of a busy road with the sole intention of disrupting other peoples lives really call themselves "a victim" . . .
I remember working on "Wimpy" homes back in the 80's (Sparky). The speed with which they went up and the quality of the build, lack of insulation was just one of the issues that have no doubt come home to roost.
Convenient, unobtrusive protests are the way to go
I see the irony in that but look at it from another perspective, there and lots and lots of people out there that passionately believe in something, much of the time no where near as worthy as IB. Their passion and belief in their cause is the same as these protesters, what if they all follow suit and decide their cause is worthy of blocking traffic etc. We have the right to protest, within the scope of the law. IB are now outside of the law, we have laws to protect our democratic process otherwise everything turns into a free for all.
I don't think anyone in here has defended range rover woman's actions but the IB protesters have fallen into the trap of thinking they are above the law and they are not.
Can a person who gets up in the morning and goes and sits in the middle of a busy road with the sole intention of disrupting other peoples lives really call themselves “a victim” .
Since it's a crime to drive into people just because they're in your way, yes.
Have we not already been through this?
Convenient, unobtrusive protests are the way to go
Which is completely pointless and will have no effect
We have the right to protest[s] , within the scope of the law[/s].
FTFY
@tjagain having a sarcasm bypass or too early? 😉
we have laws to protect our democratic process otherwise everything turns into a free for all.
It would be great if that were actually all that laws were used for.
the IB protesters have fallen into the trap of thinking they are above the law and they are not.
they don't think that, they recognise that getting arrested for breaking the law is what will happen and they want that to happen. Although there are lots of people who strongly believe in a cause there aren't that many that want to go that far and they are using that fact to get their voices heard. Normally it is only one or two willing to do that but in this case the cause is that widely felt that the numbers are much larger. Voting is one way of having your voice heard, this is another
Can a person who gets up in the morning and goes and sits in the middle of a busy road with the sole intention of disrupting other peoples lives really call themselves “a victim” . . .
I'm pretty sure they were ready for all sorts of vitriol thrown their way, and while I reckon they thought they get all sorts of threats (including being run over) I don't think any of them thought that someone would actually try it.
The whole protest is utterly pointless. Nothing will change as a result of this protest
emily davidson? do you think history might look at these people in a similar light?
No.
isnt that what they said about her, at the time?
The whole protest is utterly pointless. Nothing will change as a result of this protest
Certainly hasn't gained any media traction, has it.
Sitting in the road to protest is now a busted flush (well more accurately a called bluff), unless the police prosecute the woman driving the Range Rover.
Other people will just copy her actions and it will escalate until someone is badly hurt or killed.
But with limited resources – practically much more likely to be a priority if there is a complainant; if you were one of the dozens cyclists who uploaded videos this week would you be happy if your case was delayed for one where nobody had even complained?
I think most would be happy to see overly aggressive drivers removed from the road. And in publicly visible cases like this, if no action is taken it sends out a message that it's acceptable to use your car as a weapon, and potentially makes the roads more dangerous for everyone.
Comparisons with suffragettes are futile, IMO. The social and political context is utterly different in so many ways.
I don’t think any of them thought that someone would actually try it
If they didn’t think someone would eventually drive into them they are more stupid than they seem, and they already seem pretty damn stupid. Of course it was going to happen eventually, have you never cycled on the roads and seen all the angry clowns who are prepared to run you over to get to their destination in time? I have experienced many acts of dangerous driving that have been far more likely to kill me than what’s on display in the OP I’m afraid
The driver was never going to get charged for that (lol at some people claiming it’s attempted murder). And if she is charged nothing will come of it. The problem, as others have pointed out, is that eventually someone will drive into one of them at a speed that may actually do damage, which won’t end up well for anyone
Other people will just copy her actions and it will escalate until someone is badly hurt or killed.
Welcome to Great England.
We got rid of the foreigners, now we can start hating the lefties, the liberals, the perverts and the weirdos*.
^ this is irony
* don't forget the cyclists
Comparisons with suffragettes are futile, IMO. The social and political context is utterly different in so many ways.
And in so many other ways, very similar. The comparison with the women's suffrage movement is a good one, IMO.
Denied legitimate means of protest, a minority of the women engaged in damage to private and public property - mass window smashing, firing empty buildings or destroying mail in postboxes.
No the suffragette movement was completely different, they had no way to voice their views, the IB protestors do, just because they don't like the outcome of the way the country voted (and neither do i for the record) doesn't mean they didn't have a legitimate voice. That's democracy for you, the least worst way of running a country.
Certainly hasn’t gained any media traction, has it.
Yes but it's not been positive, the government is only interested in the mood music, if the general feeling is they are a entitled bunch of obstructive middle class moaners (which is what many see them as) the government will happily ignore them or worse use them as an excuse to tighten protest laws. It's been said repeatedly they need to get the public and press on side, blocking the M25, however worthy isn't going to achieve that.
So much wrong with that, both historically and as regards current laws around public protest, that I don’t know where to begin. Of course the suffragettes had ways to “voice their views”, that’s exactly the means the suffragists used… what made them suffragettes is that they crossed the line into “unacceptable” behaviour. The WSPU went well beyond what these modern day protestors are doing, who are more like the WFL… peacefully being awkward and disturbing normal life, rather than using violence or causing criminal damage.
And in so many other ways, very similar. The comparison with the women’s suffrage movement is a good one, IMO.
I agree with this as well, at the time it was seen as a movement that was disagreeable, as is IB.
This morning I was listening to "Witness History" on the radio (BBC 4/World Service) about the Greenham Common anti-nuclear protests in the early eighties. I remember at the time I had two very young kids and was struggling to make ends meet on a meagre wage, and I had no time for what I thought were unwashed wasters with no sense of reality (probably influenced by the fact that I read newspapers every day back then). With hindsight I now realise that it was a very worthy cause and the protesters were very brave people. The reason for this is probably that I am no longer struggling and at my age (63) have a great deal of hindsight. I can now see movements and injustices that I maybe should've got behind and supported more, and regret that I didn't as I was too busy holding my family together.
This view probably accounts for the comments people have made about the IB protesters being middle class and old farts. When you get time and space to reflect on the past, and have hopes for future generations (2 grandchildren in my case) you realise that maybe it's not to late to do something!
Right, I'm off to join XR! 😀
Denied legitimate means of protest, a minority of the women engaged in damage to private and public property – mass window smashing, firing empty buildings or destroying mail in postboxes.
They did the same stuff, but it was different group if people doing it, who were viewed differently, so their actions had a different impression on the people in charge who were arguing against what they wanted on different grounds. But otherwise yea the same.
Back then it was new and shocking for women to speak up like that. 100 years later there's nothing shocking about it, in fact most people now regard it as a tedious annoyance after hearing about it for the 100th time.
What do they even want? Do they want government to insulate everyone's house for free? Or just some? Or is it just discounted insulation? What are the specifics? Becaue I think there are already grants available for some people, my sister's got one. So it's far to easy to come back at the protesters by saying that it's being worked on. Obviously not enough but by making the public hate you you're giving them reason to side with the government here.
Back then it was new and shocking for women to speak up like that. 100 years later there’s nothing shocking about it, in fact most people now regard it as a tedious annoyance after hearing about it for the 100th time.
Um, did I hear you right?
I think most would be happy to see overly aggressive drivers removed from the road. And in publicly visible cases like this, if no action is taken it sends out a message that it’s acceptable to use your car as a weapon, and potentially makes the roads more dangerous for everyone.
I agree. I'd also like to see the police, CPS (PF) and courts funded so that the most likely criminal cause of death in this country could be acted on quicker, and especially that intentionally bad drivers who don't kill or injure are treated with the same seriousness as the cases where the driver isn't so lucky. BUT will it make any real difference if she was questioned or charged on Wednesday, next week or even next month? If she pleads not guilty it will probably be 2023 before it goes to trial!
We got rid of the foreigners, now we can start hating the lefties, the liberals, the perverts and the weirdos*.
^ this is irony
* don’t forget the cyclists
Not sure you need the * - are all cyclists not already members of at least one of the other groups?
Um, did I hear you right?
You can read my post as many times as you like, so if you have a point please get to it!
For the avoidance of doubt, I meant that there is nothing shocking about a small group doing this kind of protest these days, as at this point it has been going on for years.
I meant that there is nothing shocking about a small group doing this kind of protest these days
Well it's sustained us for 9 pages
I meant that there is nothing shocking about a small group doing this kind of protest these days
So, are you saying people will just ignore this kind of protest these days? This thread suggests they will at least talk about it. Especially if it provokes a physical reaction (as also happened with the suffragettes). All it needs now is the government to instruct the police to be more "decisive" with their reaction to these pop-up protests, and physically detain protestors quicker and more often, and the escalation will result in even more attention.
What are the specifics?
Well, their first requirement is for a plan to get all social housing insulated as quickly as possible. Only the government can make this happen. No one is saying the government is doing nothing at all... but these protestors say that it should plan, fund and legislate for a far quicker move to better insulated housing stock, especially for homes not owned by the people who live in them (and who therefore can't insulate their homes themselves, and are paying for that deficiency with their ever higher heating bills, as well as having no real choice but be part of the problem when it comes to climate change).
The driver was never going to get charged for that (lol at some people claiming it’s attempted murder). And if she is charged nothing will come of it. The problem, as others have pointed out, is that eventually someone will drive into one of them at a speed that may actually do damage, which won’t end up well for anyone
That alone would be a good reason to throw the book at her.
but the IB protesters have fallen into the trap of thinking they are above the law and they are not.
This doesnt appear to be the case. Indeed a major part of their platform seemed to have been to be arrested which would be embarrassing for the government with the upcoming summit (this part of their plan is clearly flawed since I am not sure what would embarrass the current government but am certain it would need more than this).
Right, I’m off to join XR!
Excellent 🙂
https://twitter.com/newsforalluk/status/1453336245673865219?s=21
https://twitter.com/newsforalluk/status/1453272984546947072?s=21
Replies to those tweets are depressing. Can we do better here? I’m not sure.
Very depressing reading indeed.
They're a lot calmer than I would be about having a stranger squirt some unknown liquid over me, **** that
I'm also assuming they'll be protesting a lot more now it's clear there's no provision in the budget for doing anything about insulation etc.
Picture in the paper today of a driver playing the bagpipes in the face of a (I assume) superglued protester.
Bagpipes wow that's against the Geneva convention
Interesting that Fergal Sharkey and the sewage campaigners have forced bigger concessions out of the government in the space of a few days than several years of XR terrorism activism has.
There is a video in The Guardian (online edition) of a short interview with one of the Insulate Britain members. I don’t have the skills to link it here but worth a look. There’s no hope for this world was my conclusion!
The inker is being called a motorist, but after attacking the protestors he walks off down the pavement, rather than the road back to a car, and why has he a large container of ink with him 😕 is that a normal bit of car kit motorists carry with them ? Tow rope, jerry can, spare wheel, bottle of ink 😕
And who did he attack ?,a 77yr old retired doctor who's spent his life helping people. And the way the inker was taking pleasure with a grin as he was doing it.
I guess you’re referring to https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/well-this-made-me-chuckle-😂-warning-knucklehead-content/
Bagpipes wow that’s against the Geneva convention
Certainly comes under the heading of cruel and unusual punishment! I don’t think they went that far in Gitmo! 🤪
Interesting that Fergal Sharkey and the sewage campaigners have forced bigger concessions out of the government in the space of a few days than several years of XRterrorismactivism has.
Open Water swimming and Stand Up Paddle Boarding is really quite popular these days. Whereas XR are a threat to my ski holiday so **** them.
I agree with the message from the protesters but the way they’re going about it is ridiculous.
+1.
Their actions are futile as they've not got the public behind them - the Government know this and have no interest in engaging with them.
The only thing that'll happen as a result of their actions is restrictions on the sale of superglue.
Pour loads of cold water into their jacket and soak them wet cos ink is expensive and they all have to get off the road to change into something dry. LOL!
You really are a deeply unpleasant person, aren't you?
