Extinction Rebellion

[A380]

Right.

XR isn't really my cup of tea, it's different to anything I have been involved with before. I like my protests with a few cans of lager and the chance to have a punch up with the police, XR doesn't offer that. However the few times I have run in to XR stuff I have been shocked at how well received it is, by people who are not anarcho-crusties, not sleeping in hempy-bivouacs. They are just normal people, a bit of bias to white-middle class, but run-ins I have had with them have been in my area, which is a white-middle class area, so it will always be leaning that way.

Genteel Guildford on a Friday afternoon a couple of weeks ago managed this:

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With a high street shop:
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Over to Godalming:

The Town Council provided this space:
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At the town's summer festival, Staycation Live, XR were given half of the second stage area and they were mobbed on both days:

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This is a small town in an area whose inhabitants will be some of the last to feel the worst effects of climate change. This kind of shit is going on all over the country. As people get the message that something must be done, where else is there other than XR for them to turn to?

I’m not sure you can build a mass revolutionary movement based on a liking for violence. For every one punchy football risk, copper who loves the red mist and putting a bit of stick about, black block member with an unhealthy interest in Roman shield tactics, squady who wants to be off the leash or even urban poster who likes a few cans and a ruck with with the old bill there are 50 people who , when it’s real not practice think, ‘there is a real danger of me getting properly hurt or having to properly hurt someone else here, and a chance I might actually die’. Which isn’t to say any of those 50s won’t fight if they have too ( and will probably do a better job than the few that enjoy it) but you can’t build a movement on the promise of a decent pagga. Despite Hollywood or the old RWP it’s quite hard to get people to kill other people.

For proper revolutions you almost always need people to fight and die. But that means people get maimed and killed. And I’m yet to be convinced that those western countries that had revolutions are significantly better places than those that didn’t have bodies in the streets.

But that’s just me.

 

[Marty1]

I see Boris Johnson doesn’t take XR seriously, at a book launch event yesterday he referred to XR protestors as ‘uncooperative crusties’ who should abandon their ‘hemp smelling bivouacs’ and stop blocking the road.

 

[Libertad]

I see Boris Johnson doesn’t take XR seriously, at a book launch event yesterday he referred to XR protestors as ‘uncooperative crusties’ who should abandon their ‘hemp smelling bivouacs’ and stop blocking the road.

Do try and keep up with the thread.

 

[Gramsci]

very interesting article about xr here http://www.wrongkindofgreen.org/category/organizations/world-resources-institute/ in particular dealing with their relationship with left activists.

I've watched Hallam on YouTube.

I find something deeply unpleasant about Hallam.

As much as he criticises , what he sees as the hard left, he himself isn't imo that tolerant of a diversity of opinion. I find his view on replacing government with "Peoples Assemblies" deeply undemocratic. And the use of the words Peoples Assemblies disingenuous.

I'm also concerned at the way XR people I chat to at different times use the same phrases.

Love the police , the police have a job to do etc etc. Stock phrases they have been instructed in. Or not questioning a rigid view of non violence.

Or that the climate emergency is beyond the left right divide. ( That I think is not working in the average XR person given my chat today at Marshan Street).

XR is quite top down in some ways. XR is quite well organised with new recruits getting the whole spiel from one of the more experienced activists who have taken aboard Hallam views as in the lecture he gives in the article.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I've watched Hallam on YouTube.

I find something deeply unpleasant about Hallam.

As much as he criticises , what he sees as the hard left, he himself isn't imo that tolerant of a diversity of opinion. I find his view on replacing government with "Peoples Assemblies" deeply undemocratic. And the use of the words Peoples Assemblies disingenuous.

I'm also concerned at the way XR people I chat to at different times use the same phrases.

Love the police , the police have a job to do etc etc. Stock phrases they have been instructed in. Or not questioning a rigid view of non violence.

Or that the climate emergency is beyond the left right divide. ( That I think is not working in the average XR person given my chat today at Marshan Street).

XR is quite top down in some ways. XR is quite well organised with new recruits getting the whole spiel from one of the more experienced activists who have taken aboard Hallam views as in the lecture he gives in the article.

This time there has been directives to refrain from talking to police, saying "we love you police " and from sharing in WhatsApp and Facebook. Also attempts to explain why that shouldn't happen. Perhaps the preemptive arrests at the weekend focused peoples thinking?

 

[Gramsci]

This time there has been directives to refrain from talking to police, saying "we love you police " and from sharing in WhatsApp and Facebook. Also attempts to explain why that shouldn't happen. Perhaps the preemptive arrests at the weekend focused peoples thinking?

When I was chatting to the guy from Gloucester and told him I saw police get stuck into protestors on Westminster Bridge he looked genuinely shocked.

XR gave the police a chance first time around.

Police saw this as a weakness and used it to stop occupation of Westminster bridge. From their last experience of XR protestors they realised they wouldn't retaliate if they got heavy handed with them from the start. This worked.

So fair play to XR for giving police a chance to see climate change is an important issue first time around.

They aren't interested.

Its what Cressida Dick promised. More "assertive" policing.

I do think non violence is a good strategy most of the time. But XR are up against people like Cressida Dick. Who isn't so interested in non violence.

I really loathe Cressida Dick.

 

[smokedout]

Th

When I was chatting to the guy from Gloucester and told him I saw police get stuck into protestors on Westminster Bridge he looked genuinely shocked.

XR gave the police a chance first time around.

Police saw this as a weakness and used it to stop occupation of Westminster bridge. From their last experience of XR protestors they realised they wouldn't retaliate if they got heavy handed with them from the start. This worked.

So fair play to XR for giving police a chance to see climate change is an important issue first time around.

They aren't interested.

Its what Cressida Dick promised. More "assertive" policing.

I do think non violence is a good strategy most of the time. But XR are up against people like Cressida Dick. Who isn't so interested in non violence.

I really loathe Cressida Dick.

The most effective tactic to beat non violence is violence. That doesn't mean the state will always use that on a strategic level, or that it will be the first tactic of choice, but it's always a tool in the box.

 

[albionism]

I think prancing around like this is going to
put a lot of people off joining them. It's embarrassing.

 

[Marty1]

I think prancing around like this is going to
put a lot of people off joining them. It's embarrassing.

Definitely a rave atmosphere in that clip, looks like they’re having a good time [dancing] which is never a bad thing. Far better than chaining yourself to a car.

 

[Marty1]

Regardless of the support of well meaning liberal civil disobedience types I think that if this takes off, this has the potential to become much bigger and more threatening to the powers that be. Anyhow, opening up of more fronts of struggle is usually a positive sign. And it is a very striking symbol they are using, showing a good understanding of the power of symbols - note the number of psychologists in that list:

Extinction Symbol

XR certainly has taken off, but it appears that this is due to being very well funded from a variety of powerful donors.

You think a bunch of Anarchists will bring the government to its knees by smashing up a MacDonalds?

Certainly not before they have ordered their lunch.

 

[albionism]

Definitely a rave atmosphere in that clip, looks like they’re having a good time [dancing] which is never a bad thing. Far better than chaining yourself to a car.

Rave and dancing, RTS style, i can handle, it would even attract more people,
but whatever the fuck that is in the video, I wouldn't want to be near it at a demo.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

It is inspiring and Gramsci ’s photos and reports are excellent.

Too many open goals for us armchair cynics though:

 

[sunnysidedown]

green capitalism v brown capitalism

 

[A380]

Rave and dancing, RTS style, i can handle, it would even attract more people,
but whatever the fuck that is in the video, I wouldn't want to be near it at a demo.

You can’t make the young people of today think your youth culture is still cool...

 

[newbie]

Rave and dancing, RTS style, i can handle, it would even attract more people,
but whatever the fuck that is in the video, I wouldn't want to be near it at a demo.

oh give over, someone has made a labyrinth and some young people are passing the time by playing around. What on earth is the problem with that? There's plenty of scope for more elderly, judgemental people like you to sit/stand and look and talk serious stuff about ozone levels, nanoparticles and glacial melt without telling off the kids for being a bit joyful in the pouring rain.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

You can’t make the young people of today think your youth culture is still cool...

Kids still go out to clubs, so getting a decent DJ on is a safe bet. But if I showed my daughter and her mates that video albionism posted they would cringe their internal organs into dust.

 

[butchersapron]

oh give over, someone has made a labyrinth and some young people are passing the time by playing around. What on earth is the problem with that? There's plenty of scope for more elderly, judgemental people like you to sit/stand and look and talk serious stuff about ozone levels, nanoparticles and glacial melt without telling off the kids for being a bit joyful in the pouring rain.

'The kids' aren't doing anything at all there. 3 or 4 people, at least one well past being a kid, are doing some stuff. I'm not at all sure the actual kids would appreciate being bundled in with that or them.

 

[newbie]

alright
s/kids/participants/
happy now?

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Kids still go out to clubs, so getting a decent DJ on is a safe bet. But if I showed my daughter and her mates that video albionism posted they would cringe their internal organs into dust.

and yet ...they are out there in the rain
If more joined them the action would diversify.

 

[butchersapron]

alright
s/kids/participants/
happy now?

The use of kids is clearly polemical rather than simply descriptive, it situates people in two groups. One young exciting and full of hope, the correct position. And one old beaten and wrong. These positions are then projected onto anything else they say in the debate. That's why it's not useful here.

 

[newbie]

The use of kids is clearly polemical rather than simply descriptive, it situates people in two groups. One young exciting and full of hope, the correct position. And one old beaten and wrong. These positions are then projected onto anything else they say in the debate. That's why it's not useful here.

if you say so.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Meanwhile over at Alton Barnes...

 

[friedaweed]

Meanwhile over at Alton Barnes...

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This time they've taken their horseplay too far

 

[A380]

This time they've taken their horseplay too far

They should be reined in.

The movement should be saddled with this kind of activism.

 

[Idaho]

So fair play to XR for giving police a chance to see climate change is an important issue first time around.

They aren't interested.

Former senior police officers risk arrest as they join Extinction Rebellion protest

 

[Idaho]

They should be reined in.

The movement should be saddled with this kind of activism.

They would doubtless bridle at any criticism.

 

[friedaweed]

They should be reined in.

The movement should be saddled with this kind of activism.

Yup. They aught to be hoofed out of London for this sort of vandalism.

 

[Pickman's model]

Yup. They aught to be hoofed out of London for this sort of vandalism.

not to mention wiltshire

 

[friedaweed]

not to mention wiltshire

I'm not planning on visiting Wilshire in a couple of weeks mate

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I'm not planning on visiting Wilshire in a couple of weeks mate

Well you should, as well as the white horse Alton Barnes is the access point for Wansdyke and the Marden Henge is just round the corner too