Just Stop Oil

[platinumsage]

Lots of people make tactical decisions that I think are indefensibly shit all the time. I'm not even particularly sold on the merits of this specific action, I think it's a very effective way of achieving one specific goal (media attention) but I'm not sure that pursuing that goal is the most useful thing to be doing. But that's not the point, the point I'm interested in is that there are people who seem to be incapable of imagining a sincere, meaningful disagreement, so anyone using tactics they think are shit must be part of a conspiracy. You seem to think that's a reasonable and defensible position, would you like to expand some more on it?

Because their tactics are so bizarre they invite conspiracy theory, because the only other reasonable explanation is that they’re idiots. There can’t be sincere meaningful disagreement if your colleagues, instead of joining you on a strike for more pay, go around shitting in primary school classrooms to get media attention.

Prior to the TikTok whatevers, people on this very thread were suggesting that only those working for oil interests could conceive of such ridiculous protest tactics.

 

[8ball]

There can’t be sincere meaningful disagreement if your colleagues, instead of joining you on a strike for more pay, go around shitting in primary school classrooms to get media attention.

This post hasn’t really cleared things up as well as I was initially expecting.

 

[NoXion]

He's got a point though. Splashing soup on a famous painting (but not really, so you can't be mad nyer nyer) is a pretty fucking bizarre way of "bringing attention" to a subject that's constantly in the news, especially nowadays when you don't need a meteorology degree to see how fucked-up the climate is becoming.

My working assumption is the people who did this thing are sincere idiots. I wouldn't rule out conspiracy, but it wasn't my go-to explanation.

 

[Humberto]

To me they looked like kids. And in terms of getting attention it worked. Plus it's kind of a memorable thing. And didn't damage the painting anyway. Fair enough really, I think.

 

[Dystopiary]

I think there's been about a page and half now without any posts about animal rights protestors throwing endangered almond milk at innocent supermarket floors.

 

[8ball]

To me they looked like kids.

Not to diss them in any way because of it, but fucking hell, they looked like their skull fissures hadn’t closed and they were yet to form kneecaps.

 

[NoXion]

To me they looked like kids. And in terms of getting attention it worked. Plus it's kind of a memorable thing. And didn't damage the painting anyway. Fair enough really, I think.

If I drop my pants and shit in a public street, that would get attention too. Still wouldn't do a damn thing about climate change, even if I did claim that was why I was doing it.

 

[alex_]

I seem to have inadvertently read the daily mail comments section.

 

[NoXion]

I seem to have inadvertently read the daily mail comments section.

If you think the criticism here is akin to the Daily Mail comments section, then you clearly operate in some kind of hermetically sealed media bubble. Or you haven't seen Daily Mail comments in ages. I don't see anyone here calling for the cops to come in and smash their heads, for example. That kind of comment is pretty standard at right wing sites.

Just because someone is "doing something" about a genuinely important issue, doesn't mean that their actions are beyond reproach.

 

[Pickman's model]

To me they looked like kids. And in terms of getting attention it worked. Plus it's kind of a memorable thing. And didn't damage the painting anyway. Fair enough really, I think.

but would you eat your dinner off that painting?

 

[Humberto]

If I drop my pants and shit in a public street, that would get attention too. Still wouldn't do a damn thing about climate change, even if I did claim that was why I was doing it.

It's a small act, but hopefully will spur others on, particularly the young. And shows that with a bit of gumption and inventiveness they can keep climate protest in the news.

 

[bellaozzydog]

If I drop my pants and shit in a public street, that would get attention too. Still wouldn't do a damn thing about climate change, even if I did claim that was why I was doing it.

It might give you a platform to explain why you did it, no?

 

[Gullyteen]

I think fair play tbh. Aston Martin showroom was a better target but the soup made the news (and did make sense, in a convoluted way - big oil funds the gallery) where their actions against oil infrastructure haven't so I can kind of see why they'd go for a something wacky to get their name about. I wouldn't have gone back and seen the actions at oil depots etc if they hadn't got themselves in the papers for doing something daft

 

[8ball]

I’m not sure why Aston Martin was a good target either.

 

[chilango]

Peter Schmeichal wasn't a striker, but when it was into "Fergie Time" you chucked him up front for corners.

I think we're kinda into Fergie Time as far as climate change goes.

 

[platinumsage]

Peter Schmeichal wasn't a striker, but when it was into "Fergie Time" you chucked him up front for corners.

I think we're kinda into Fergie Time as far as climate change goes.

If someone genuinely believes it’s Fergie Time wtf are they doing with tomato soup? Surely they should be working through their list of assassinations or something, if everyone is going to be extinct in short order.

 

[chilango]

If someone genuinely believes it’s Fergie Time wtf are they doing with tomato soup? Surely they should be working through their list of assassinations or something, if everyone is going to be extinct in short order.

I don't disagree, but not everyone has assassination of highly protected figures in their arsenal of "things I can actually do next week". Sadly.

 

[LDC]

It might give you a platform to explain why you did it, no?

It might. But it might also understandably distract from why you did it as people discuss why you felt the need to drop your pants and have a shit as that seems rather than bonkers why to draw attention to something like climate change.

The thing is there's no shortage of discussion about climate change, that's not the problem at all.

 

[Pickman's model]

I’m not sure why Aston Martin was a good target either.

Never mind

 

[platinumsage]

I don't disagree, but not everyone has assassination of highly protected figures in their arsenal of "things I can actually do next week". Sadly.

Surely at least some people would if they genuinely believed we were two years away from an irreversible path to total extinction. I guess no one actually believes that, so tomato soup it is.

 

[chilango]

Surely at least some people would if they genuinely believed we were two years away from an irreversible path to total extinction. I guess no one actually believes that, so tomato soup it is.

Feeling it's justified and actually being able to do it are two different things.

(for the record I don't believe we're "two years away from an irreversible path to total extinction". Nope, I believe we're already several years into a process of catastrophic climate change that will kill 100s of millions and lead to widespread social collapse. Not extinction though. Nor do I think we've still got two years. You play till the whistle though)

 

[8ball]

Never mind

Guess they pick up more oil drilling contracts than you do with the thinking contracts.

 

[Pickman's model]

Guess they pick up more oil drilling contracts than you do with the thinking contracts.

Yeh with three jobs already I don't go looking for more contracts, not enough hours in the day

 

[8ball]

Yeh with three jobs already I don't go looking for more contracts, not enough hours in the day

Oh yeah, Liz Truss’s people called.

Something something refund…

 

[redsquirrel]

I have criticisms of JSO or ER, with respect to their ideology, strategy and tactics.

But hey considering some of crap on this, and the ER, thread - I'm inclined to say good on them.

EDIT: and the bridge action was well done

 

[Pickman's model]

Oh yeah, Liz Truss’s people called.

Something something refund…

Somehow I'm not surprised they had your number

 

[AverageJoe]

Surely at least some people would if they genuinely believed we were two years away from an irreversible path to total extinction. I guess no one actually believes that, so tomato soup it is.

I agree with this.

But at the same time I can't actually look forward to what's happening in two years, ten years, twenty years whatever.

I've got to feed my kids today. And tomorrow. And the day after. And get them to school. And make them better versions of me. Pay my gas and leccy bill. Keep a roof over our heads and their bellies full. And not let them succumb to all the insidious side effects of being teenagers with access to the the Internet.



So as much as I want to agree with them, too much actual life is happening in between.

 

[8ball]

Surely at least some people would if they genuinely believed we were two years away from an irreversible path to total extinction. I guess no one actually believes that, so tomato soup it is.

Sorry, what’s happening in two years? Wasn’t it ten years last year?

 

[bellaozzydog]

Keep breaking stuff

 

[killer b]

Interesting interview with the Van Gogh Soup protestors in Frieze - they remain impressively on-message throughout.

An Interview With Just Stop Oil

Activists Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland – who recently threw a can of tomato soup at a Vincent Van Gogh painting in the National Gallery, London – speak about their fight for the future

www.frieze.com