M25 protesters chaos

Air ambulance do a magnificent job but whilst most hospitals have helipads for them to land on, it’s not so simple to land and pick a sick person up. In the country it is much easier. In town and on blocked motorways not quite so easy. If you are seriously ill every second counts.

If a protest makes the news, brings an issue to the forefront and shows what a mess this government is making of things it has done it's job.
People are quite often airlifted to hospital round here. It's why hospitals have helipads.

Their protest is valid and necessary.

I don’t think many of us disagree with that trisher, but blocking a motorway is not the way to do it. Apart from individual inconvenience, there could have been a blue light ambulance in the traffic jam and someone’s life could have been at risk. On one of the days a woman had to be lifted by helicopter to be taken to hospital. It’s a fundamental right in our society to protest, but protests should be conducted in a safe way. These were not safe for a number of reasons.

vegansrock do you really think the Chinese government will take any notice of UK government "lobbying" or "sanctions".

The amount of whataboutery on this thread is unbelievable.
I'm just waiting for someone to claim "A big boy did it and ran away"
This government has an appalling record on Green matters and withdrew the green grant that many would have used to insulate their homes theenergyst.com/government-abandoned-green-homes-grant-scheme-say-mps/

If all homes were properly insulated it would save millions in fuel costs. We have the worst insulation in Europe

Their protest is valid and necessary

? maddyone

No Aleg, I don’t. Perhaps I shouldn’t believe what I read on Gransnet as it said upthread that orders were probably from up high, so I’ll amend my words and say, officers were probably given orders to go softly, softly on the protesters. If they weren’t, I have no idea why the protesters weren’t removed swiftly, rather than allowing them to block the motorway for hours.
I should have known better than to make an unsubstantiated statement to a scientist

Alergrais no need to hit them pick the up and Chuck them in the back of a police van job done

Had they hit the protestors over the head with batons it would have led to cries of police brutality.

You bet it would. Because that's what it would have been.

Maybe they should have ridden in on horses with their swords out. You know, like Peterloo?

Somebody mentioned the new police bill. What happened to it? Did it get passed? Do the police now have more power?

Sitting on the motorway is highly dangerous and a handful of people have disrupted hundreds going about their lawful business, and to some the police have been too helpful. Had they hit the protestors over the head with batons it would have led to cries of police brutality.

The orders to go softly, softly must have come from up high in the police force.

Do you have evidence of them being told to go softly softly, please maddyone?

I would have been furious with the protesters if I had been on the M25 this week.

So would I, and I would have expected the police to remove them pretty swiftly. The orders to go softly, softly must have come from up high in the police force. I have no idea why police management would choose to make that decision, but I imagine the police officers on duty would have loved to remove them rapidly just as much as the motorists wanted them moved rapidly.

Protesting outside Chinese embassy would have zero impact , Chinese government wouldn’t be inconvenienced in any way, so that is a ridiculous suggestion. Our government needs to do the lobbying/ sanctioning/ lead the way so it’s our government that needs influencing. Maybe stop Chinese buying properties/ our private utility companies would hit them harder and that’s got to be our government led plus we must lead by example which we are definitely not doing.

I went on many protests in my youth and the one thing we all agreed on was that we needed the support of the general public. These actions do the opposite.

Just because people disagree with the actions does not mean they don't care about climate change - most of us are doing what we can, but as someone has said it is the largest polluting countries which need to change and I don't think China will listen to lobbying from UK. The answer is to not buy anything made in China - it is difficult but possible.

They don't want supporters. They want the government to do something about it.

I don't agree with their tactics in any way but I don't assume I know how to meet their objectives better than they do.

Alegrias1

Why are they misguided Sarnia?

Because they don't live off grid and knit their own yogurt?

Because they go about their cause in the wrong way. They won't win supporters by blocking motorways and the disruption that causes for so many. Go and glue themselves to the steps of the Chinese Embassy if they want to put their point across.

Alegrias1

So what is it exactly that you're all so indignant about?

Protesters on the M25?
The police force acting the way they did?
The protestors not acting the way you want them to?
Nobody caring that we're living up to our climate change responsibilities? (Irony alert)
Those Chinese, who are really the ones to blame?

A smorgasbord of things to choose to be superior about, for those so inclined.

Where is all the stuff we buy produced? Oh, in China. In my book we are just as culpable as any other nation in failure to reduce emissions.

Consume less, repurpose more, repair rather than buy new. Trouble is for many items they are built to fail and either cost a fortune to repair.

As for insulation, many homes owned by all landlords are not properly insulated and many people cannot afford to insulate their homes. As for government grants, they ‘may be free’ for people on low incomes or benefits. The cost of internal insulation is about £8,200 currently. www.energygrants.org.uk/

No mention of double glazing and the scheme ends in 2022.

IMO, landlords should be responsible for their housing stock.

Seems to me that there are many ‘superior people’ who fail to understand the enormity of the situation facing the human race.

Vegansrock, thanks for your list of suggestions.
Perhaps a protest outside the HoP or Downing Street stopping ministers going about their business would be more effective than the M25. It would certainly get worldwide publicity . . . or would the police actually be told to move them away?

I would have been furious with the protesters if I had been on the M25 this week

But I wouldn't be reverting to stereotype and blaming the police for being soft, and advocating the use of watercannons, while telling the protesters that they should be picketing the Chinese embassy.

Annoyed that protesters think it's absolutely fine to block a road where people are trying to go about their daily business They are assuming their protest is more important
The police for not removing them immediately and pandering to them

So what is it exactly that you're all so indignant about?

Protesters on the M25?
The police force acting the way they did?
The protestors not acting the way you want them to?
Nobody caring that we're living up to our climate change responsibilities? (Irony alert)
Those Chinese, who are really the ones to blame?

A smorgasbord of things to choose to be superior about, for those so inclined.

Silly talk about water cannons ?
Nothing silly about a rapid solution to annoying nuisances.
I would include indelible dye in the cannons.

UK is responsible for 1% of the emissions - China 25%. The majority of houses in UK are insulated and there are grants available for those which aren't. Does anyone think China and other polluters will actually take notice of UK "lobbying"?

We expect the police to quickly move protesters blocking major roads/ motorways/ slip roads.As others say it’s orders from the top to treat with kid gloves.
Silly talk about the birch/batons and watercannons etc isn’t necessary or helpful, all it needs are police vans and enough police to bundle the protesters into them ( which there were....but they wasted time, hours, in talking pleasantly to
them.) I expected bottled water and packed lunches to be handed out to them any minute.Of course the police should arrive, and ask them to move on before arresting them, but when it doesn’t work ( and why would it? They want to be arrested) then they should act swiftly.
The protests should take place near Parliament not on the motorways or on any roads.

Alergrais if I park my car on a lane of the M25 it will be towed away
It is an offence to block the highway the police should remove then immediately
The member of the public can be arrested for trying to remove them I suspect he has a lot more support than the protesters