Extinction Rebellion founder jailed for five years!

Great news.

Maybe they should stage their protests on the drilling oil rigs out at sea, not on public road, causing mayhem to ordinary people who are doing their best in this world.

IMO, they shouldn’t be jailed, as it makes them martyrs - they should be heavily fined, given ASBOs, made to do voluntary work, etc. most of they are very well heeled.
It is dreadful what they do, and don’t tell me that they never, ever use any petroleum and its products directly or indirectly!

Awhile back I missed an appointment because of taxi drivers blocking a bridge protesting about something I don’t remember any of them being hauled off and arrested. People obviously think blocking traffic is the worst crime imaginable. There was a huge demo in London a couple of weeks ago demanding greater protection for the environment. Very peaceful march. It had zero publicity meanwhile, a couple of people threw orange cornflour at Stonehenge and it was all over the papers. Maybe the media are as much to blame for fuelling such protests?

The term "peaceful protest" is oft used by these Trust Fund Luvvies to justify their truly quite destructively disruptive actions.
They naively (or they feign naivety) reckon that as long as they don't actually punch someone in the face then it's "a peaceful protest" and they claim the moral high ground. Arrogantly.
No matter that ordinary folks just trying to get by day-to-day (and no indulgent Mummy & Daddy to lend them the car/feed them without charge/pay for the nice suburban roof over their head) are having major grief visited on their lives by these Holier-Than-Thou idiots, as long as they get their daily dose of publicity then that's OK.
Because that's what it is truly all about - the environment issue is a mere vehicle for their narcissistic ego's. It could be anything, but the environment just happens to be a handy soapbox.
They may as well chain themselves to the gates of Buckingham Palace shouting "Look at me everybody: I'm the second coming of Christ and I know it all!"

Then they can go home and ask Dad if they can borrow the Bentley because they've got tickets for Glyndebourne......

Grammaretto you ask What makes you think we are doing well in the UK?

I think people think this because we were very heavy polluters and therefore had a number of quick easy wins.
It won't be so easy to keep it up.

V3ra

^How come they don't bring parts of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham or their own towns to a standstill for days on end?^

We have a major oil terminal near us in the Midlands.
The protesters have at times protested in a variety of ways, and caused a lot of inconvenience and damage 🤨

Sorry to hear that V3ra. Was it for 4 or 5 days consecutively? I think that was the major problem with the QE bridge. It wasn't a few hours or even one day, but day after day after day. No thought at all to the financial and other impact on ordinary people. Given that so many of the most prominent "arrestees" are from middle class or upper class families, there seems to be a lack of understanding of the impact this has on 'ordinary' people.

Grammaretto
Do you think stopping a cancer patient from reaching the hospital for cancer treatment is acceptable?

I don’t, but what about you?

How come they don't bring parts of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham or their own towns to a standstill for days on end?

We have a major oil terminal near us in the Midlands.
The protesters have at times protested in a variety of ways, and caused a lot of inconvenience and damage 🤨

Some horrible, uncalled-for comments about people with Aspergers syndrome on this thread. Sickening!

Grammaretto

I am too old to physically protest now Oreo but I have done plenty in my time.
I pay money toward their fines.

Were you kept from a funeral GG?

Did you knowingly stop anyone from following their mother in an ambulance to the hospital? Would you have been prepared to do that? Do you think these protestors were justified in making that decision?

Chris Packham cares a great deal about this planet. And believes it needs urgent action now. Which it does.
He doesn't deserve insults.
Personally I'm not keen on the behaviour of JSO, but don't think prison is a suitable punishment at the very time when prisons are overcrowded. A better punishment would be strict community service, cleaning up beaches, roads etc. Making our cities and coasts cleaner at least.
That's appropriate surely.

Grammaretto

I am too old to physically protest now Oreo but I have done plenty in my time.
I pay money toward their fines.

Were you kept from a funeral GG?

No

Although our deliveries to schools, hospitals and council offices were delayed and/or cancelled

You pay money for them?
Each to their own, but I prefer to pay money to the Salvation Army and Barnados and NSPCC.
Ext Reb are hotheads who love humanity but disregard mere people.

I am too old to physically protest now Oreo but I have done plenty in my time.
I pay money toward their fines.

Were you kept from a funeral GG?

For the ones who seem to admire Extinction Rebellion as they don’t believe in punishment for them may I ask if you would do the things they do? If not, why not?

Grammaretto

GrannygGravy I don't think they should be punished at all.

May I ask, were you in any way affected by the day after day disruption to life? Did you miss the funeral of a family member, miss an important necessary flight, or miss your cancer appointment?
Too often these protests are applauded by people whose lives are not in any way affected by the disruption. Many Londoners and the surrounding areas are fed up being the ones who take the brunt every time. How come they don't bring parts of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham or their own towns to a standstill for days on end?
Does anyone honestly think the protests have done one iota to mitigate climate change? I think they just adversely affect ordinary people trying to live their lives who are in no position to accede to the demands of the protestors.

Grammaretto

It makes me truly sad that so many of you grans are so at odds with my views.

Why send them to jail when our jails are overflowing?

They haven't attacked anyone. It's non violent.

I am totally in agreement with Chris Packham

Don’t you think cancer patients have a right to reach the hospital to get their cancer treatment then?

Urmstongran

Let's all cancel Chris Packham while we're at it. He's a graduate Zoologist, not a Climate Scientist, yet pontificates on matters of which he knows little. A presumptuous little twerp, holier than thou, and a lot richer to boot.

👏👏👏👍

Urms I so agree with you about Chris Packham.

“A presumptuous little twerp”
It sums him up brilliantly doesn’t it!!

I was so pleased to hear about the lengthy prison sentences for those eco hooligans.
I understand though that about 25 of them were involved in the closing of the M25. What a pity they weren’t all incarcerated for years.

Primrose53

GrannyGravy13

Primrose53 it is a common mistake/opinion to think all people on the spectrum are of the same mind.

Black or White to use your example is actually diminishing an entire cohort of society.

I realise that and understand.
I know countless people on the autistic spectrum through my own child and through attending meetings, conferences etc. they are all very different but many share traits.

I don’t understand your second sentence though.

I think it might be wise to get back to discussing the protesters. 😉

Getting back to the point of the protesters…

I live 10 minutes drive away from the M25, our business is approximately 20 minutes away (traffic depending)

I totally get the protesters perspective, unfortunately they do not get the mood of the general public who are doing their darnest to mitigate their carbon footprint.

GrannyGravy13

Primrose53 it is a common mistake/opinion to think all people on the spectrum are of the same mind.

Black or White to use your example is actually diminishing an entire cohort of society.

I realise that and understand.
I know countless people on the autistic spectrum through my own child and through attending meetings, conferences etc. they are all very different but many share traits.

I don’t understand your second sentence though.

I think it might be wise to get back to discussing the protesters. 😉

GrannyGravy13

*What the hell has disregarding the law, disrupting and disrespecting people’s livelihoods got to do with being neurdiverse!^

Nothing, but that won’t stop it being used as an excuse.

Unfortunately Oreo. Global warming is largely ignored.
I wish you were right and the message is getting through, but it isn't.
What makes you think we are doing well in the UK?

I agree with Chris Packham.

The world is burning. Climate chaos is being accelerated by the processing and use of fossil fuels. The emerging generations have a right to be angry. How else can they make themselves heard?