[Misc] London commuters appear to attack XR protestor

[blue'n'white]

With all the nutters living in London, I’m surprised there wasn’t a full scale riot and a 15 year boy in a hoodie and Nike trainers pulls a knife out of his bag. Sadly that is what London has become.

Except a 15 year old boy probably wouldn't be up at 7am !

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

They are exaggerating for dramatic purposes in order to spur us into action. They look ridiculous, turn people off and, again, that's not helpful.

Exactly the same could be said about the posturing vegan clowns in Brighton who find it revolutionary to chuck buckets of fake blood around in McDonalds. In London Road of all places. Bloody students.

 

[Brovion]

Would you still support them shutting down airports on an occasion where half our team could be abroad on International Duty and unable to return ?

Yes, obviously. Things have to change, maybe international football is one of them

Because you use trains more than you use planes therefore it may impact your life more than someone who is flying?

No, it's because aviation is one of the biggest single contributors to greenhouse gases, and one where we can all make a difference by flying less. Also airports have private jets (so that Prince Harry can fly to climate change conferences). Stopping those, and trying to inconvenience the rich ***** that own and use them, IMO is a worthy aim.

 

[Gazwag]

At least there may be a modicum of sense to do that given its a diesel train (the only diesel rolling stock in the south I believe - hence why when the huge number of short formations on that line).

We have an hourly two car diesel service running from Eastbourne to Ashford - the Ore to Ashford section isn't electrified

 

[Brovion]

They aren’t protesting at electrified public transport, the aim and justification of their protest is to bring as much attention to their cause as possible and in turn to force debate on the subject in government. Their method of doing that is by causing the maximum amount of disruption possible. They’re not trying to stop the underground because it’s environmentally unfriendly.

Well it's backfiring. People like me are (were) broadly sympathetic to their cause, certainly in targetting the industries/activities that are contributing to the problem. However the 'message' they are getting across by targetting electrified public transport is that yes they really are just a load of middle class wankers who simply want to cause disruption for its own sake. I hope the next time there's an XR protest, especially on the rail network, an alliance of police and commuters beat the crap out of them.

(Ok, I don't really think that, but I am extremely disappointed by this. My rail commuting days are still a raw memory.).

 

[Dave the OAP]

Isn't increased use of public transport exactly the sort of lifestyle change being called for?

Seems like a bit of an own goal to me.

There was a person on Westminster bridge who was interviewed who actually said the opposite. She said that society needs to change so people can get out of their cars and public transport and to cycle and walk more. When asked about people who have to commute to go to work, she said that we should close all the banks and financial sector in London and the major cities and returned to a time before the industrial revolution where people lived and worked on the land.

Thing was she was deadly serious and the people around here were all nodding in agreement.

I know climate change is something that is very toxic, but whilst you have Poland refusing point blank to stop mining coal and the president of the United States suggesting it is a communist plot against America to appease his oil chums, then the situation will never change.

One guy on twitter this morning was abusing people who were saying they recycled what they could and were doing their bit...he was suggesting this is far more explosive than “ pissing about with plastic bottles”

 

[beorhthelm]

And those individuals are right to think that, but that’s not the aim of the group and it damages the environmental movement for them to be painted in this way

better let them know...

There was a person on Westminster bridge who was interviewed who actually said the opposite. She said that society needs to change so people can get out of their cars and public transport and to cycle and walk more. When asked about people who have to commute to go to work, she said that we should close all the banks and financial sector in London and the major cities and returned to a time before the industrial revolution where people lived and worked on the land.

Thing was she was deadly serious and the people around here were all nodding in agreement.

 

[Bold Seagull]

There was a person on Westminster bridge who was interviewed who actually said the opposite. She said that society needs to change so people can get out of their cars and public transport and to cycle and walk more. When asked about people who have to commute to go to work, she said that we should close all the banks and financial sector in London and the major cities and returned to a time before the industrial revolution where people lived and worked on the land.

Thing was she was deadly serious and the people around here were all nodding in agreement.

I know climate change is something that is very toxic, but whilst you have Poland refusing point blank to stop mining coal and the president of the United States suggesting it is a communist plot against America to appease his oil chums, then the situation will never change.

One guy on twitter this morning was abusing people who were saying they recycled what they could and were doing their bit...he was suggesting this is far more explosive than “ pissing about with plastic bottles”

Cerys Matthews on Sunday 6music show interviewed neuroscientist Professor Shane O'Mara who has written a book called In Praise of Walking: The new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us

O'Mara not only talks about the merits of walking physically, he scientifically looks at it being essential for the health of the brain.

"Walking is good for our muscles and posture; it helps to protect and repair organs, and can slow or turn back the ageing of our brains. With our minds in motion we think more creatively, our mood improves and stress levels fall. Walking together to achieve a shared purpose is also a social glue that has contributed to our survival as a species."

He believes that our obsession with planning for the automobile has been a flawed concept for 90 years, and that we must organise our town and cities to prioritise walking and cycling over the automobile.

A huge number of commutes in London and our other cities and towns could be made by walking or bike. There will be thousands and thousands that get out of town trains into London only to get a tube for 2 or 3 stops that likely barely saves them any time over walking.

Might think about giving it a read, sounded a really interesting guy.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Cerys Matthews on Sunday 6music show interviewed neuroscientist Professor Shane O'Mara who has written a book called In Praise of Walking: The new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us

O'Mara not only talks about the merits of walking physically, he scientifically looks at it being essential for the health of the brain.

"Walking is good for our muscles and posture; it helps to protect and repair organs, and can slow or turn back the ageing of our brains. With our minds in motion we think more creatively, our mood improves and stress levels fall. Walking together to achieve a shared purpose is also a social glue that has contributed to our survival as a species."

He believes that our obsession with planning for the automobile has been a flawed concept for 90 years, and that we must organise our town and cities to prioritise walking and cycling over the automobile.

A huge number of commutes in London and our other cities and towns could be made by walking or bike. There will be thousands and thousands that get out of town trains into London only to get a tube for 2 or 3 stops that likely barely saves them any time over walking.

Might think about giving it a read, sounded a really interesting guy.

To be honest I get that and yes, when I commuted , I walked from mile oak to the station at portslade and from London Bridge to old street, and the reverse coming back. It certainly is good , not so much in the shite weather.

I think it was more around the comment about in effect shutting down major cities and having people work nearer home, where they could walk to! Which of course is nonsense.

 

[Justice]

With all the nutters living in London, I’m surprised there wasn’t a full scale riot and a 15 year boy in a hoodie and Nike trainers pulls a knife out of his bag. Sadly that is what London has become.

Can’t Agree, I work in around London everyday and never really seen anything out of the ordinary. The stabbings are generally gang related so unless your in a gang I guess your quite safe from that sort of thing.

 

[1066familyman]

In fairness they can't disrupt roads and cars.

They'll just get run over, killed to death, while the driver gets 3 points on their license.





It is fookin ridiculous to go after public transport.
It certainly suggests these 'protesters' are the equivalent of football 'fans' who are only there's for the hooliganism.

Do Americans have a points system with their driving licence too?

 

[hart's shirt]

The trouble with protests is that there's always the danger of things escalating.

 

[Palacefinder General]

We have an hourly two car diesel service running from Eastbourne to Ashford - the Ore to Ashford section isn't electrified

Comes from Brighton I believe, always very frustrating when that pulls in at Lewes, 2 car train and always a bun fight to get a seat, even off-peak, but at least it’s not the ex-London 1980s rolling stock Southern have still got the balls to run on the Seaford line.

Vaguely related trivia- There was a port worker at Newhaven Harbour in the 80s, who used to do handstands on the live rail at Newhaven Harbour for £5 a time (£5 from every onlooker) on the night shift, as witnessed by my dad, who was Customs at Newhaven at the time.

 

[Hastings gull]

They aren’t protesting at electrified public transport, the aim and justification of their protest is to bring as much attention to their cause as possible and in turn to force debate on the subject in government. Their method of doing that is by causing the maximum amount of disruption possible. They’re not trying to stop the underground because it’s environmentally unfriendly.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I am sure that is true, and no one has said so directly. The many posters alluding to this have simply mentioned the irony of picking on public transport, when trying to get your message across. The idiots have managed, yet again, to cheese off potential supporters.

 

[Napper]

This lot make me want to never recycle again

 

[Justice]

They aren’t protesting at electrified public transport, the aim and justification of their protest is to bring as much attention to their cause as possible and in turn to force debate on the subject in government. Their method of doing that is by causing the maximum amount of disruption possible. They’re not trying to stop the underground because it’s environmentally unfriendly.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I am sure that is true, and no one has said so directly. The many posters alluding to this have simply mentioned the irony of picking on public transport, when trying to get your message across. The idiots have managed, yet again, to cheese off potential supporters.

Every news channel has been reporting this all day job done I would say.

 

[highflyer]

For those interested in nuance and not just macho 'hold me back, I'd throw them on the tracks' on-line posturing

General consensus amongst those involved in XR seems to be that this was a bad idea (a lot of people were against it), although that is not to excuse the violence. While the main point of protests is to gain attention, there are also symbolic links to targets, whether parliament, the treasury, offices of the Sun, bbc, major banks etc. Public transport systems are not great in terms of symbolism. And of course everyone who travels on the undeground, or trains generally, knows how tense it can all get. Human beings are not designed to live like that on a daily basis.

I am fairly sure it will not be repeated.

Meanwhile, the climate crisis doesn't stop being real.

 

[Yoda]

No, it's because aviation is one of the biggest single contributors to greenhouse gases, and one where we can all make a difference by flying less. Also airports have private jets (so that Prince Harry can fly to climate change conferences). Stopping those, and trying to inconvenience the rich ***** that own and use them, IMO is a worthy aim.

Global aviation only produces about 2% of all man made CO2 emissions and 12% of all transport sources. Road transportation on the other hand produces nearly 3 quarters. On top of that, the majority of flights cover distances where there is no practical alternative mode of transport.

Please try to use actual facts and figures to back up claims like that.

 

[Seagull]

Support XR as a concept and have been on several actions but it is very decentralised as a movement and some are bound to get it wrong as I think these guys have.
Pretty horrible mob mentality on the platform though - men of course with nowhere else to direct their rage and impotence!

 

[The_Viper]

In fairness they can't disrupt roads and cars.

They'll just get run over, killed to death, while the driver gets 3 points on their license.

I have a lot of time for that phrase.