London climate-change street protest arrests reach 290 on second day

[webfact]

London climate-change street protest arrests reach 290 on second day

 

Performers demonstrate at Waterloo Bridge during the Extinction Rebellion protest in London, Britain April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Police have arrested 290 people in two days of protests after climate-change activists blocked some of London's most important junctions including Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, causing traffic chaos.

 

The protests, led by British climate group Extinction Rebellion, brought parts of central London to a standstill again on Tuesday.

 

Extinction Rebellion, which generated headlines with a semi-nude protest in the House of Commons earlier this month, is demanding the government reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

 

Police said they expected the demonstrations to continue in coming weeks and had to strike the right balance between allowing the right to peaceful protest while ensuring disruption was kept at a minimum.

 

"At this time, ongoing demonstrations are causing serious disruptions to public transport, local businesses and Londoners who wish to go about their daily business," Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove said on Tuesday.

 

Activists had been told they must confine any demonstrations to the Marble Arch area, and police were taking action against protesters in other locations.

More than a dozen activists had been arrested at Waterloo Bridge near parliament by lunchtime on Tuesday.

 

Others were sitting in the road with linked arms, chanting at the police "Rebellion! Rebellion!" and "We are peaceful! What about you?"

 

Five arrests were for criminal damage after the Royal Dutch Shell building near the River Thames was targeted on Monday.

 

Two protesters on Monday climbed up scaffolding, writing "Shell Knows!" in red paint on the front of the building and three protesters glued their hands to revolving doors at the entrance.

 

Tents littered the prime shopping area of Oxford Circus on Tuesday morning, with some activists huddled beneath a model boat with the words "Tell the Truth" across its side. One placard read: "Rebel for Life".

 

Activist Katy Fowler, 39, from Machynlleth in Wales, said reaction from the public had been very positive.

 

"People have come up to us to thank us emphatically," she said. "There is an awareness and a hunger for something to be done."

 

(Reporting by Paul Sandle, Hannah Mckay and Andrew Marshall and Elisabeth O'Leary; Additional reporting by Bhanu Pratap in Bengaluru; writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison and Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-17

[Lungstib]

50 years of pollution and poisoning and not a single arrest because its all good for business. Disrupt business and the arrests start. Plus pollution is nationwide and spreads even into other countries but activists must contain their activity to a small and certain part. Guess which side govt lies on?

[VincentRJ]

25 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

50 years of pollution and poisoning and not a single arrest because its all good for business. Disrupt business and the arrests start. Plus pollution is nationwide and spreads even into other countries but activists must contain their activity to a small and certain part. Guess which side govt lies on?

Good point, but this issue is not about pollution. It's about climate change and the delusion that we can make the climate benign by reducing greenhouse gases, such as the wonderful, colorless and odorless gas called CO2 which is essential for all life and is helping to green the planet.

[Catoni]

32 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

50 years of pollution and poisoning and not a single arrest because its all good for business. Disrupt business and the arrests start. Plus pollution is nationwide and spreads even into other countries but activists must contain their activity to a small and certain part. Guess which side govt lies on?

The article is about climate change. The topic about pollution is perhaps in another thread somewhere. 

[bert bloggs]

35 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

50 years of pollution and poisoning and not a single arrest because its all good for business. Disrupt business and the arrests start. Plus pollution is nationwide and spreads even into other countries but activists must contain their activity to a small and certain part. Guess which side govt lies on?

Why dont they go and demonstrate in the countrys that are really polluting the world? China ,India , etc etc .

[Chomper Higgot]

41 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

Good point, but this issue is not about pollution. It's about climate change and the delusion that we can make the climate benign by reducing greenhouse gases, such as the wonderful, colorless and odorless gas called CO2 which is essential for all life and is helping to green the planet.

Strawman argument:

 

The position of those protesting is not ‘that we can make the climate benign by reducing greenhouse gases’ the delusion you are peddling is your own.

[Chomper Higgot]

38 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

Why dont they go and demonstrate in the countrys that are really polluting the world? China ,India , etc etc .

Because they don’t live there.

 

And if they did you’d be first in line criticising them for the amount of fossil fuels they used to travel there for their protest.

 

Away with you and your need to embarrass yourself with dull arguments.

[bristolboy]

19 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And if they did you’d be first in line criticising them for the amount of fossil fuels they used to travel there for their protest.

I wish I'd thought of that. These people just keep in throwing things and hope something will stick.

[Bryacar]

Chomper Higgot:  Well Said

[VincentRJ]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Strawman argument:

 

The position of those protesting is not ‘that we can make the climate benign by reducing greenhouse gases’ the delusion you are peddling is your own.

Why don't you tell me what the position is, of those who are protesting. I understood it to be about climate change and reducing greenhouses gases, such as CO2, which are believed by the protesters to have harmful effects on the climate.

 

If you can demonstrate I've got this wrong, then that's fine. I'm always open to the facts or a better interpretation.

[Chomper Higgot]

17 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

Why don't you tell me what the position is, of those who are protesting. I understood it to be about climate change and reducing greenhouses gases, such as CO2, which are believed by the protesters to have harmful effects on the climate.

 

If you can demonstrate I've got this wrong, then that's fine. I'm always open to the facts or a better interpretation.

Why don’t you ask the protestors.

 

You seem awfully keen to invent their point of view for them.

 

Alternatively convince yourself you are right by batting down the strawman arguments you yourself put up.

[Catoni]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Because they don’t live there.

 

And if they did you’d be first in line criticising them for the amount of fossil fuels they used to travel there for their protest.

 

Away with you and your need to embarrass yourself with dull arguments.

So if they don’t live in those countries and don’t want to travel to those countries to demonstrate, they could easily be holding mass demonstrations in the street at the embassies of those countries. Like we did in the west back in the Cold War days. 

  But they don’t. Because their real agenda is not actually fighting climate change. 

[VincentRJ]

26 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Why don’t you ask the protestors.

 

What a silly suggestion. I don't know any of them. I'm in Australia and they are in London. I'm responding to a news item on this forum. That's my only source of information on this current protest.

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

23 minutes ago, Catoni said:

So if they don’t live in those countries and don’t want to travel to those countries to demonstrate, they could easily be holding mass demonstrations in the street at the embassies of those countries. Like we did in the west back in the Cold War days. 

  But they don’t. Because their real agenda is not actually fighting climate change. 

Come on Catoni, 

 

Tell us what their real agenda is.

[chilli42]

What an interesting thread.  Looking at the posts in total one gets the impression that green house gasses are ether OK or someone else's problem.  Also, those that actually get off their backside to try and influence political change are in some way wrong minded or following a secret agenda.  I feel sorry for the lot of you.

 

 

 

 

 

[canuckamuck]

Useful idiots. 

[Catoni]

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Come on Catoni, 

 

Tell us what their real agenda is.

    All you have to do is look at their banners and signs and the pamphlets they hand out. You see signs calling for the downfall of capitalism ...claiming climate change/Global Warming was caused by capitalism.

       You see signs calling for socialism as the answer to the “problem” of climate change (formerly Global Warming). 

   Almost every climate activist has either accepted the propaganda due to ignorance of the history of climate on this planet (Paleoclimatology...yes I’ve completed a basic study of it), or is a far left lib/socialist/Marxist-Leninist. 

    Just go to some of their demonstrations in any major western city. They don’t even hide that fact anymore. 

    Do you “deny” it? 

[Chomper Higgot]

40 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Useful idiots. 

Again, while I am very critical of climate change deniers, I draw the line at calling them idiots, or indeed useful.

[canuckamuck]

51 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Again, while I am very critical of climate change deniers, I draw the line at calling them idiots, or indeed useful.

Good for you.

[RickBradford]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Again, while I am very critical of climate change deniers, I draw the line at calling them idiots, or indeed useful.

You don't draw the line at using the word 'deniers', though, a term both meaningless and rather unsavoury, given its undisputed and deliberate links with Holocaust denial.

[Chomper Higgot]

12 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

You don't draw the line at using the word 'deniers', though, a term both meaningless and rather unsavoury, given its undisputed and deliberate links with Holocaust denial.

Any link to Holocaust denial is purely a link made in your own head.

 

Maybe I need to provide you with a ‘trigger warning’ before using the the term.

 

 

[RickBradford]

7 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Any link to Holocaust denial is purely a link made in your own head.

"The deniers of climate change are cut from the same cloth as Holocaust deniers. They’ve never been to the death camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau, so what they haven’t seen does not exist." - Charles Larson, American University (2013) 

"Let's just say that global warming deniers are now on a par with Holocaust deniers." - Ellen Goodman, Boston Globe (2007) 

 

"We have Holocaust deniers; we have climate change deniers. And to be honest, I don’t think there’s a great deal of difference." - Bill McGuire, University College London (2006) 

 

"Would the media insist on having a Holocaust-denier to balance any report about the Second Word War?" - Caroline Lucas, U.K. Green Party MP (2007) 
 

"...the others working to derail this critical piece of legislation will be seen as the Adolph Hitlers of our day, contributing to a holocaust vastly eclipsing the horrors of World War II." - Chad Kister, Environmental Activist (2008) 

 

"Clouds of a different sort signal an environmental holocaust without precedent. Once again, world leaders waffle, hoping the danger will dissipate. Yet today the evidence is as clear as the sounds of glass shattering in Berlin." - Al Gore (1989) 

 

The link is quite deliberate and oft-repeated

[bristolboy]

38 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

"The deniers of climate change are cut from the same cloth as Holocaust deniers. They’ve never been to the death camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau, so what they haven’t seen does not exist." - Charles Larson, American University (2013) 

"Let's just say that global warming deniers are now on a par with Holocaust deniers." - Ellen Goodman, Boston Globe (2007) 

 

"We have Holocaust deniers; we have climate change deniers. And to be honest, I don’t think there’s a great deal of difference." - Bill McGuire, University College London (2006) 

 

"Would the media insist on having a Holocaust-denier to balance any report about the Second Word War?" - Caroline Lucas, U.K. Green Party MP (2007) 
 

"...the others working to derail this critical piece of legislation will be seen as the Adolph Hitlers of our day, contributing to a holocaust vastly eclipsing the horrors of World War II." - Chad Kister, Environmental Activist (2008) 

 

"Clouds of a different sort signal an environmental holocaust without precedent. Once again, world leaders waffle, hoping the danger will dissipate. Yet today the evidence is as clear as the sounds of glass shattering in Berlin." - Al Gore (1989) 

 

The link is quite deliberate and oft-repeated

And therefore anyone who uses the word denier in conjunction with climate change or global warming is deliberately linking it to the Holocaust? Most are?  Gimme a break.

[RickBradford]

3 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

And therefore anyone who uses the word denier in conjunction with climate change or global warming is deliberately linking it to the Holocaust? Most are?  Gimme a break.

I didn't say that, or anything like it.

 

In response to another poster's ignorance, I pointed out that the word 'denier', apart from being meaningless, has been used multiple times by activists to conflate climate skeptics and Holocaust deniers in a most reprehensible way.

 

Give yourself a break; stop jumping to unwarranted conclusions.

[bristolboy]

3 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

I didn't say that, or anything like it.

 

In response to another poster's ignorance, I pointed out that the word 'denier', apart from being meaningless, has been used multiple times by activists to conflate climate skeptics and Holocaust deniers in a most reprehensible way.

 

Give yourself a break; stop jumping to unwarranted conclusions.

fair enough

[bert bloggs]

On 4/17/2019 at 9:22 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

Because they don’t live there.

 

And if they did you’d be first in line criticising them for the amount of fossil fuels they used to travel there for their protest.

 

Away with you and your need to embarrass yourself with dull arguments.

Well at least i give arguments ,all you ever do is make inane remarks and stand up for the wrongdoers .

[Chomper Higgot]

15 hours ago, RickBradford said:

I didn't say that, or anything like it.

 

In response to another poster's ignorance, I pointed out that the word 'denier', apart from being meaningless, has been used multiple times by activists to conflate climate skeptics and Holocaust deniers in a most reprehensible way.

 

Give yourself a break; stop jumping to unwarranted conclusions.

First he gives us:

 

"I pointed out that the word 'denier', apart from being meaningless, has been used multiple times by activists to conflate climate skeptics and Holocaust deniers in a most reprehensible way."

 

Then adds:

 

"Give yourself a break; stop jumping to unwarranted conclusions."

 

Carrying around all that indignation and outrage until you think you've found something to be outraged and indignant over must be a burden.

 

Give yourself a break. 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

16 hours ago, RickBradford said:

"The deniers of climate change are cut from the same cloth as Holocaust deniers. They’ve never been to the death camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau, so what they haven’t seen does not exist." - Charles Larson, American University (2013) 

"Let's just say that global warming deniers are now on a par with Holocaust deniers." - Ellen Goodman, Boston Globe (2007) 

 

"We have Holocaust deniers; we have climate change deniers. And to be honest, I don’t think there’s a great deal of difference." - Bill McGuire, University College London (2006) 

 

"Would the media insist on having a Holocaust-denier to balance any report about the Second Word War?" - Caroline Lucas, U.K. Green Party MP (2007) 
 

"...the others working to derail this critical piece of legislation will be seen as the Adolph Hitlers of our day, contributing to a holocaust vastly eclipsing the horrors of World War II." - Chad Kister, Environmental Activist (2008) 

 

"Clouds of a different sort signal an environmental holocaust without precedent. Once again, world leaders waffle, hoping the danger will dissipate. Yet today the evidence is as clear as the sounds of glass shattering in Berlin." - Al Gore (1989) 

 

The link is quite deliberate and oft-repeated

It's not a link I made or have ever made. 

 

Away with you and your need to be offended. 

[RickBradford]

21 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It's not a link I made or have ever made. 

 

Away with you and your need to be offended. 

I never said you made the link.

 

In fact, I assumed you were unaware of the link, because if you knew the reprehensible nature of this deliberate association with the Holocaust, you might have had second thoughts about using the term.

 

But maybe that's me being over-generous in giving you the benefit of the doubt. 

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

I never said you made the link.

 

In fact, I assumed you were unaware of the link, because if you knew the reprehensible nature of this deliberate association with the Holocaust, you might have had second thoughts about using the term.

 

But maybe that's me being over-generous in giving you the benefit of the doubt. 

It's not in my power to provide you with a safe space, but if it helps I'll provide you with a trigger warning whenever I think I might use a term that upsets you.

 

If you can put together a list of such words I'll do my best not to use then without give you a trigger warning.