I think that policing of protests is inconsistant, in that there appears to be a tendency for the police to be more enthusiastic in the case of white people protesting. The policing seems to have been a bit lenient at some of the recent Palestine protests, and at trans events as well. Consider the case of Sarah Everard, who was murderd by a police officer in 2021, and the treatment of protesters by the police. White men protesting tend to be treated even more harshly, it seems. Here, I'm discussing ordinary working people who wish to air their feelings, not "extremists".
With regard to Just Stop Oil, although I respect their aims, I feel that in the long run that prolonged blocking of roads and disrupting public events is counterproductive. It just frustrates and costs the general public, who are under enough stress already. There's a tendency for some protesters to show a similar level of disregard for the general public as do the Government. This is likely to continue, particularly in the case of governments, unless or until the silent majority grow some teeth. This applies over much of the world. Protests are an essential part of democracy, but if any government sees that the public is getting fed up, they will be more likely to introduce repressive legislation. Protests can act as a useful gauge of strong public feeling about a particular matter for a government. I believe that XR has realised that extended road blockages can cause a backlash. Publicity for the environment or any good cause is essential, but not at any cost.
I saw a video clip showing small pop-up groups of protesters using tall boards to obscure the cameras on ULEZ vans in London; some were also dressed in tall dinosaur suits. This is a very good strategy, as there's no disturbance to speak of, no unwieldy crowds, no obstruction to the public and no damage to property. This gives the authorities limited incentive to act. In addition, people are saving money. I think this is a really good and effective strategy. This may be an isolated case, but where possible a more strategic and focussed approach to protests and other such actions in general would be helpful in the future. Publicity need not be the only aim.
Domestic actions might include withdrawing support of the BBC and its programming with built-in social engineering and indoctrination, and biased reporting. This saves money. There is plenty of great content on the Internet. Seek out and avoid using spyware passing itself off as reputable Internet or computer software. This applies to one or two very popular browsers and other software. Regarding security and privacy, the Internet of Things is a joke. The idea is to just say "NO" to toxic services, wherever they may be found. This may take thought, but the more people that stand up for themselves, the better society will become.
I think that policing of protests is inconsistant, in that there appears to be a tendency for the police to be more enthusiastic in the case of white people protesting. The policing seems to have been a bit lenient at some of the recent Palestine protests, and at trans events as well. Consider the case of Sarah Everard, who was murderd by a police officer in 2021, and the treatment of protesters by the police. White men protesting tend to be treated even more harshly, it seems. Here, I'm discussing ordinary working people who wish to air their feelings, not "extremists".
With regard to Just Stop Oil, although I respect their aims, I feel that in the long run that prolonged blocking of roads and disrupting public events is counterproductive. It just frustrates and costs the general public, who are under enough stress already. There's a tendency for some protesters to show a similar level of disregard for the general public as do the Government. This is likely to continue, particularly in the case of governments, unless or until the silent majority grow some teeth. This applies over much of the world. Protests are an essential part of democracy, but if any government sees that the public is getting fed up, they will be more likely to introduce repressive legislation. Protests can act as a useful gauge of strong public feeling about a particular matter for a government. I believe that XR has realised that extended road blockages can cause a backlash. Publicity for the environment or any good cause is essential, but not at any cost.
I saw a video clip showing small pop-up groups of protesters using tall boards to obscure the cameras on ULEZ vans in London; some were also dressed in tall dinosaur suits. This is a very good strategy, as there's no disturbance to speak of, no unwieldy crowds, no obstruction to the public and no damage to property. This gives the authorities limited incentive to act. In addition, people are saving money. I think this is a really good and effective strategy. This may be an isolated case, but where possible a more strategic and focussed approach to protests and other such actions in general would be helpful in the future. Publicity need not be the only aim.
Domestic actions might include withdrawing support of the BBC and its programming with built-in social engineering and indoctrination, and biased reporting. This saves money. There is plenty of great content on the Internet. Seek out and avoid using spyware passing itself off as reputable Internet or computer software. This applies to one or two very popular browsers and other software. Regarding security and privacy, the Internet of Things is a joke. The idea is to just say "NO" to toxic services, wherever they may be found. This may take thought, but the more people that stand up for themselves, the better society will become.