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climate rush glue themselves to Parliament

rusher | 27.04.2009 20:16

4 members of Climate Rush have just glued themselves to a statue in Parliament, 100 years to the day after a Suffragette

4 protesters stuck their hands together to form a chain around a statue of Viscount Falkland, which was the site of protest by a suffragette 100 years ago. It is 100 years to the day that a suffragette chained herself to the same statue as part of the campaign to secure votes for women - the authorities had to cut through the statue's sword to release her.

The action was in response to the go-ahead for new generation coal-fired power stations. The 4 were arrested for public order offences and criminal damage.


rusher

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

Nice one

28.04.2009 10:18

Well done Climate Rush :)

Ms Anne Thropy


Surprise!

28.04.2009 10:55

Yet more ineffectual stunts from the enviromental movement claiming to be direct action. Getting arrested for something like this is not cool or noble and only serves to hinder positive resistance to climate change. And even if that isn't enough, this doesn't even gain any substantial media attention. Well done.

Johnster


Oh Johnster

28.04.2009 11:14

Interesting lack of self-awareness from Johnster - his comments are near-identical to the things that were said about the Suffragettes when they chained themselves to the same statue...and of course they never achieved anything.

History Reader


to History Reader

28.04.2009 11:55

Erm, ok, perhaps you should read some history yourself and learn to put incidents into context.
The suffragettes had mass mobilisations of disruption that drummed up alot of publicity, that's because they were new, radical and dangerous- the climate movement trying to jump on this in the modern day is just bland. So what if so people glued themselves to a gate? What's that supposed to do? I presume raising awareness, opposed to boosting the radical credientials of the participants! Unfortunatly this does not recieve much coverage- I haven't even seen reports of it on leftist websites!
The suffragettes also wanted reforms of representative democracy opposed to a fundamental change of economic production which is neccessary to prevent climate catastrophe. This change is down to how the means of production all managed. Our struggle is there, not stuck to a gate or sitting on some field complaining of police brutality.

Johnster


incentives

28.04.2009 12:35

climate catastrophe?

Fact: One Vocano produces more greenhouse gases (minus water vapour) than humans will ever do in the same period
Fact: Astronomical changes are the largest contributing factor to climate change by a long stretch. Much more than greenhouse gases or solar reflection.
Fact: 95% of greenhouses are water vapour (%99.999 of this is natural).
Fact: Only 3.5% of the remaining 5% of gases is man-made. The rest is natural.
Fact: Its used to be called global warming. Now they call it climate change to hedge both ways
Fact: It is so "supported" by research because you are infinitely more likely to get your £250K research grant if you put "climate change" in the title.

Research Leader: "We are doing a study on African Squirrel feeding patterns... can we have a grant?"
Steering committe: "No."
Research Leader: "How about - A study on how climate change has affected African Squirrel feeding patterns?"
Steering committe: "Great. How much do you want?"

A real life example:
Jarvis Cocker, a ceramic expert (basically a "potter"), and a bunch of their arty cronies got a grant from the Arts Council to sail to greenland to look at a glacier. They wanted a jolly day out and knew if you put climate change in Art Council's grant proposals you have a great probability of being accepted.
Conclusion: Another successful public funded study concluding that manmade climate change exists.

Wake up! Its a big governmental gravy train

a measure of whats going on


wow

29.04.2009 00:03

Johnster's a smug bastard ain't 'e?

I hope that eventually there are so many interventions like this in so many places and by so many different groups that it ceases to be news and starts being more like a public service. it's our fucking parliament despite what they say, just like it's our square outside parliament, our river running past and our money spent on porn and second homes. this needs hammering home before (or is it too late) we start becoming totally separated from the spaces we live in (I guess that's particularly for the urbanites).

Johnster wants a revolution, a seismic economic shift. I hope he gets one, and I hope he deserves it. But it won't come magically all at once. It might just come because enough people built up enough momentum for something big to emerge. Dont snipe about 'lack of press coverage' - get out there and say something, press or no press. we need not just one or two things kicking off per week for the newspapers, we need one or two things every day. and then we need more. So many people are trying to get the snowball rolling down the hill, and we should be there with them.

I know i will be, are you coming?


illiterati


FYI

29.04.2009 13:46

It is not smug to believe that resistance should be applied to areas which actually have a vested interest and capability of securing the necessary proceedures to combat climate change.

Johnster


We use to protest for keeping coal usage going

29.04.2009 19:48

Not too long ago people were protesting AGAINST the closure of the coal mines. We should use coal. This is what people stood in solidarity for.

Now, with the beginning of a coal usage occuring again (powerstations) and some mines, people are protesting the opposite: that coal should not be used.

So the lessons are: whatever is being protested for now, the opposite will probably be protested for in 30 years time.

stock