Greenpeace is encouragung its supporters to engage in other campaigns on the weekend of the 'Great Climate Swoop' rather than backing the protest at Ratcliffe.
The ‘Great Climate Swoop’ against Ratcliffe power station on October 17th - 18th is arguably one of the most important protests this year. If it succeeds in closing down the site, it could lead to a massive upsurge in climate change campaigning. Unfortunately there is evidence that Greenpeace is not only indifferent to the protest but is subtly encouraging its supporters not to attend.
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of internal criticism from some of GP’s area networkers over its refusal to organise campaigns that utilise its pool of trained active supporters. It has been over a year since they have been used in a proper campaign and many local supporter groups are falling apart. In my group, instead of the 25-30 supporters that regularly attended meetings, we are now down to less than six.
One of the reasons that full-timers have been giving is that Greenpeace is suffering its own financial crisis and needs to concentrate its resources on its central activities. While I am sure that this is true, why has Greenpeace announced to its supporters in the past few days TWO separate campaigns (Heathrow and coal) that will make use of its active supporters? And why does it want them to carry out street campaigning in support of these initiatives on SAME the weekend of the ‘Great Climate Swoop’?
It may be the case that Greenpeace has made a mistake; or it may believe that encouraging its supporters to do something else is does not stop from going to Ratcliffe. But it is difficult to see these two requests as being nothing more than a subtle attempt to undermine support for the ‘Great Climate Swoop’. After all, if the Ratcliffe protest does work, then it is going to leave a lot of people, and especially those who loyalty give Greenpeace money each money, asking whether they have got their spending priorities right.
Of course us cynics in Greenpeace could be mistaken and the simple way to prove it would for Canonbury Villas to announce that a ‘Greenpeace bloc’ will be there on October 17th.
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of internal criticism from some of GP’s area networkers over its refusal to organise campaigns that utilise its pool of trained active supporters. It has been over a year since they have been used in a proper campaign and many local supporter groups are falling apart. In my group, instead of the 25-30 supporters that regularly attended meetings, we are now down to less than six.
One of the reasons that full-timers have been giving is that Greenpeace is suffering its own financial crisis and needs to concentrate its resources on its central activities. While I am sure that this is true, why has Greenpeace announced to its supporters in the past few days TWO separate campaigns (Heathrow and coal) that will make use of its active supporters? And why does it want them to carry out street campaigning in support of these initiatives on SAME the weekend of the ‘Great Climate Swoop’?
It may be the case that Greenpeace has made a mistake; or it may believe that encouraging its supporters to do something else is does not stop from going to Ratcliffe. But it is difficult to see these two requests as being nothing more than a subtle attempt to undermine support for the ‘Great Climate Swoop’. After all, if the Ratcliffe protest does work, then it is going to leave a lot of people, and especially those who loyalty give Greenpeace money each money, asking whether they have got their spending priorities right.
Of course us cynics in Greenpeace could be mistaken and the simple way to prove it would for Canonbury Villas to announce that a ‘Greenpeace bloc’ will be there on October 17th.
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