‘Family-Friendly Non-Violent Civil Disobedience’

at

This afternoon.

Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Supporters and activists of Extinction Rebellion commence their week of ‘non-violent direct actions with a Climate Walk led by a large pink sailing boat (top).

Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews

Earlier

This morning.

At Merrion Square, Dublin 2.

Tents thought to belong to supporters of Extinction Rebellion are being set up.

The group is planning to hold a lunchtime rally outside Leinster House for the beginning of a week-long series of events for Rebellion Week.

Green News reports:

Irish action will commence at 1pm this afternoon at the entrance of Dail Eireann.

From here, the activists will walk in procession led by a large pink sailing boat to a nearby, as yet unnamed, location where the mast of the boat will be launched and a flag with the Extinction Rebellion logo raised.

Speeches will then start around 1.30pm and environmental activist and Chelsea Garden Show winning designer Mary Reynolds will then lead a symbolic planting of seeds of native trees.

The group is remaining coy on further actions to take place across the remainder of the week, only stating that they will employ family-friendly non-violent civil disobedience to “bring society to a standstill” and force the Government to respond to the climate emergency.

150 academics outline support for Extinction Rebellion (Green News)

London police arrest 21 climate change protesters as mass action starts (The Irish Times)

Meanwhile…

In yesterday’s Sunday Times, John Mooney reported:

A special unit of gardai is monitoring social media to try to ascertain where the group’s protests of “civil disobedience” may take place and how many campaigners will be involved.

Security sources say there is no evidence to suggest Extinction Rebellion is being influenced by extremists.

The protesters, who come from various backgrounds, are considered by gardai to be people genuinely concerned about global warming.

….Gardai do not believe they will be able to hold large numbers of protesters if forced to make arrests.

The force is not capable of detaining more than a few hundred people, even if all stations in Dublin and the surrounding suburbs are used to capacity.

Dublin gardai prepare for extinction of traffic flow (The Sunday Times)

Top pic: Tim Forde

UPDATE:

Niall Colbert, of Today FM, tweetz:

Climate change activists beginning to gather outside the Dail ahead of Extinction Rebellion protests in Dublin this lunchtime.

Meanwhile….

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60 thoughts on “‘Family-Friendly Non-Violent Civil Disobedience’

  1. Mr.Fart

    queue “nice to have as much free time as they do/why aren’t they in work?” comments from the ever predictable Braodsheet commenters.

  2. scundered

    Does she realise that making love produces more CO2 unless you’re being lazy about it? It also risks creating more consumers who will contribute to the problems of the planet.

    1. V

      Well I suppose I get to say I’m doing my bit to reduce CO2

      Still
      It’s hard to see it as a happy consequence

      I think I’d rather pay a higher tax tbh

      1. martco

        I would say something similar to yourself. My ideas around reducing CO2 & energy conservation are different to this current hysteria movement however but I would argue are very much aligned & waay more achievable.

        I’m a fella who believes in fixing existing things. I run a 31 year old car but I keep it in mint running condition. The lads at the NCT are always happy to see me & sometimes take pics. No-one is gonna convince me ever ever ever that replacing that car with a freshly manufactured 60 grand Li-ion battery array on 4 wheels is the right thing to do, financially or practically. I try always to fix existing things. my macbook is from 2011 & I have a 4 year old iphone. my worktools are the same ones I have had for the last 5 years, maintained & well kept. I think often about my own power usage, I have LED lights everywhere I can and (just like the comedy vehicle of the 80’s) I monitor my immersion & the lights around the place like a boss. I run a high efficiency Gas boiler system with underfloor which btw I’m just about to think about switching on now for the winter. I don’t need fancy gear & an app to tell me what to do to save energy because I open the door & read & record numbers on the meter outside the house.

        I never ever hear these lads advocating the right to repair movement. Why? because it just isn’t “kewl” is it? I 100% guarantee if I walked the line there and asked the people there to show me their phone you would have a sea of the latest greatest iPhone 8 and beyond, Samsung’s year old max devices…& if I asked them who Foxconn are & could they tell me a bit about their manufacturing process…or how Lithium Ion batteries are made I’d get blank faces.

        These people have a massive gaping hole in the way they are going about their argument. I get it, I really do, I’m on board with the need to police my emissions & energy use. I have done so for at least 30 years now in my own (but maybe not as hashtag kewl) way.

        Education on practical ways to solve the problem is whats needed, as you say do your bit. not this shoving e-vehicles down peoples throats and not just more bullsht tax to pay.

        1. Ciuncainteach

          Your efforts are laudable, but trying to educate and alter the consumer habits of everyone on the planet is not working. It over-emphasises consumer choice as a factor in peoples’ purchasing decisions. If we really want change, focusing our efforts on the decision-makers (be that in Government, or the Board Room) is how to most efficiently apply limited resources.

          EVs are a chimera, and shouldn’t form the basis of any long-term climate policy. Simply put, we do not have sufficient cobalt and lithium supplies in the entire planet to support a mass shift to EVs. They may be part of the solution (particularly for those people living in rural areas – of which, I am one), but only when coupled with significant investment in public transport.

          1. martco

            see
            even you don’t get it
            you blithely (sincerely I don’t mean that in a personal attack sense) mention cobalt & the resultant famous super cool Li-ion batteries in terms of supply. as opposed to how they’re made. most people have no concept but it only takes a wee bit of reading. supply of a mineral isn’t the problem.

            what does every child learn in school if they are listening to their science teacher?
            The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another
            immutable. we go around in circles trying to find better ways. it hasn’t happened yet so we have to find the least evil way to achieve that until that magic Star Trek moment arrives of clean & unlimited energy for everyone. I would argue that Li-ion batteries are every bit as evil as pulling gas out of the ground for example. there’s pro’s & con’s to all of it. for me the closest we’ve come so far is nuclear. pro’s & con’s.

            plough the money into science & make that Star Trek discovery I say. and until them do the very best we can do as best we can. and for me that means keep doing exactly what I’ve been doing for 30 odd years to date – sensible basic thoughtful contribution not cool n trendy massive overreaction.

          2. martco

            heehee @scottser
            you probably could (but I’ll leave that in with you if it’s all the same)
            sure if I could capture all the hot air off my ramblings I could cook that chicken dinner off grid too :)

        2. Ciuncainteach

          I take your point on the unconscionable practices inherent in cobalt and lithium mining Martco, as well as the production of the end-use product. These should be reason enough to stop these practices. Supply of these materials is still an issue however. My point on supply was more as an argument against the climate policies of FG and the Tories in the UK, where mass-shift to EVs is front and center of their approach.

          Your argument on the laws of thermodynamics is not clear however – is your point that these materials are not destroyed in the process and can be reused? If so, then that is theoretically true although recycling is far from economically viable at the moment (https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/07/mining-and-electric-vehicles-lithium-nickel-cobalt.html).

          I would be in full agreement with your last point however. We cannot expect technology and scientific advancement to solve problems that can be remedied by small changes to our own habits.

          My overarching point is that best was to effect change is to target the message at the people making the decisions on supply chains, material use, packaging, etc. The current approach of changing the habits of the consumer first and hoping that a resulting shift in demand will eventually lead to those decision makers fixing these problems has not worked.

        3. deluded

          Hi Martco.
          https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49884827
          There are all sorts of debates regarding safety, warranties, intellectual property etc. not all of which can be thrashed out at every meeting or event.
          There are all sorts of other issues to be dealt with too, such as consumption, our need for consumption to drive the economy, without growth you have stagnation etc.
          Maybe we could buy materials to make batteries from ethical sources then try to justify the costs.
          These are complex issues without easy answers.

          1. deluded

            As you can see from the link there are all kinds of further issues implied by right-to-repair, like maintaining a stock of spare parts.
            I’m not arguing against your suggestion I am saying that implementing simple ideas can invite a raft of regulation and red tape that is easily criticised as “anti-business” and before you know it a business demand, such as quality standards, are spun as an onerous responsibility that is stifling innovation and so on.
            (Right now you can buy catering equipment for your kitchen that is more expensive but can be maintained with spare parts)

          2. martco

            as you say this is UTTERLY COMPLEX

            “Maybe we could buy materials to make batteries from ethical sources then try to justify the costs”

            yes, I like that idea very very much @deluded

            part of the issue I think is that the real cost of things are somewhat hidden

            if your next upgrade phone came with a €250 ethical battery sourcing fee then all of a sudden we’d see the problem…so we might be more inclined to keep our phones for longer & repair if necessary instead of jumping at whatever trinket samsung wave in our faces. same with the cars, same with the 4k tellys and so on. and as for motors (a passion subject for me no doubt you guessed by now) there’s more going on than likes of Li-Ion battery packs…where do you imagine the fake leather for the seats in the latest flashy Tesla or Etron whatever yoke come from, hm? hm. yeah I know, polyurethane, but like it’s ok cos vegan….g’way outa that, educate yourself.

            the consumption argument for me…ok I get that too but there’s a twang off that similar to the argument being peddled to the beef farmers facing down irrelevance & unemployment by some of these well meaning gobsheens….like, yeah, we know that it’s your livelihood, that your mortgage, putting clothes on your children’s back & the weekly shop depends on you having a job, but like shure you could just get another job in the new great Green industry (whatever tf that is) or like change what you’re farming & grow some flax mkay….just get with the programme man! :)

            throwing carbon taxes aimlessly around the place or lecturing people to stop driving their “dirty filthy” bluemotion tech diesel they only bought 2 years ago because the Govt. told them to isn’t the way to go here. regular joe, wife with 3 kids, mortgage and the rest just aren’t gonna start living an off grid lifestyle, its a fantasy if that’s expected.

            I really think this is a serious tech science problem at root. this is all pussyfooting around. invent some clean plentiful alternative energy method and in the meantime educate ourselves and keep doing the most practical sustainable stuff you can. I don’t see any major drive to ask people to change their phones less often on the micro side or serious talk about maybe making Nuclear part of the supply on the macro side.

  3. Spud

    ER will just alienate further the public (especially in Dublin) if they start making their journey home from work and even greater misery.
    There is huge public support for green action, but they need to use it better.
    There are better and more creative ways than to just lie on a road.

    1. scottser

      they’ve blocked off the road at merrion square south with quasi-official bothar dunta signs, cones and fencing. couple of lads in hi-vis to make it look a bit official but seeing as how buses come down there, i wonder if they have a licence?

      1. JB

        That stretch of Merrion Square is used for events all the time. It’s one of the least disruptive streets to close as it’s only used by buses as a terminus. I would imagine the location came with the blessing of the gardai, or at least tacit approval.

  4. Donal

    Some people are happy to pay more for polluting, or have minimised their polluting to a point where the affect on their pocket isn’t onerous. I know the latter isn’t an option for many, at least not an option that can make a big difference to them
    Maybe the people who don’ fit either of the above categories will pressure the government to make changes that will make it easier for all to minimise their pollution and thus the aims of the campaigners will have been achieved somewhat

  5. Donal

    Perhaps I have misunderstood your post, are you saying that an increase in carbon taxes will be as effective as people protesting?
    In which case you may be right, but perhaps the protests will help ensure the increases are rapid enough

  6. Murtles

    China, the USA and India produce 48% of the Worlds CO2 emissions. I don’t think shutting down Dublin for a day or a year will do SFA. Still isn’t nice to get out and about when you have so much free time on your hands and don’t have to work.
    Cue Mr Fart’s told ya so.

    1. Mr.Fart

      as waves lick against the walls of Murtles house, he climbs on to the roof, looking across the lakes of fire he mutters to himself “well at least i had a job”

    2. Rob_G

      Irish people’s per capita carbon emissions are the 3rd highest in the EU

      Ireland is a wealthy country so:

      (i) the burden to reduce should fall more heavily on us than poorer countries, and;
      (ii) loads of the stuff manufactured in China (producing their emissions) is consumed by us.

          1. some old queen

            Most of that produce goes to the UK. I myself have not eaten meat for over 25 years but yes, I agree with your point.

          2. Cathal

            Why?.Your quasi-religious hokum is wearing very thin, in 5 years time when your fantasy hasn’t .materialised what then? Blowing up reservoirs to get the floods you want?

      1. martco

        “(ii) loads of the stuff manufactured in China (producing their emissions) is consumed by us”

        now y’ere talking @Rob_G

        stop slavishly buying the latest gadgets like eejits every 6 months would go a long way to making a positive contribution

        carrying a Nokia E52 should be a badge of honour imho

    1. Ciuncainteach

      You’re right. The spelling mistake in a student’s cardboard protest sign is the real issue here.

    2. BIlbo

      While as a parent I might be proud of my child taking an interest in something like this, I would absolute cringe myself inside out at the thoughts of that poster.
      I won’t mention the war paint

      1. Paulus

        Indeed.
        And daily.

        Sometimes when I’m qwertying I try to slip in a new word and see if it will catch on.

  7. baz

    1. DCC, have they permits to be in the park?
    2. Where are the TWD permits for the Structures erected?
    3. Have these losers got PL Insurance?

    if the answers are no or none to the above 3 questions they should be cleared out of there pronto.

  8. Dunno

    Its a big mistake by this government to come after households. They always burden the common person and what difference is it going to make to the big picture ….NOTHING.
    If you want to tackle climate change then you have to tackle the biggest polluters. Unfortunately the biggest polluters are in different countries. Granted we need to get our own house in order but for it to be a success and have buy in then it must be handled very very carefully.
    Ireland got hammered in the banking crisis. Lots suffered. If the people who got hammered then are going to be hammered again, well this government will not stay in power and we are back to having FF.
    These kids that are out demonstrating. Most of them would not even pass a basic science junior cert exam. So its very hard for them to lecture people. They will disrupt lots of peoples lives in the coming weeks and turn those effected against them. The optics are not very good and they come across as hysterical. They will be gone in a couple of weeks and what will they have achieved….. nothing. We all know in our hearts that they will have achieved nothing.
    What I do not want are kids that have never held a job, have had limited experience in the world lecturing me. Once mammy and daddy are struggling to have the funds to allow them into places of learning or give them the life style that they expect then we will see.

    1. Tarfton Clax

      “These kids that are out demonstrating. Most of them would not even pass a basic science junior cert exam. ”
      1. How do you know?
      2. Would you?

      “They will be gone in a couple of weeks and what will they have achieved….. nothing. We all know in our hearts that they will have achieved nothing.” Are you Éamon de Valera?
      Are you against all protests against everything? Or just ones that might discommode you?

      “And thought before I had done
      Of a mocking tale or a gibe
      To please a companion
      Around the fire at the club,
      Being certain that they and I
      But lived where motley is worn”

      1. Dunno

        1. How do you know?
        They don’t look like they have a job to go to.
        2. Would you?
        Easily…. First class honors science degree.

        No I am not Éamon de Valera. He is dead.

  9. garrett

    causing traffic congestion leads to more greenhouse gas emissions. Protesting for the sake of protesting is stupid.
    If you really want to get to a carbon neutral state the entire Western way of living has to change.
    This change will bring mass unemployment and poverty.

    There isn’t a single constructive suggestion on any of those placards, if you want a problem solved outline your plan.

    1. martco

      “There isn’t a single constructive suggestion on any of those placards, if you want a problem solved outline your plan”

      +1

    2. Rob_G

      “You can’t complain about something unless you have your own fully-comprehensive solution” – this is stupid.

      They are active citizens; their job is to put the pressure on policymakers. It’s up to the policymakers to make the necessary hard decisions to stop our civilisation from collapsing.

  10. Brughahaha

    “Family Friendly” and “Bring the City to a Halt” are 2 mutually exclusive terms ..anyone working, who has children in a creche would know this …………

    So well done , pile misery and even more traffic chaos on the hard pressed working citizens of Dublin…….and then wonder why you’ve no popular support outside UCD’s arts programmes and Irish Times luvvies …FFS!!!

    (As an aside its priceless to read the ITs support for this protest after the vitriol and abuse it printed about the anti water charges campaign …but then these are far more middle class protestors …much more the Irish Times cup of tea)

    1. Cathal

      Loyalists used to use kids as human shields ,this shower hoping the toddlers will save them from a baton charge.

  11. Brughahaha

    “Family Friendly” and “Bring the city to a halt” are 2 mutually exclusive terms ..anyone working and with children in a creche would know this …………

    Well done , pile misery and even more traffic chaos on the hard pressed working citizens of Dublin and then wonder why you’ve no popular support outside UCDs arts programmes and Irish Times luvvies …FFS!!!

    (As an aside its priceless to read the ITs support for this protest after the vitriol and abuse it printed about the anti water charges campaign …but then these are far more middle class protestors …much more the Irish Times cup of tea)

  12. Shane Duffy

    I’ve gone and burnt some polystyrene in an attempt to quadruple my carbon footprint today.

  13. f_lawless

    “Security sources say there is no evidence to suggest Extinction Rebellion is being influenced by extremists.”

    What’s the definition of an ‘extremist’? A person prepared to some kind of take direct action that will seriously upset the status quo? What the XR movement need are more “extremists” in their midst if they’re to be taken more seriously.

    Forget cop out “net-zero emission” solutions that have been concocted by capitalist elites. Considering the US military being the largest consumer of fossil fuels of any single institution in the world, how about some kind of organised action to once and for all force the government to stop the US military’s use of Shannon? That would be more meaningful, direct action which I’d happily get behind. It would be the kind of symbolism would resonate around the world.

  14. eoin

    “Security sources say there is no evidence to suggest Extinction Rebellion is being influenced by extremists.” claims John Mooney in the Sunday Times. The same sources who claimed a suspect in the Kevin Lunney assault was caught buying bleach on CCTV? Or the same sources smearing Sgt Maurice McCabe? Or maybe the same sources claiming the Russian embassy is building a spy centre?

    At this rate, I expect ER to have been infiltrated by the New IRA and Bader Meinhoff.

  15. Truth in the News

    When the Water Tax protests took place in Dublin a couple of years back there was
    little mention of them in the main media either before they took place and in some
    outfits afterwards, there will be a Rebellion,when the ordinary citizen’s get wind
    of where Carbon Tax went since 2011 of the not insignificant sum of over 3 Billion
    plus another 4 odd Billion collected under a so called PSO levy on Electricity Charges
    pocketed by Wind Power Barons and Bord na Mona, the latter to prop them up
    selling coal and firelighters

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