Reaction To: Extinction Rebellion Tube Protests

For me, there are several reasons for this.

The people there are obviously in a lot of pain themselves. London commuters feel frustrated and stressed on a good day, and just a minute of delay can be enough of trigger for an outburst of this built-up tension. With this in mind, it is fairly obvious that they, upon seeing that some people are deliberately causing delays to their journey, could have an abnormal outburst of this tension.

And then, we have the pain of the protestors—individuals who decided that they had to do something to combat the prevalent "business as usual" attitude our society is currently taking, despite the utter hell that unchecked climate change could very well bring about, and has already brought about for many.

But, to paint this as a story of two sides is to play into the false dichotomy that I believe all mainstream media outlets have set up for us onlookers to participate in. It may sound cheesy, but all the humans there on that day are all simply that: human. Humans caught up in a system that violates us, that violates the planet, and that violates other animals, every moment of every day.

The pain we see there in the videos that have surfaced since that action, the pain we experience as we watch them, is created by that system and is an indicator of the need for change now.

This for me is why these actions, whilst not the most obvious or tactful choice of protests for many, may actually play out on a macro-level as a working gear in the machine of change. The pain we all feel is some minor hint of the pain to come if things do not change, and is a mere glimpse into the pain people are already feeling in countries more severely affected currently by the climate emergency.

I urge you to spend some time becoming extremely aware of that pain. Invite it into your comfort, into your space, and understand it for what it is: An alarm bell for the reality our future will hold for us all, if we do nothing.

*Takes five deep breaths*

This does not mean that there aren’t potentially better ways to protest. It just means we shouldn’t be so quick to condemn a nonviolent action that forces a country to confront the issue that is the most important issue of our age.

Yes, the discussion focused on the idea of this being a bad decision by a minority of the rebels, but it forced a continuation of discussion around the climate emergency, and that, for all its flaws, is something.

If that sounds desperate, then that is because it is. That is because of the desperation those activists felt when they decided to give up their liberty and comfort, and that is something we must all invoke.

Why? Because it has nothing on what will happen, if we do not have that now, if we do not act now.

What action are you taking? How will you help build the activism community? How will you help improve future actions?

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Check out this theory of change.

Whilst fighting for system change, take individual change, too.