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Rick_Rude wrote:

ER are bellends just playing at doing something because they live in a country which allows them to be bellends and not get beaten to a pulp. Take.their shtick to China or India, you know, those countries which produce about 50% of Earth's green problems and they'd get beaten into a coma with a stick by the police. But hey protest what must one of the cleanest , most regulated countries in the world and ignore the real source of warming and pollution. Notice any normal people among them? As usual it's the unemployable and fringe dwellers, telling the people who pay for their subsidized existence what to do.

May I refer you to my previous post "Thank you.  I always appreciate well thought out, intelligent, considered, well argued criticism."

Let me know when you manage to establish any kind of reasoned case, rather than just ranting on about people with different values to you, assuming you have any that is.

Rick_Rude wrote:

ER are bellends just playing at doing something because they live in a country which allows them to be bellends and not get beaten to a pulp. Take.their shtick to China or India, you know, those countries which produce about 50% of Earth's green problems and they'd get beaten into a coma with a stick by the police. But hey protest what must one of the cleanest , most regulated countries in the world and ignore the real source of warming and pollution. Notice any normal people among them? As usual it's the unemployable and fringe dwellers, telling the people who pay for their subsidized existence what to do.

So your problem with them is that they would be beaten in other countries so they shouldn't protest here?

Also, if we're living in one of the cleanest, most regulated countries in the world and we're still having thousands of people die from air pollution each year, then how bad is the rest of the world?

As to the demographics of protesters, well it's kind of obvious that people with more spare time are more likely to be protesting. Whether they are 'normal' people is up for debate as I don't know what a 'normal' person is.

Unfortunately, we rely on people like these protesters to improve matters as politicians are firmly in the pockets of big business (and have been since forever). I bet you'd have the same complaints about the Suffragette movement or Civil Rights Movement or anti-slavery etc. etc.

burtthebike wrote:

Great that Extinction Rebellion are taking the direct action that we need, as all the rhetoric of the past thirty years has made very little difference.  In the area we are interested in, cycling, the potential is massive, with a change from mass car travel to mass cycling.  Sure the government, national and local make nice noises and say how important it is to shift people out of their cars, but they still spend all the money on roads and a pittance on cycling.

So well done ER, and keep up the good work.

The guy's a moron, pity he didn't break his neck.

keirik wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Great that Extinction Rebellion are taking the direct action that we need, as all the rhetoric of the past thirty years has made very little difference.  In the area we are interested in, cycling, the potential is massive, with a change from mass car travel to mass cycling.  Sure the government, national and local make nice noises and say how important it is to shift people out of their cars, but they still spend all the money on roads and a pittance on cycling.

So well done ER, and keep up the good work.

The guy's a moron, pity he didn't break his neck.

Is his intelligence the main issue you have with him or is it his intent to cause disruption or the general Extinction Rebellion movement that you don't agree with?

You post seemed to be somewhat dismissive and aggressive but not particularly clear.

Personally, I think it's a shame that these kinds of acts are necessary because our "democratically" (for some values of democracy) elected representatives only seem to represent themselves and big business.

keirik wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Great that Extinction Rebellion are taking the direct action that we need, as all the rhetoric of the past thirty years has made very little difference.  In the area we are interested in, cycling, the potential is massive, with a change from mass car travel to mass cycling.  Sure the government, national and local make nice noises and say how important it is to shift people out of their cars, but they still spend all the money on roads and a pittance on cycling.

So well done ER, and keep up the good work.

The guy's a moron, pity he didn't break his neck.

Thank you.  I always appreciate well thought out, intelligent, considered, well argued criticism.

burtthebike wrote:

Great that Extinction Rebellion are taking the direct action that we need, as all the rhetoric of the past thirty years has made very little difference.  In the area we are interested in, cycling, the potential is massive, with a change from mass car travel to mass cycling.  Sure the government, national and local make nice noises and say how important it is to shift people out of their cars, but they still spend all the money on roads and a pittance on cycling.

So well done ER, and keep up the good work.

Got to be honest, ER closing Bristol Bridge IMO won't affect that many people (a lot, but not as many as it could).  They ought to have aimed higher, closed the Centre , but I suspect if they had then the powers that be would have probably sent in the army...

brooksby wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Great that Extinction Rebellion are taking the direct action that we need, as all the rhetoric of the past thirty years has made very little difference.  In the area we are interested in, cycling, the potential is massive, with a change from mass car travel to mass cycling.  Sure the government, national and local make nice noises and say how important it is to shift people out of their cars, but they still spend all the money on roads and a pittance on cycling.

So well done ER, and keep up the good work.

Got to be honest, ER closing Bristol Bridge IMO won't affect that many people (a lot, but not as many as it could).  They ought to have aimed higher, closed the Centre , but I suspect if they had then the powers that be would have probably sent in the army...

I think they did close the Centre - right by the Hippodrome - a couple of months ago. I'm not sure how long for. 

Bmblbzzz wrote:

brooksby wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

Great that Extinction Rebellion are taking the direct action that we need, as all the rhetoric of the past thirty years has made very little difference.  In the area we are interested in, cycling, the potential is massive, with a change from mass car travel to mass cycling.  Sure the government, national and local make nice noises and say how important it is to shift people out of their cars, but they still spend all the money on roads and a pittance on cycling.

So well done ER, and keep up the good work.

Got to be honest, ER closing Bristol Bridge IMO won't affect that many people (a lot, but not as many as it could).  They ought to have aimed higher, closed the Centre , but I suspect if they had then the powers that be would have probably sent in the army...

I think they did close the Centre - right by the Hippodrome - a couple of months ago. I'm not sure how long for. 

Really?  OK, I think I missed that...