Climate protesters block roads

[Europa1]

turbobloke said:

kev1974 said:

They've gone ahead and set up camp in Cambridge today. Local police have obligingly closed a couple of roads for them, and tweeted to let the public know. It's not going well on the public opinion of the police front.

https://twitter.com/CambridgeCops/status/122899250...

Cambridge News has 'first pics'.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-ne...

It looks as though at least one of the protesters has learned to use crayons to colour in without going over the lines.

3 to 5 years of age early learning goal win

Apparently we've got 11 years to sort out the alarmists / extremists.

Edited to add the link to Cambridge News.

Edited by turbobloke on Sunday 16th February 16:27

For those that don't know Cambridge, the roads closed are the main access to the Grand Arcade car park, the closest car park to the city centre.

I have just read with incredulity of the Police using "emergency powers" to close roads because of these protesters, who number a few dozen. And yet the Council wrings its hands over the death of the high street...

[Blakewater]

If they want to do something constructive related to the environment that will get them good publicity and not annoy anyone, they can help with sandbagging and cleanups where there's flooding.

[Langweilig]

They do not appear to be wanted. Further reading has revealed that they defiantly obstructed an ambulance, forcing it to turn around.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-ne...

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-ne...

Edited by Langweilig on Sunday 16th February 18:35

[CrutyRammers]

Incredibly poor judgement by the police there.

[Europa1]

Langweilig said:

They do not appear to be wanted. Further reading has revealed that they defiantly obstructed an ambulance, forcing it to turn around.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-ne...

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-ne...

Edited by Langweilig on Sunday 16th February 18:35

Not allowing the ambulance through strikes me as particularly crass on their part.

As to their demand for the University (the biggest employer in Cambridge) to sever all ties with the oil industry, I must commend the response of Andrew Parker, Principal Bursar at St John's College Oxford, when faced with a similar demand from some students occupying its quad: "I am not able to arrange any divestment at short notice. But I can arrange for the gas central heating in college to be switched off with immediate effect. Please let me know if you support this proposal."

Edited by Europa1 on Monday 17th February 11:02

[Agammemnon]

CrutyRammers said:

Incredibly poor judgement by the police there.

Eventually someone will apologise & tell the public that lessons will be learned. Someone will then blame funding cuts. Someone else will then produce surveys showing incredible public satisfaction with the police.

Next week it will all happen again.

[Vanden Saab]

CrutyRammers said:

Incredibly poor judgement by the police there.

Yes, it seems that if you have an extension rebellion flag you can do anything you like. I wonder how long it will be before other people realise this... How long will it be before a clever business employs a couple of crusties, supplies them with an XR banner and gets them to block the entrance to their competitors premises.

[CambsBill]

Europa1 said:

As to their demand for the University (the biggest employer in Cambride) to sever all ties with the oil industry, I must commend the response of Andrew Parker, Principal Bursar at St John's College Oxford, when faced with a similar demand from some students occupying its quad: "I am not able to arrange any divestment at short notice. But I can arrange for the gas central heating in college to be switched off with immediate effect. Please let me know if you support this proposal."

It's tempting to go down to the XR thingy and sit in the car doing a static DPF regen for a while (if you can do such a thing just by running high revs whilst stationary)

[Pericoloso]

Channel 5 9pm.
Documentary on XR.

I won't be watching,I'm going for a healthy walk.

[Blakewater]

I once read an answer on Quora written by a policeman. I can't remember what the exact question was, but he said the fundamental part of his job as a policeman was to prevent the public taking the law into their own hands. The police can't prevent or solve every crime, but they have to be seen to be doing enough to stop vigilantism.

He cited an example of reports of a man in a blue pickup trying to entice children into his vehicle. People all over the neighbourhood were reporting on community web pages every blue pickup they saw and the police had to be seen to be dealing with the reports to prevent some innocent guy in a blue pickup being lynched.

In this case, the government and police seem to think the tide of public opinion is supporting Extinction Rebellion, or they're afraid that wily lawyers employed by Extinction Rebellion will sue them if they do anything.

Overwhelming public opinion is clearly that the protesters should be rounded up and moved on, or locked up. If the police don't do something to get the roads cleared the public will take matters into their own hands as they did when crowds attacked protesters at Canning Town tube station.

[turbobloke]

Blakewater said:

I once read an answer on Quora written by a policeman. I can't remember what the exact question was, but he said the fundamental part of his job as a policeman was to prevent the public taking the law into their own hands. The police can't prevent or solve every crime, but they have to be seen to be doing enough to stop vigilantism.

It's ironic how they're becoming a cause of vigilantism (see tube train incident) due to a lack of action in removing obstruction as opposed to lawful protest which there's no reason or need to remove.

Blakewater said:

Overwhelming public opinion is clearly that the protesters should be rounded up and moved on, or locked up. If the police don't do something to get the roads cleared the public will take matters into their own hands as they did when crowds attacked protesters at Canning Town tube station.

Exactly, as noted above they're hardly working to prevent the public taking direct action when they appease alarmists and extremists who are intent on obstructing the public highway.

Blakewater said:

In this case, the government and police seem to think the tide of public opinion is supporting Extinction Rebellion, or they're afraid that wily lawyers employed by Extinction Rebellion will sue them if they do anything.

The police are running scared for sure, the government is slightly more robust so far and Boris has made his views clear regarding XR "uncooperative crusties in hemp-smelling bivouacs".

One appears to be misjudging public opinion more than the other. The PM has removed a native greenblobber from chairing Glasgow's COP, the annual climate carbonfest boondoggle, and has told Brussels that UK plc doesn't see their devotion to fanatical ecoreligion as helpful to this country's future. What actually happens is another matter entirely, but so far so good.

The police make much of policing by consent while forgetting that this involves recognising how the power of the police to fulfil their role effectively is dependent on public approval of their words and actions, and in particular on their ability to secure and maintain public confidence and respect.

Somebody local knew this at one time

Cambridge police are losing the plot.

[Murph7355]

turbobloke said:

...
Cambridge police are losing the plot.

Totally agree - I can't believe they think this is acceptable. (Unless they've herded them onto Acacia cul-de-sac and they're not actually interrupting anything).

The irony of protests that are likely to cause pollution generating congestion though us amusing.

Europa1 said:

As to their demand for the University (the biggest employer in Cambride) to sever all ties with the oil industry, I must commend the response of Andrew Parker, Principal Bursar at St John's College Oxford, when faced with a similar demand from some students occupying its quad: "I am not able to arrange any divestment at short notice. But I can arrange for the gas central heating in college to be switched off with immediate effect. Please let me know if you support this proposal."

Good response by the bursar. Should have taken it further - we'll turn off all heating and power, and will get back to you all in a month or so once we've hand calculated and written what your new fees will be to take up the slack.

I wonder when all of this nonsense will come to a head...it can't be too far off now.

[A Winner Is You]

So the precedent has been set that protest groups are allowed to block off urban areas. Does that mean that if a group of people wanted to protest in favour of Adum Choudry or Tommy Robinson, they will be given similar freedom?

[Cold]

An ambulance being forced to re-route in Cambridge. Notice the blue lights are on. (Photo credit: David Johnson Photographic)

XR response to this picture: "This is a lie. Ambulance chose to turn. Ambulances have been briefed by Ambulance Service to reroute.", Jamie Goodland.

[voyds9]

A Winner Is You said:

So the precedent has been set that protest groups are allowed to block off urban areas. Does that mean that if a group of people wanted to protest in favour of Adum Choudry or Tommy Robinson, they will be given similar freedom?

Probably yes and no.

[Sophisticated Sarah]

Cold said:

An ambulance being forced to re-route in Cambridge. Notice the blue lights are on. (Photo credit: David Johnson Photographic)

XR response to this picture: "This is a lie. Ambulance chose to turn. Ambulances have been briefed by Ambulance Service to reroute.", Jamie Goodland.

Bellends


Although I don’t think that their pretend barricade would be difficult to drive through?

[Some Guy]

Looks like the Fench Police have the "right stuff".

Climate campaign group Extinction Rebellion has posted footage on social media reportedly showing French riot police dousing activists at an airport protest with pepper spray.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51516442

[essayer]

So I can just close my local high street for any sort of protest and the police will allow it? Is this force policy?
What the fk

[Stussy]

They really becoming nothing but a fking nuisance

[MiniMan64]

Cold said:

An ambulance being forced to re-route in Cambridge. Notice the blue lights are on. (Photo credit: David Johnson Photographic)

XR response to this picture: "This is a lie. Ambulance chose to turn. Ambulances have been briefed by Ambulance Service to reroute.", Jamie Goodland.

This is a lie?.

Look at how quickly those protestors are hoping put the way, moving the barriers out the way before the ambulance even gets there...

Bullst