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“But there are millions who care so much and feel so powerless about the future, and I would love to see them begin to understand the power of this one, simple law to protect the Earth – to realise it’s possible, even straightforward. I wish I could live to see a million Earth protectors standing for it – because I believe they will.”
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The cause is good but the movement's general approach re police and arrests is worrying. 'cops are the good guys' is a delusion that can only be held by privileged white people, and it's an attitude that alienates a sizeable portion of potential protesters who know first-hand how brutal cops can be and can't afford to be handed over to them if shit hits the fan.
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Kindly explaine “privileged White People”?
I take it you mean wealthy people , that can afford to pay for good legal defence when they
End up in court over there actions during the XD occupation and will , I have no doubt will be able to buy themselves an easy ride though the British “ Justice” system -
I don't see the problem with people using their privilege to try and enact the change that those with less privilege wouldn't be able to.
Or are you guys advocating that they instigate violence or somesuch so that they can also be mistreated by the police and therefore end up 'equal' with those without privilege? Sounds like a fairly dumb ass suggestion to me
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• #261
"And yes, I recognize the irony.
The system I oppose affords me the luxury of biting the hand that feeds.
That's exactly why privileged fucks like me
Should feel obliged to whine and kick and scream.
Yeah, until everyone has everything they need." -
appols if repost ...
Greta Thunberg
As the rumours, lies and constant leaving out of well established facts continue, please share this newly updated clarification about me and my school strike.
Please help me communicate this to the grown ups who lie about me and family so that I can focus on school instead:
Recently I’ve seen many rumors circulating about me and enormous amounts of hate. This is no surprise to me. I know that since most people are not aware of the full meaning of the climate crisis (which is understandable since it has never been treated as a crisis) a school strike for the climate would seem very strange to people in general.
So let me make some things clear about my school strike.
In may 2018 I was one of the winners in a writing competition about the environment held by Svenska Dagbladet, a Swedish newspaper. I got my article published and some people contacted me, among others was Bo Thorén from Fossil Free Dalsland. He had some kind of group with people, especially youth, who wanted to do something about the climate crisis.
I had a few phone meetings with other activists. The purpose was to come up with ideas of new projects that would bring attention to the climate crisis. Bo had a few ideas of things we could do. Everything from marches to a loose idea of some kind of a school strike (that school children would do something on the schoolyards or in the classrooms). That idea was inspired by the Parkland Students, who had refused to go to school after the school shootings.
I liked the idea of a school strike. So I developed that idea and tried to get the other young people to join me, but no one was really interested. They thought that a Swedish version of the Zero Hour march was going to have a bigger impact. So I went on planning the school strike all by myself and after that I didn’t participate in any more meetings.
When I told my parents about my plans they weren’t very fond of it. They did not support the idea of school striking and they said that if I were to do this I would have to do it completely by myself and with no support from them.
On the 20 of august I sat down outside the Swedish Parliament. I handed out fliers with a long list of facts about the climate crisis and explanations on why I was striking. The first thing I did was to post on Twitter and Instagram what I was doing and it soon went viral. Then journalists and newspapers started to come. A Swedish entrepreneur and business man active in the climate movement, Ingmar Rentzhog, was among the first to arrive. He spoke with me and took pictures that he posted on Facebook. That was the first time I had ever met or spoken with him. I had not communicated or encountered with him ever before.
Many people love to spread rumors saying that I have people ”behind me” or that I’m being ”paid” or ”used” to do what I’m doing. But there is no one ”behind” me except for myself. My parents were as far from climate activists as possible before I made them aware of the situation.
I am not part of any organization. I sometimes support and cooperate with several NGOs that work with the climate and environment. But I am absolutely independent and I only represent myself. And I do what I do completely for free, I have not received any money or any promise of future payments in any form at all. And nor has anyone linked to me or my family done so.
And of course it will stay this way. I have not met one single climate activist who is fighting for the climate for money. That idea is completely absurd.
Furthermore I only travel with permission from my school and my parents pay for tickets and accommodations.
My family has written a book together about our family and how me and my sister Beata have influenced my parents way of thinking and seeing the world, especially when it comes to the climate. And about our diagnoses.
That book was due to be released in May. But since there was a major disagreement with the book company, we ended up changing to a new publisher and so the book was released in august instead.
Before the book was released my parents made it clear that their possible profits from the book ”Scener ur hjärtat” will be going to 8 different charities working with environment, children with diagnoses and animal rights.
And yes, I write my own speeches. But since I know that what I say is going to reach many, many people I often ask for input. I also have a few scientists that I frequently ask for help on how to express certain complicated matters. I want everything to be absolutely correct so that I don’t spread incorrect facts, or things that can be misunderstood.
Some people mock me for my diagnosis. But Asperger is not a disease, it’s a gift. People also say that since I have Asperger I couldn’t possibly have put myself in this position. But that’s exactly why I did this. Because if I would have been ”normal” and social I would have organized myself in an organisation, or started an organisation by myself. But since I am not that good at socializing I did this instead. I was so frustrated that nothing was being done about the climate crisis and I felt like I had to do something, anything. And sometimes NOT doing things - like just sitting down outside the parliament - speaks much louder than doing things. Just like a whisper sometimes is louder than shouting.
Also there is one complaint that I ”sound and write like an adult”. And to that I can only say; don’t you think that a 16-year old can speak for herself? There’s also some people who say that I oversimplify things. For example when I say that "the climate crisis is a black and white issue”, ”we need to stop the emissions of greenhouse gases” and ”I want you to panic”. But that I only say because it’s true. Yes, the climate crisis is the most complex issue that we have ever faced and it’s going to take everything from our part to ”stop it”. But the solution is black and white; we need to stop the emissions of greenhouse gases.
Because either we limit the warming to 1,5 degrees C over pre industrial levels, or we don’t. Either we reach a tipping point where we start a chain reaction with events way beyond human control, or we don’t. Either we go on as a civilization, or we don’t. There are no gray areas when it comes to survival.
And when I say that I want you to panic I mean that we need to treat the crisis as a crisis. When your house is on fire you don’t sit down and talk about how nice you can rebuild it once you put out the fire. If your house is on fire you run outside and make sure that everyone is out while you call the fire department. That requires some level of panic.
There is one other argument that I can’t do anything about. And that is the fact that I’m ”just a child and we shouldn’t be listening to children.” But that is easily fixed - just start to listen to the rock solid science instead. Because if everyone listened to the scientists and the facts that I constantly refer to - then no one would have to listen to me or any of the other hundreds of thousands of school children on strike for the climate across the world. Then we could all go back to school.
I am just a messenger, and yet I get all this hate. I am not saying anything new, I am just saying what scientists have repeatedly said for decades. And I agree with you, I’m too young to do this. We children shouldn’t have to do this. But since almost no one is doing anything, and our very future is at risk, we feel like we have to continue.
And if you have any other concern or doubt about me, then you can listen to my TED talk ( https://www.ted.com/…/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_…/up-next ), in which I talk about how my interest for the climate and environment began.
And thank you everyone for your kind support! It brings me hope.
/Greta
Ps I was briefly a youth advisor for the board of the non profit foundation “We don’t have time”. It turns out they used my name as part of another branch of their organisation that is a start up business. They have admitted clearly that they did so without the knowledge of me or my family. I no longer have any connection to “We don’t have time”. Nor does anyone in my family. They have deeply apologised for what has happened and I have accepted their apology. -
So many people throwing hate at her. Spiked had a really atrocious article, written no doubt with their benefactors, the billionaire Koch brothers in mind.
She is standing up to such hate magnificently. The strength of her message is such that the forces of darkness (and that is what the short term self interested climate deniers are) will throw all they can at her as they cannot attsack the message itself.
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miro_o getting arrested isn’t some sort of democratic choice , I think a lot of people who took
Part in the demo will be getting a visit from the Met in the weeks and months ahead , that’s why the Met have camera teams , I sure they will be all sweetness and light during the interview process, as will the Magistrate in court , until he / she hands out the maximum fine allowed , or what ever , the State not like being made to look stupid , and a lot of smug gits are going to have a shock coming . -
getting arrested isn’t some sort of democratic choice.
Nearly every arrest was under section 14 and mostly not charged. The police were warning individuals clearly prior to arrest because (by design) the demonstration meant that was in the Met’s interest. The Police wanted and encouraged activists to walk away. So for these people (the vast majority of the 1k arrested) it was a choice.
I can’t speak for future arrests (of organisers etc). I know XR considered this in the structuring of the organisation. How do you think that crack-down will go down? Have you some experience of this?
Can this thread maybe go dark? ... oh dark lord @Velocio
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Mmmm section 14 look like a catch 22 type of law , which would apply to all of those who refused to
Go to or stay at Marble Arch during the demo , as far as I know arrest but not charged doesn’t mean
You won’t be rearrested and charged at a later date and just because you were arrested under section 14 doesn’t mean you won’t also be charged for other offences later , the police will be in no rush to process “ offenders” after all the police will have filmed them or the tv news will have , or they will post about” what I did on the demo “ on social media . As to how it will go down as to future prosecutions it will all depend on how pissed off the Home Secretary, and or the PM is,
Plus the Met was very slow to react , made fools of themselves by dancing , skateboarding etc .
It will all depend on how vindictive , the State wants to be . -
I know protesters are aware charges may still be brought and they are of course concerned but they’re getting good advice. Some people will undoubtedly go the prison.
However the police choose to proceed with the bridge rebels ..... it will be highly scrutinised due to the scale and political sensitivity and optics. We’re very lucky that this is the case. In France the protests were met on day one with state violence and gas.
XR know they are riddled with undercover officers etc. They also know it’s the paranoia (more than the intel) from undercovers that damaged Occupy. This is why XR are so open: very few secrets, a non hieratic organisation with autonomous local groups and a scale possibly unmanageable by police. Let’s hope for some success.
This clip covers some points brought up by @cycleclinic
not4sale
miro_o
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Drano
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punkture
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Oliver Schick-
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