Last Generation Austria (Letzte Generation Österreich) disbanded recently, because they can’t handle legal fees anymore. Others are on the same path.
While protesters for other causes face no consequences, climate protesters get arrested regularly.
For example farmers in Germany protested that they don’t get subsidies anymore for using diesel engines, blocked and hindered main streets, people and buisnesses. Held a ferry full of people hostage because a politican with his family was on board, with no real negative or legal consequences.
German government caved to the farmers, while at the same time charging climate activists en mass for blocking highways and such.
It is not just climate protesters getting the brunt. Anyone protesting for human rights, anti discrimination, anti fascism or any progressive cause will get various levels of supression, if not just straight up police violence.
Meanwhile literal Nazis are treated fairly nicely and during Covid the police was beating up permitted protests to make way for non permitted Nazi/Esoteric/Conspiracy protests.
TBF, there are some farmers being charged. But yes, it’s definitely not to the same extent as climate protesters.
the farmers are rich land owners though
Certain countries, such as the one where The Guardian is based, have long been infiltrating, surveilling and even using anti-Terrorism legislation against Ecologist groups.
They treat Far-Right extremism significantly more mildly than Environmentalism.
France used anti-terrorist legislation to prevent ecologist groups to demonstrate (by legally forcing them to stay home) during the G7 summit in Paris
That’s because a whole lot less cops and soldiers are environmentalists.
It’s no secret that protesting is very inefficient, but it’s also mostly peaceful and more ethical than other methods.
Politicians should just remember, that people will be forced to use the unethical, less peacful alternatives, once they can’t protest any more.
InefficientineffectiveProtests don’t work if the governing body has no respect for the voice of the people.
The entire history of civil disobedience begs to differ.
Protests are how people make the government respect them.
Changing policy? Sure, do it with signcards and gatherings. But when the people do overthrow their oppressors, it is with force of some kind.
Who said that civil disobedience is not force?
Regardless, we always need a combined arms approach, a … diversity of tactics if you will…
So, you mean climate protest is working, it’s becoming actually dangerous to the system.
“Rich counties” - what is the definition? Who is the rich?
The report this article is based on is actually called “On Thin Ice: Disproportionate Responses to Climate Change Protesters in Democratic Countries”
The title of the article is a bit misleading including the term “rich countries”, especially as that term is not used once in the article.
In my mind measuring the level of democracy is harder than the wealth of a nation.
The Guardian - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report)
Information for The Guardian:
MBFC: Left-Center - Credibility: Medium - Factual Reporting: Mixed - United Kingdom
Wikipedia about this sourceSearch topics on Ground.News
