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It is precisely this type of self-righteous posturing that causes people to pass laws to block radical groups from blocking traffic and as well as driving the p
by rsj_hn 5y ago
It is precisely this type of self-righteous posturing that causes people to pass laws to block radical groups from blocking traffic and as well as driving the public into opposing whatever legislation you are advocating.
Sorry, but no civil rights gains were made as a result of people harassing pedestrians and motorists. They were made despite these selfish tactics, not because of them. These types of tactics significantly set back the civil rights movement in the U.S. just as the watts riots set back African American rights.
Always be suspicious when an angry mob tries to justify antisocial behavior with claims of "the greater good". It is never about the "greater good", but is always about theft, domination, and harassment, and it always ends up hurting your cause.
- Symbiote 5y agoLast week an English high court judge said > protests “causing some degree of inconvenience are to be expected and, up to a point, tolerated” in a democratic society that recognised the right to freedom of assembly. (but in this particular case, the protesters went too far by breaching earlier court orders.) Whether it ends up hurting their cause in this case remains to be seen. They were trying to be jailed before the COP conference began, but despite continued illegal protest nothing much happened until afterwards. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/17/nine-insulate-britain-activists-jailed-for-breach-of-road-blockades-injunction https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/17/nine-insulat...
- rsj_hn 5y agoI'm glad you agree that while protesters are allowed to cause some inconvenience, they are not allowed to disable critical infrastructure like access to roads. This is why most areas in the U.S. which are concerned about rule of law (some areas have "progressive prosecutors" that put activism above the rule of law) do not allow protestors to do this, and they make sure that the legal code discourages things like blocking highways or shutting down traffic.
- Symbiote 5y agoThat was not the case in the situation in Britain. Some disruption to critical infrastructure was tolerated, but not repeated disruption, and especially not after an earlier court case had ordered the protests to stop blocking roads. > I'm glad you agree Please don't assume my opinion. I tried to keep my comment neutral.
- markdown 5y ago> It is never about the "greater good", but is always about theft, domination, and harassment, and it always ends up hurting your cause. You can't imagine ever being in a position of non-privilege and needing to protest in order to be treated fairly, can you?