“Swarming” Climate Activists Bring London To “Standstill” During Rush Hour

November 21, 2018

Calling themselves the “Extinction Rebellion,” radical environmentalists brought parts of London to a standstill during the morning rush hour to call attention to climate change.  These environmental activists blocked cars in key London intersections, disrupting traffic in the latest political stunt from climate activists.

It seems America’s environmental extremism has hopped the pond.

One of the protest organizers explained their tactics, telling the press, “This is about causing economic disruption by slowing things down, bringing things to a gridlock. This is an experiment, really. I think that’s the most important word.”

London police? They reportedly let the protestors maintain their roadblock, prompting citizens trying to get to work to sound their car horns and voice their displeasure to officers. “You’re part of the problem and all,” one passerby apparently shouted.

The tactics used by Extinction Rebellion may be having the opposite of their intended effect. One student who witnessed the protest remarked that these methods “might alienate people” from their movement. This is the second major protest in London this week. On Saturday, 85 climate protestors were arrested after occupying five London bridges.

It’s no surprise that Extinction Rebellion’s tactics are alienating the very people they hope to persuade – no one likes protestors who shut down traffic during rush hour when people are just trying to get to work to support their families.

In Louisiana, protestors opposing the Bayou Bridge Pipeline have come under increasing fire for dumping litter on state lands in violation of the law, and some protestors were arrested for trespassing. Not ones to quit, the protestors then embraced crazy antics like hoisting themselves 35 feet in the air in “sky pods” to avoid felony trespassing charges.

We’ve written before about how the environmental left’s core belief is the environmental need is so great, the ends justify the means. That is how they justify such radical protests. While that kind of thinking may work in whipping up a few zealots to block a highway, it is not how you have sensible policy discussions on energy issues.

Maybe if the left calmed down a bit we could have a reasonable discussion about growing our economy while protecting the environment. But for now, it looks like they will keep performing illegal protests and yelling the sky is falling.

Meanwhile, we’ll be fighting for energy workers and sensible discourse.