this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2023
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I honestly believe blocking roads the most effective way to protest in today's society.
It's one of the few ways that's dreamed "illegal" to protest. And most governments will do anything in it's power to clear the roads, including imprison people.
People need to realize that being late to work doesn't actually matter, but the state of the climate does. We need more road blocks. Some without people too, just barricades.
People also need to realize that you're not just making people late to work by blocking roads. There are people going to receive medical care, emergency services, picking up their children, buying food, and otherwise providing for their families. I'm not saying these problems don't need attention, but please find another way.
This blockade isn’t preventing any of that, there are small diversions. A mild inconvenience at worst.
Roads are regularly closed for events (which do not enjoy constitutional protection as a human right, as protests do) and roadworks.
Finally the other ways are being done. There was a simultaneous protest on a field nearby. There are regular marches, die-ins, sit-ins - you name it, it’s being done.
It is customary to allow emergency services to pass through blockades. But for other people, interrupting the economy is literally the point. The economy is destroying the means of habitability of this planet.
You can make arguments like this for all forms of protests and the planet continues to burn.
What is an acceptable level of protest? Joining r/climatechange and upvoting the circle jerk?
What are you suggesting? That people find a way that doesn't impact anything in any way and can easily be ignored? And today's climate protests are easily the most non-violent protests the West has seen in a long time.
I'm not opposed to more active protest, but I don't think drivers in the Netherlands are a good target.
Considering the Netherlands is the poster child for how to run a transportation system on Not Just Bikes, I think they are barking up the wrong tree. In places like the US, blocking roads will just cause more emissions from all the idling vehicles. I live in the US and can say with confidence that it wouldn't change much.
US transportation reform is a whole other thing. It will take at least a decade to undo all of our car dependency even with a large effort. The best the we can immediately do in the US is encourage telework, 4 day work weeks or longer and fewer shifts, and peer pressure people into not driving canyoneros and monster trucks unless they frequently drive off road or on dirt roads.
As far as the Dutch fossil fuel usage goes, since Europe has usable rail system, maybe protest air travel?
My suggestion is go for the biggest and most immediate bang for buck so to speak. Beef production is one of the worst contributors and the easiest to change. It is also generally more expensive than other proteins. Maybe start slipping leaflets into the beef sections of stores showing the staggering difference in GHG emissions AND cost. It can have immediate results too! We can collectively eat less beef right now.
A protest that isn't inconveniencing anybody isn't a protest