Just Stop Oil Protest

I'm not saying I consider Just Stop Oil's methods the most effective or best way to go about achieving their aims, but for all the people referencing MLK Jr, I think this quote from him should always be on our minds:

"First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season."

If you aren't happy with Just Stop Oil's protests but you agree with them in theory, maybe stop directing your anger at them and start directing it at those in power who are actually far more deserving of that anger. If you think they should be going about bringing change in another way, why not do it yourself instead of doing the easy thing and ctnically judging them on an internet theatre forum.

It also feels like a lot of people when they invoke MLK Jr or the Suffragettes as examples of good protest forget that they were met with all kinds of resistance and similar claims from liberals who agreed with their cause but disagreed with their methods etc. and not all branches of either cause we're peaceful.

Everything I've heard about MLK and the protests organised says that they were protests that made sense. The bus boycott, because of specific issues with buses. Sit-ins, in places where black people were normally not welcome. And of course marches, which have been common to almost every protest movement.

As for the suffragettes - they were dangerous terrorists who quite possibly delayed women getting the right to vote, and are portrayed far too kindly by history.

JSO haven't the common sense of MLK and his movement, and don't deserve to be spoken of in the same sentence. I absolutely will not respond to their ridiculous, self-indulgent protests in any way other than to want them stopped.

Screw that!  Supplying incriminating evidence of their actions to the Police?  In the week of the C4 Partygate documentary where people got fines of £10,000 while the (bloody hell, can't even find a word that doesn't contain expletives) did the WTF (Wine Time Fridays)?  
Screw that!

I wonder if the four individuals will be banned from every theatre in London?

But they alienate more than they persuade. Which means they are failing.

Passion is fine. But it has to be channelled correctly for it to be effective.

They aren't noble. They are actively bad for the cause they seek to champion.

Dunno if they are.

We are (still) talking about it.

Like for all the musicals - no such thing as bad publicity?

Also they aren't actively bad for the cause - at worst they are neutral. There are very very very few people who would think "well I kinda care about the environment, but actually I hate JSO, so yeah thinking about it, I don't give a **** about the environment."

The worst they are for the cause is ineffectual. As perhaps they are not doing a great job at bringing people on the fence along with the cause. But they don't turn people with the cause against it. IMHO.

Apologies - not specifically directed at you Simon - my views on all the similar posts!

The sad thing is a lot of youths today, with high inflation and the job ladder becoming increasingly challenging, are more inclined to make a movement their own identity when they have nothing meaningful in life to do.

Same with a lot of movements nowadays

So they will be willing to do stupid stunts and whenever any reasonable voice tells them a counterpoint they put their fingers in their ears and shout the ist words to shut out anything that shatters not only their world view but who they’ve built themselves up to be

I think that while yes, you could say Stonewall was a riot, it was an in-the-moment reaction in a time and place specific to its cause. Jumping on a musical theatre stage to protest fossil fuels is incongruous really, an attempt to grab headlines and I honestly don't think anyone is more "aware" of climate change than they were a few days ago as a result.

Also, remember that in the current climate, especially in a crowded theatre in a capital city, there is always the potential threat of a terrorist attack. These people turned out to be relatively peaceful protestors, but in those first few moments when they charged the stage, it must have been a pretty scary moment for all those in the building. I mean they could have been attackers with knives or worse for all anyone knew.

JSO always comes across on TV really badly. 

But it hasn't got people talking about the issue. All we are discussing is their tactics.

That isn't advancing the cause they claim to represent.

Interesting to note that Dale Vince is abandoning Just Stop Oil as he’s come to the conclusion that “further protests and the disruption that comes with them  are pointless” and are actually “counterproductive”. He says he won’t give them any more funding.

Exactly this!  It hasn't brought more attention to the cause, it has caused only discussion of them and their tactics.

Personally, I can't stand JSO, every time they are on TV, they're completely unlikeable and arrogant.  Reading their posts on Twitter / X, anybody that disagrees with anything they have done usually comes back with aggression and 'you just want the world to die'.  


While I completely stand behind making the world greener, they have really done nothing to move forward their cause.  With all the protests and gluing themselves to anything, throwing paint over buildings, hanging banners and the rest of their protests, the government then scaled back their net-zero targets - so in effect they have achieved exactly nothing beyond peeing off the general public.  I bet there was zero consideration for someone that saved for ages and paid out £200-£300 on train tickets per person to travel from the north, paid likely over £100 for a hotel and then the cost of the tickets to see the show as a special occasion, and had the night ruined.  If they wanted to create change, peaceful protest out the front of the Conservative Conference, or go for their usual throw paint and glue themselves to the floor - would have hit the headlines without ruining someone night out.