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Comment by efitz | Hacker News Reader

I don't understand what activists expect to achieve from blocking roads.

The people being affected aren't going to stop and think "wow, you're right, capitalism is killing the environment, I need to become a marxist". They're gonna think "I wish the police would come throw these bozos in jail (and maybe beat them up first to discourage others)". I would love to see any reasonable study indicating that blocking traffic has any positive outcomes.

It seems to me like nonviolent terrorism, e.g. "we're gonna deprive you of your rights until you support our political cause".

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I see this comment all the time. In fact practically every protest ever, there's a load of people who show up and go "Don't know why you're even bothering, it's not going to achieve anything".

There's two things to say in response: Firstly, there is a long established history of non-violent protest achieving change. Secondly, what is your actual proposal to people to get the change they want instead of these protests - and are you confident that these people aren't already pursuing those avenues.

Uhh, bad together, form a PAC, and use lobbyists to distribute money to politicians that support their aims?

I am sympathetic to people who peacefully protest and without disrupting others, or who get permits for expected disruption so that accommodations can be made for affected people.

I’m also sympathetic to people who refuse to comply with unfair laws, e.g. Rosa Parks.

What I’m not sympathetic to is people who intentionally try to torment others under the guise of protest.

> I don't understand what activists expect to achieve from blocking roads.

The goal is to get attention for their cause. Seems to be working successfully considering this is in the news.

They got what they wanted, which was to annoy everyone, and to be subjected to forcible removal by the authorities.

This allows them to feel as though they were suffering for their righteous cause. Being arrested whilst making oneself the target of obloquy from an otherwise insouciant public is deeply satisfying to a certain type of narcissist.

Knowing that the act made them hated is all the reward they need. Fixing the climate this way is a fantasy ideology, much like Bin Laden blowing up the WTC to stop American imperialism, or J6 trespassers shitting on Pelosi's desk to protest an election. It's not the cause, it's the people.

Well, it's a pre cursor to much more efficient autonomous drones blow up pipelines and liqgas shops to raise prices for carbs death spiral protest.

Its a miracle and speaks for the carb cartel and the movement sthat in a world of cardboard drones and pipeline we are not already at nordstrean all the things.

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