Why the time to protest climate change is now
Scott Carbines January 11, 2020
All week, climate change protesters who planned on attending rallies across the country were demonised by authorities, commentators and other members of the public, but the time for action is now.
The horrendous, tragic and unprecedented bushfire crisis continues, with communities and emergency services facing more dangerous conditions the day that many protests were planned in capital and regional cities across the country.
Of course keeping people, animals and property safe and supporting those who need it most was, and is, the number one priority. That’s a given.
MORE OPINION: Scott Morrison is on a hiding to nothing over bushfires
Both the government and police said peaceful protests calling for urgent action on climate change, better funding of firefighters, and greater accountability from Scott Morrison should not go ahead.
In Victoria, North West Metro Region acting assistant commissioner Tim Hansen said the Melbourne rally planned for 6pm on Friday would deprive bushfire affected communities of police resources.
Climate Change protesters gathered in Melbourne following
a catastrophic bushfire season. Picture: Ian Currie
“The timing of this protest probably could not be worse if we are serious about supporting the communities impacted by fire,” he said.
It’s the police and government who prioritise where to send their resources, though. And the truth is that they don’t want these protests anytime. Those before them have also been demonised.
It’s never the right time for a protest in the eyes of the establishment – especially when the masses are most angry and mobilised.
And as many pointed out on social media, neither the police or the state government asked people to stay at home on New Year’s Eve at the height of the crisis, cancel the cricket – or ask the casino to close, all of which required significant police resources, especially New Year’s celebrations in the city.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews shared the same view as the police during the week, saying during an interview with 3AW, “I know the science stacks up, so I don’t disagree with them on a range of different points they’d make. But, I tell you what, you lose me and you lose a lot of other fair-minded Victorians who believe in climate change when you have a protest when you’ve been told point blank you are diverting police resources … That’s how you lose people who formerly were with you, who actually believe in climate science and believe that some of the challenges we face these days are because of climate change.”
Information about police resources was mixed. Picture: Ian Currie
But on Friday – the day of the protests – it was reported that, in fact, no force members would be pulled back from the bushfires to police the protest.
Again, of course keeping people safe amid awful conditions is the priority. No one is saying it shouldn’t be. But “lose people”? “Jeopardise support”? Really?
Lose people from what? They will become climate change deniers?
Jeopardise support from whom? The public, for real action on climate change? The government? They won’t take proper action?
This is how we’ve found ourselves in this mess.
Political journalist Barrie Cassidy tweeted a video of the comments with his own take: “Yes. The protesters’ hearts are in the right place but their heads are not. The timing of this is counter-productive and plays into the hands of those who criticise them. So why do it now?”
Because people are angry now.
Because the world is watching now.
Because we need action on climate change now.
“The timing of this protest probably could not be worse if we are serious about supporting the communities impacted by fire,” he said.
It’s the police and government who prioritise where to send their resources, though. And the truth is that they don’t want these protests anytime. Those before them have also been demonised.
It’s never the right time for a protest in the eyes of the establishment – especially when the masses are most angry and mobilised.
And as many pointed out on social media, neither the police or the state government asked people to stay at home on New Year’s Eve at the height of the crisis, cancel the cricket – or ask the casino to close, all of which required significant police resources, especially New Year’s celebrations in the city.
MORE OPINION: How good is Australia? Not good enough for a holiday, apparently
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews shared the same view as the police during the week, saying during an interview with 3AW, “I know the science stacks up, so I don’t disagree with them on a range of different points they’d make. But, I tell you what, you lose me and you lose a lot of other fair-minded Victorians who believe in climate change when you have a protest when you’ve been told point blank you are diverting police resources … That’s how you lose people who formerly were with you, who actually believe in climate science and believe that some of the challenges we face these days are because of climate change.”
Information about police resources was mixed. Picture: Ian CurrieBut on Friday – the day of the protests – it was reported that, in fact, no force members would be pulled back from the bushfires to police the protest.
Again, of course keeping people safe amid awful conditions is the priority. No one is saying it shouldn’t be. But “lose people”? “Jeopardise support”? Really?
Lose people from what? They will become climate change deniers?
Jeopardise support from whom? The public, for real action on climate change? The government? They won’t take proper action?
This is how we’ve found ourselves in this mess.
MORE OPINION: Social media has changed the way we see bushfires forever
Political journalist Barrie Cassidy tweeted a video of the comments with his own take: “Yes. The protesters’ hearts are in the right place but their heads are not. The timing of this is counter-productive and plays into the hands of those who criticise them. So why do it now?”
Because people are angry now.
Because the world is watching now.
Because we need action on climate change now.
Climate protesters took to the rainy streets of Melbourne on Friday. Picture: Ian Currie
The critics will always be there, no matter what, and authorities will always attack protests.
If they hadn’t demonised protesters in the past, maybe they’d listen. If they took the science seriously, maybe we wouldn’t be in this position.
A lot of decisions led up to these protests; those made by the powerful in this country.
Protests are all people have when elections couldn’t be much further away.
This one isn’t a choice.
Australia has become the apocalyptic global example of climate change and the catastrophic natural disasters we will continue to see with increased frequency and scale if drastic action isn’t taken.
It shouldn’t take multiple deaths, losing more than a billion animals – unknown numbers of which are now extinct or facing extinction, thousands of homes lost, and immeasurable trauma and devastation for society and its leaders to wake up and take this seriously. And it’s still not clear they will.
Authorities don’t want protests. They don’t want international attention and criticism. But this might be what it takes for the end of the world as we know it to finally be taken seriously. And that’s the fault of the powerful attacking the protests, not the everyday Australians who have had enough.
The critics will always be there, no matter what, and authorities will always attack protests.
If they hadn’t demonised protesters in the past, maybe they’d listen. If they took the science seriously, maybe we wouldn’t be in this position.
A lot of decisions led up to these protests; those made by the powerful in this country.
Protests are all people have when elections couldn’t be much further away.
This one isn’t a choice.
Australia has become the apocalyptic global example of climate change and the catastrophic natural disasters we will continue to see with increased frequency and scale if drastic action isn’t taken.
MORE OPINION: Politicians have no place on the frontline of bushfires
It shouldn’t take multiple deaths, losing more than a billion animals – unknown numbers of which are now extinct or facing extinction, thousands of homes lost, and immeasurable trauma and devastation for society and its leaders to wake up and take this seriously. And it’s still not clear they will.
Authorities don’t want protests. They don’t want international attention and criticism. But this might be what it takes for the end of the world as we know it to finally be taken seriously. And that’s the fault of the powerful attacking the protests, not the everyday Australians who have had enough.
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