From an idea debated around a kitchen table to bringing Central London to a standstill for a week in a few short months is impressive by any measure but that is exactly what the climate change protest group 'Extinction Rebellion' have achieved.
Making the decision for more to be done by the British Government to tackle Climate Change after marches, demonstrations and petition singing was getting them nowhere, ER took a leaf from the styles of Gandhi and Martin Luther King and used the tactics of 'mass non-violent civil disobedience' by sitting in streets, chaining themselves to street furniture and gluing themselves to public transport.
As the ER group are made up of men, women and children, the authorities that to go in mob handed and cracking heads as they usually do would look terrible on a group of the elderly or mothers carrying children, so they have been gently carrying away the non-resisting protesters for arrest, 936 at the last count.
The protest has been a huge success and grabbed the media, public and Governments attention and most importantly put Climate Change on the agenda but ER should not carry it on too long because they may have the public support but that can be a fickle thing.
The hundreds of thousands estimated to have been affected by the disruption could soon turn against them if they are unable to get to work or school or hospital for a second week so ER need to quit while they are ahead.
The problem they now face is that after such a huge first success, how will they follow it up because they won't be able to jam up London again.
Short of a major climate catastrophe to drive home the point they have been making about the consequences of our actions, ER need to go back to the kitchen table and come up with another way of keeping the non-violent civil disobedience but find another way to push home their valuable agenda.
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