very late response to COP15

The overwhelming difference from the Berlin “militance”, I’ve recently been surrounded by to the largely UK and US pacifism, particularly regarding repression and police brutality, left me frustrated. There was certain commitment lacking from a lot of people, I think from the separation in them between their daily lifestyle and causes of their activism. I felt like big opportunities were missed where stronger demo reactions could have made a big impact in the direct actions, which I thought were all hard hitting and appropriate. It was obvious that the police would be heavy handed. Each of the demos advertised an illegal action; block the harbour, break into the ministry of defence, storm the Bella Centre etc so it was no wonder there were mass “preventative” arrests, especially seeing as in the run up to the summit new laws were rushed through to make it more possible to do so. At first I was angry that it had all been so obvious. In Berlin it would have been all-out-chaos, complete with burning cars, mass incarceration and hospitalized police. But is that any better? In having a lasting impression, I think not. I like the idea of transparency and being open about doing a mass direct action, but if you go down that road, you still have to have a powerful block of people, committed to following it through. As it turned out, the police mostly succeeded in controlling the demos and aside from a few brave breakthroughs, reminding us that the cops are not impenetrable, the week of actions gave across a pretty weak message: the term “climate justice” being waved around like a worthless token of consensus within the scene. What do we want? Something vague and unattainable! When do we want it? We don’t know, it’s more of an existential utopia kind of thing! Something more concrete would have been nice… resignations of CEOs, abolition of laws, demanding the introduction of specific human rights etc etc … sometimes it’s all so daunting and bleak I have to accept the truth in this quote: “in the fight between you and the world; back the world” – frank zappa