PSA: Protest Action blocking roads in Wellington may start again from Monday 28th August

Forums › Off topic › PSA: Protest Action blocking roads in Wellington may start again from Monday 28th August

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#3121143 28-Aug-2023 12:55

rb99:

Post #1 - 'I don't want this to turn into a political discussion or argument - this is not been posted in the right forum for that!'

- so hows that working out then ?

Well, @rb99, your comment made me lol. The rest of the thread? Ehhhhh...... I was well aware I might be starting a burning trashfire in a dumpster, and so far, that appears to be accurate.

jamesrt

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#3121145 28-Aug-2023 12:56

rb99:

And yet strangely the first post links to a Police webpage entitled Planned Protest.

Only because I saw that link before I found the related "media" (stuff - so, using 'media' in a very loose term) link...

I may, however, not bother with another PSA in the future. ;-)

Lias

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#3121147 28-Aug-2023 12:59

I think it's worthy of note that both @MikeB4 and I are in agreement.. It's a bit like David Seymour and Rawiri Waititi being in agreement on something :-P

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#3121152 28-Aug-2023 13:07

So, for the sake of arguement, MikeB4 would obviously not be too impressed if being stuck in a queue caused by unannounced road protests caused him harm. But, ill informed as I am, it seems that the protest was some kind of 'get people to use trains more' thing ? so what if MikeB4 suffered harm not because of protest, but being stuck in a queue caused by people using cars for unnecessary trips in some possibly pointless 4x4 5 seater with only the drivers seat occupied, which I guess the protesters are trying to do something about.

Apologies if I'm putting words in MikeB4s mouth, its not intended.

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rb99

Lias

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#3121159 28-Aug-2023 13:30

rb99:

..which I guess the protesters are trying to do something about..

They want free public transport to reduce climate emissions , but my understanding is their focus is mainly on rebuilding our inter city rail capability which has suffered pretty badly in the last 30 odd years. As noted above it's not their goal most of us take issue with, it's their actions.

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#3121162 28-Aug-2023 13:37

The Bellamy Brothers song Old Hippy applies here for me and I really relate to it, I am an old hippy, I protested Vietnam War, Manapouri, Anti-Nuclear, Abortion rights and so on.

The way to protest is to do it in a fashion that encourages thought, debate and joining. The Restore Rail here and the End Oil protests in the UK and beyond are only resulting in negative debate. Sadly these folks don't see this and are failing to bring folks along and to join. In my view they are damaging a good cause and generating an opposite outcome to what the cause needs.

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#3121164 28-Aug-2023 13:51

MikeB4: Sadly these folks don't see this and are failing to bring folks along and to join. In my view they are damaging a good cause and generating an opposite outcome to what the cause needs.

FWIW, I agree - except that being nice about it hasn't gotten anyone anywhere, has it?

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Talkiet

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#3121165 28-Aug-2023 13:54

SaltyNZ:

Protesting is not criminal behaviour. The right to protest is a pillar of democracy.

Largely agree, but even with the right to free speech in the US, you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre. Same thing here... you can protest all you like but when your protest physically prevents 3rd parties from travelling to work / earning a living, then that has moved beyond peaceful protest.

Personally, if I am (in my view) unreasonably impacted by a protest, my opinion polarises against the protester views. Raise awareness, inform - don't annoy and frustrate people.

Cheers - N

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#3121166 28-Aug-2023 13:57

MikeB4: ..I protested Vietnam War..

A classic example of how opposing our views are.. I took great pride in marching in Parade '98 with the man who I consider my unofficial foster father. RIP Tiger.

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#3121167 28-Aug-2023 13:59

Talkiet:

Largely agree, but even with the right to free speech in the US, you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre. Same thing here... you can protest all you like but when your protest physically prevents 3rd parties from travelling to work / earning a living, then that has moved beyond peaceful protest.

Personally, if I am (in my view) unreasonably impacted by a protest, my opinion polarises against the protester views. Raise awareness, inform - don't annoy and frustrate people.

Cheers - N

Blocking the street is not the same as yelling 'Fire' in a crowded theatre. If 'inconveniencing people' was the bar at which people should stop and rethink their protest, the US would be the world's biggest British colony. Armed revolution is a few steps further down the path when governments don't listen.

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#3121171 28-Aug-2023 14:07

Out of sheer fascination, I went and observed a couple of these morons after they glued themselves to the road a few months ago. There were at least half a dozen police officers there, trying to handle the stressful job of turning around the blocked motorists while removing the protestors.

How much would it have cost the taxpayer to provide those police resources, and how many potentially life threatening police callouts would have been delayed as a result?

I was thinking we should send them the bill, but then most of them are probably unemployed and broke.

Talkiet

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#3121216 28-Aug-2023 14:10

SaltyNZ:

Blocking the street is not the same as yelling 'Fire' in a crowded theatre. If 'inconveniencing people' was the bar at which people should stop and rethink their protest, the US would be the world's biggest British colony. Armed revolution is a few steps further down the path when governments don't listen.

Depends... did the traffic jam created end up blocking an ambulance carrying a critically ill patient?

Did it have that possibility?

In any case, we disagree and that's fine. In my opinion a group blocking the streets does their cause more harm than good, and upsets/frustrates people. I believe that the anger and frustration created is directed at the protesters.

Personally, I'm going to figure out what political party opposes what these protesters want and vote that way. It's a tiny act but I feel there should be consequences for their activities to frustrate and upset so many people.

Notice how I'm not even sure what they are protesting for/against - To me the entire story is about their methods, not their motivation. If they wanted to influence me, not only have they failed, but they have gone backwards. And that's their fault - not mine.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

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#3121219 28-Aug-2023 14:23

Talkiet:

In my opinion a group blocking the streets does their cause more harm than good, and upsets/frustrates people.

Oh, those are two different things: I believe they have the fundamental right to do it. But that doesn't mean it's always good idea. I think you're right about that; they aren't winning themselves any friends right now. But equally as such I can see their point of view.

If they weren't disrupting people they would not even be ignored. "Ignored" implies you see them, but choose not to engage. If they weren't obnoxious, you just wouldn't notice them in the first place. The USA is the USA because they inconvenienced the British with a whole lot of bullets. India is independent because they also inconvenienced their colonial masters, albeit mostly without the bullets. The Soviet Union didn't collapse under the weight of letters sitting in the Kremlin post office.

What massive social change can you think of that was accomplished by the cunning means of "making sure nobody notices you"? Do you even read whatever signs people are holding up as you drive down the street? I don't. I'm busy driving.

So - you have as much right to think these guys are f***wits as I did about the Parliament protestors. You also have to right to be annoyed about their methods.

As Ghandi is often (mis)quoted as saying: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." If these guys are already at the "fight you" stage it probably won't be too much longer before they win. After all, they're right.

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#3121223 28-Aug-2023 14:27

SaltyNZ:

As Ghandi is often (mis)quoted as saying: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." If these guys are already at the "fight you" stage it probably won't be too much longer before they win. After all, they're right.

They're still in the being laughed at phase for me - and I dispute the linear progression through those stages that Ghandi didn't exactly say... I think there are a lot of people who were laughed at and never got any further. Flat earthers?

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

MikeB4

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#3121224 28-Aug-2023 14:28

Lias:

A classic example of how opposing our views are.. I took great pride in marching in Parade '98 with the man who I consider my unofficial foster father. RIP Tiger.

The irony is I come from (mentioned on GZ previously) a family with a long history of military service both alive and long passed on. I have two sons who served in harms way. I have supported some recent military action. My protests during the Vietnam War was never directed at or about those serving it was about those idiot politicians and bad actors that put these folks in that position. I have great respect for those serving now and those who served in the past.

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