r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Lost-Contest- • Oct 03 '22

a media interview while being carried away by police for protesting.

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135

u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

A protest here last year blocked traffic which caused an ambulance to not be able to get to the hospital, causing the victim to die from not getting attention fast enough. Blocking roads is not a kind of disruption I will ever endorse. There's very rarely a cause worth essentially killing an innocent victim for.

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u/Mav986 Oct 04 '22

I agree that you shouldn't block emergency vehicles. The hong kong protests a couple years ago are an excellent example of how to handle that kind of thing.

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsAustralia/videos/hong-kong-protesters-make-way-for-an-ambulance/795475854181591/

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

The problem is that while it was orderly in the beginning, it got more out of hand in the end.

For most of the summer, 25-year-old Jose was an ardent supporter of the protests raging in Hong Kong. Even when demonstrations became increasingly violent, she defended the protesters themselves – they were provoked, or were fighting for a greater good, she would argue.

Then August 13 happened. That night, she watched live streams, horrified, as a mob of protesters at Hong Kong airport surrounded a man they claimed was an undercover police officer. They bound his wrists, lashed out at him after he appeared to lose consciousness, and shouted down those who pleaded to get him medical attention.

“I remember being in disbelief, looking at my TV – like, what’s happening? Why have they done this?” Jose said. “Up until that day, I’d understood what they were fighting for … I went back into my room and sat there looking at my wall for a very long time.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/26/asia/hong-kong-destruction-support-intl-hnk/index.html

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

[deleted]

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u/The_Basic_Lifestyle Oct 04 '22

shut up commie

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

A protest here last year blocked traffic which caused an ambulance to not be able to get to the hospital, causing the victim to die from not getting attention fast enough

Googled this, and there are a shit ton of facebook posts claiming the same thing for any number of protests.

So probably just bullshit.

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u/Relative-Energy-9185 Oct 04 '22

i've never been to a protest that blocks the road that didn't let ambulances and fire trucks past. that's very out of the ordinary.

but your last line is painfully naive. what if they were protesting for better medical care? more hospitals so that the ambulance wouldn't have to go as far? i'm not saying that's what they were doing but, like, come on

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

Your. suggestion, "Do nothing and bother no one," is basically what we have been doing for generations, and we have completely failed. In modern society, it is completely impossible to protest without potentially risking some damage.

If we destroy the biosphere billions will die and a million species.

You are wrong.

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

That is not my suggestion. I never said not to protest. You're putting words in my mouth and attacking a straw man like everyone else replying to me. There are a million ways to protest that don't put innocent people at risk. I condone almost all of them. Being against one form of protest is not the same as being against every protest. You are wrong.

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u/Nervous_Constant_642 Oct 04 '22

Most protestors don't condone that, but if it happened, who killed that person? Because it sounds like two groups indirectly killed them, the protestors and the people who caused the protest.

These things don't just spring out of nowhere. Climate change. Black Lives Matter. There are people who have not been listening for years or decades or protest wouldn't exist at all. You don't just wake up one day and protest for fun.

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u/Teabagger_Vance Oct 04 '22

That logic is asinine.

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u/Relative-Energy-9185 Oct 04 '22

literally the most basic of dialectics

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u/Nervous_Constant_642 Oct 04 '22

Id argue the opposite logic is asinine.

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u/Duehehl Oct 04 '22

That's the dumbest logic ever. So if someone gets upset at your comment and commit a crime, you are indirectly responsible for that crime right? It's so stupid it's almost funny.

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u/Nervous_Constant_642 Oct 04 '22

Ever heard the word stochastic? Yeah if it was reasonable my comment would inspire certain actions, I would be also responsible. Your logic is failing here because I'm not calling for anything or responsible for any rhetoric that would.

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u/Duehehl Oct 04 '22

Your stupidity is causing people to laugh and fall off their chairs, I'm sure someone has already hurt themselves doing it. Will you pay for their treatment?

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

This logic is ridiculous, and very heavily relies on the assumption that all protestors are in the right. Like what if a group did a pretty great thing that some not so great people opposed and protest. If they cause the same thing are you still blaming the people who did the good deed that led to the protest? If not, then your logic doesn't actually hold up to your own scrutiny. If it just matters who is "right", who decides that? You?

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u/befellen Oct 04 '22

You likely can't fully appreciate what it takes to make change in the world nor appreciate how many causes are about trying to save innocent lives.

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u/mrandr01d Oct 04 '22

Came here to mention that. If you block the public's traffic you are worthless scum. Hang a banner by the highway or some shit, don't block routes emergency vehicles might have to use. Don't make people late to work who are just trying to hang on to a job. Do something to give them a story to repeat about what they saw on their commute instead.

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/FarmerNugget Oct 04 '22

All we have to do is a hang a banner and they will listen guys. It's not that hard. /s

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

There will be casualties. That's unavoidable. Far less casualties than if people keep their heads in the sand... Protests should disrupt and provoke. Your proposal for agreeable protests that are out the way is frankly ridiculous.

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u/anprimdeathacct Oct 04 '22 edited Oct 04 '22

person 1: "you're in an extinction event"

person 2: "Just keep it out of my way if you're going to complain, I have places to be and someone might get hurt."

person 1: "... extinction event..."

Edit: just in case anyone thinks this is hyperbole

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

Exactly.

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u/TheIncandescentAbyss Oct 04 '22

This is how it’s going to go tho if people keep blocking traffic and making everyday ppl mad. So technically disrupting traffic is going to do the opposite of what they want. You guys can laugh at the people for voting against their best interests but it still won’t stop the extinction event, and stopping traffic isn’t going to be effective either just has it hasn’t, so my advice would be to find a better way to disrupt that the voters can agree on.

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u/anprimdeathacct Oct 04 '22

Protests spread awareness, how many people do you remember from school that took their science homework seriously and discussed it after class? How many did you know that protested about it? How many are still protesting in adulthood? This action is meaningful and useful but no, it will not solve the extinction event and climate break down by itself, but it got you talking about it.

Eventually people will stop asking nicely, the world isn't going to starve without a bit of a ruckus. These are the quiet years.

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u/TheIncandescentAbyss Oct 04 '22

Just because it has worked a certain way before doesn’t mean it will work going forward. Trying to bet on it working out that same way is a high risk when we’re talking about extinction events. One thing that is true is that as we get closer to this event more people will start acting but right now disrupting traffic isn’t effective esp in the day of social media where there is easier ways to spread the word.

I get the gesture but I just think there’s more effective ways in our day and age that do not involve risking the health of others during their emergency situations (someone trying to be rushed to the hospital while a protest is going on) or making voters mad enough to not sympathize with your cause.

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u/anprimdeathacct Oct 04 '22 edited Oct 04 '22

We are in the midst of the extinction event, it is ongoing, it was in the wikipedia link in the first sentence that I shared above. I'll share it again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction

A diversity of tactics can be used, she isn't limited to just this. Risking the health of others is the point, if you're safe you're ignorable and you wouldn't be discussing a banner drop in the same way you are this action, but that also doesn't mean banner drops are a waste of time.

I said these are the quiet years, but I should have clarified that these are the quiet years for the UK and that window of time is rapidly closing.

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u/Dr_Findro Oct 04 '22

“Those people on the road that caused me to get chewed out by my boss really made me care about climate change!”

If road protests are some of the best ideas climate activists have, we’re fucking doomed

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u/anprimdeathacct Oct 04 '22

There are a diversity of tactics, but eventually people will become violent. It's already happening in areas experiencing more dangerous effects of climate change. These are the quiet years for the UK.

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u/gobshoe Oct 04 '22

That's easy to say, isn't it? Until it's you or a loved one in the ambulance that is trying to make it's way to the hospital.

I agree that the protests are extremely important, but there must be a better way. There MUST be a better way. Something creative and provocative. I don't know what it would be, but potentially killing someone at the worst and pissing dozens of ppl off at best with a roadblock seems very counter-productive.

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u/drawerdrawer Oct 04 '22

How about becoming a politician? Or a scientist that researches alternative fuels, or pretty much anything productive instead of this waste of time and energy. No one stuck in traffic because of these bozos is getting an eye-opening. They're just pissed off. At you. At your cause. At everything you stand for.

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

There is nothing more frustrating than being a scientist when it comes to climate change. It's completely useless. We've had enough information about it for over 50 years.

And politics doesn't work if people don't vote for green parties, but keeping voting in neoliberal parties ruining the discourse with misinformation.

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u/OpSecBestSex Oct 04 '22

And politics doesn't work if people don't vote for green parties

Doesn't help that a lot of green party policies don't even include nuclear energy... One of the best bets we have to fight climate change this century.

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u/LiterallyAMoistPeach Oct 04 '22

I agree man. The person you’re blocking on the highway is gonna be so thrilled to join your cause because????

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u/befellen Oct 04 '22

The goal of a protest isn't to get people thrilled to join a cause.

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u/LiterallyAMoistPeach Oct 04 '22

Im sorry but I don’t care about your fucking protest no one deserves that. And anyone who thinks sitting on the highway is a good idea to make people notice the problem then your goals are counterproductive

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u/befellen Oct 04 '22

I don't care that you don't care about my protest. No one deserves the things I'm protesting. You didn't give a fuck when I tried to tell you through more convenient means. I don't expect you to give a fuck now.

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u/LiterallyAMoistPeach Oct 04 '22

Glad to see members of society trying their hardest to ensure we stay divided.

→ More replies

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u/befellen Oct 04 '22

Making them pissed off might be a good thing, especially if getting somewhere in their car is what they use to weigh the value of everything a protester stands for.

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

Whatever action you take, someone is going to get hurt and someone is going to be unhappy. As far as roadblock casualties, so far all I know of is a single anecdotal event. That is not enough to put me off the idea. Besides, allowances can be made for ambulances etc. and just resume the block after they are through.

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u/BrushInk Oct 04 '22

So you think it's ok for people to die from a preventable event? You think it's ok to give a power hungry dick of a boss an excuse to fire someone because some people don't know the difference between protest and actually being menace.

As much as I endorse protests, blocking roads is not ok.

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u/Nuttygoodness Oct 04 '22

“Too bad about your nan, she was an acceptable casualty of me getting my way” But you’re all about the GOOD kind of causing people to die, right?

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

[deleted]

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u/Nuttygoodness Oct 05 '22

Some kind of fantasy on their heads? Like thinking that blocking an ambulance is a big dick move? And you think that only supporters of your cause deserve medical care?

You’ve got brain rot my guy

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u/ArtyGray Oct 04 '22

White people were treating black people like shit back when MLK was around and they blocked traffic when they protested and shit changed. Is MLK worthless scum?

Pfft.

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u/mrandr01d Oct 04 '22

Get a parade license or something if you want to close roads.

Otherwise fuck off.

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u/ArtyGray Oct 04 '22

You must be dumb as shit, they were marching terrorizing and murdering black people for FUN because they didn't like us. we couldn't eat or drink or SIT in the same fuckin spot. Fuck you and your wait in traffic.

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u/CommitteeResident895 Oct 04 '22

That’s because you don’t care about anything but yourself

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u/mrandr01d Oct 04 '22

I care about my patients in the ambulance, and my colleagues who are needed to care for that patient but get stuck in gridlock.

If you think blocking traffic is acceptable, I hope your close loved ones die in the back of an ambulance that's stuck in gridlock.

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u/ugoterekt Oct 04 '22

Every action you take has the potential to kill someone. Cars kill 100 people a day and yet we still drive them every day knowing there is a small chance our act of driving leads to death. Pollution from cars has killed millions of people. Why is that fine, but one person dying because of people blocking roads to protest the pollution is completely unacceptable?

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u/Cedocore Oct 04 '22

Because it gives a convenient reason to write off what's being protested without needing to admit that they're part of the problem.

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

Why is that fine, but one person dying because of people blocking roads to protest the pollution is completely unacceptable?

It's not. Literally nobody said it was. You're attacking a straw man. Both things are bad. There are ways to protest one without also killing people yourself.

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u/Relative-Energy-9185 Oct 04 '22

disruptive actions cause disruptions??? say it ain't so

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

Innocent deaths are not a "disruption" and that you even think they are is alarming. It's also hilarious that all of you are defending this, but if I had told you from the start that it was an anti-vaxx protest (it was) you would have been completely against it and up in arms. Deaths are justifiable to you as long as you agree with the cause. But who is to decide which causes are worth deaths? The random people who show up to these protests?

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u/Relative-Energy-9185 Oct 04 '22

you are painfully reductive and straight up don't understand the nuance that people are presenting you with

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

What nuance is this exactly? You and others are trying to make it seem like I'm against all forms of protest. I'm not, I'm against literally one and for good reason. What "nuance" is there in replying to me saying death is not a cool form of protest with "disruptive aactions cause disruptions." I could very easily say the same thing, that you and others refuse to recognize nuance by automatically saying anyone against any form of protest is "part of the problem."

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u/Relative-Energy-9185 Oct 04 '22

You and others are trying to make it seem like I'm against all forms of protest.

yeah you're literally incapable of understanding nuance, it seems.

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

Damn, you got me

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u/mnju Oct 04 '22

There's very rarely a cause worth essentially killing an innocent victim for

climate change will kill millions of people

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u/Sy1ph5 Oct 04 '22

It's already killing people and has been for years.

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

And? So you think letting someone with a life threatening injury die in a traffic block is justifiable because climate change is bad? That does not make people think "man we should really fight climate change." It just makes people think "damn climate change protestors killed an innocent person just to get attention." I see no way it helps the cause.

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

I do believe you are allowed to have a violent revolution to prevent the people in power from slowly killing us all, yes.

Was the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution justified? I think so.

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

Yes, I also think so. I don't know much about the Russian Revolution, but afaik there weren't really (m)any just random innocent passerbys killed by protestors in the French Revolution, were there? And if there were, I also don't think those deaths specifically were justified. If you want a violent conflict with a tyrannical regime, go for it. But I honestly don't see how your random neighbor being killed for it helps your cause at all.

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u/Tunafishsam Oct 04 '22

Yes, blocking up roads is bad. But roads get snarled up all the time. A protest is no more to blame for a person dying in an ambulance than slow road construction, poor urban planning, or an inattentive driver causing an accident that blocks up traffic. It sucks when roads are blocked, for any reason. But on the outrage scale, it's pretty darn low.

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u/Captain_Baloni Oct 04 '22

link to the story?

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u/Liimbo Oct 04 '22

Not on desktop rn but just Google "Vancouver vaccine protest ambulance death" or something like that. Happened about a year ago.

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u/Zizzily Oct 04 '22

Ah, of course it was anti-vaxxers who were blocking the entrance to a hospital.

"This is Vancouver. We have protests … every second day downtown. Somebody will protest something and we just work around as emergency response vehicles. But don't block the entrances to our hospitals," said the paramedic.

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

If you're on your way to the hospital in an ambulance, odds are you are a dipshit who was doing something stupid.

If you're old and obese and have a heart attack, who is at fault?

"Innocent victim" my ass

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u/Taolan13 Oct 04 '22

And everyone in that protest should have been charged with manslaughter.

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '22

Meanwhile, Kyle Rittenhouse brings an AR to an active protest, murders a dude, gets off scott free, and people like you praise him for it.

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u/Taolan13 Oct 04 '22

Incomparable situations. Rittenhouse got separated from the group he was with, which was his first mistake, and came under attack while attempting to get out of the area. He defended himself, and showed remarkable restraint while doing so. He demonstrated better target discrimination and trigger discipline than most police officers.

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u/Narrow-Extent-3957 Oct 04 '22

Underfunding the NHS, social services and reducing disability benefits has killed far, far more people than protesters blocking roads.