There’s protests ... and there’s public nuisance

Until 2017/18, I’d never been to a protest rally in my life.

Maybe that’s an indication that I’m apathetic.

I prefer to think I hadn’t been passionate enough about anything to consider rallying for the cause.

That certainly changed when all the Schools of Air in WA faced closure along with the Moora Residential College and other education facilities.

With Schools of the Air, I knew first-hand what a blow it would be to isolated kids in the State.

I had been a parent of those kids and knew nothing would replace the education, support and camaraderie offered by these schools.

The closure of Moora Residential College, likewise, didn’t make sense, and the dismissal of those students in the college as being able to just go somewhere else was not just heartless, but wrong in every way.

The rallies I was involved in were loud in voice, proud in manner, and determined in their mission. However, not once did these rallies disrupt people from going about their regular business. All were conducted with the correct permits and followed the requested protocols.

Some may say several road trains/trucks driving up St Georges Terrace were a nuisance, but the traffic was no worse than travelling on the freeway in peak hour.

Extinction Rebellion is another kettle of fish altogether. When a group believes in a cause but to further their cause creates mayhem and chaos for everyday people just trying to go about their business, I have neither time nor sympathy for them, regardless of their cause.

Stopping peak-hour traffic, which could include emergency vehicles rushing to an incident, glueing themselves to roads and locking themselves to gates doesn’t make me want to hear any message they may have.

Hold your protest if you wish, but don’t disrupt people’s lives.

That traffic you have held up may include emergency vehicles on their way to a crisis. The delay caused by your blocking of traffic could be the difference between life and death to someone.

That members of the Rebellion travel the world with their protests against governments who, they say, are doing nothing about climate change is ironic given the carbon footprints of aircraft.

The fourth “principle and value” on their website states: “leaving our comfort zones to take action for change”.

Sounds more like a trip around the world to me.