Extinction Rebellion desecrate cenotaph.
 

On another site I’ve seen a video of someone dressed as a soldier walking across the wreaths at the cenotaph this morning to place a “climate change” wreath above the others at the cenotaph.

He actually stepped on the wreaths at the Cenotaph.

I’m saddened that XR will not denounce it, I’m saddened that the chap looks in his 70’s and he thinks this is an ok thing to do.

Hoping he’s a Walt.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/11/extin...-day-13575181/

Veteran Donald Bell hangs the wreath on the Cenotaph :ugh:


https://videos.metro.co.uk/video/met...2212816987.mp4

This...

XR certainly know how to shoot themselves in the foot!

The lack of respect is, frankly, breathtaking.

Why does this deluded idiot think it is OK to hijack remembrance day and tread on the wreaths laid in memory of the very young people this country sent to war and who were killed doing their duty to defend this country - absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with climate change.

NOTHING deserves this disrespect. People like this make me sick.

I didn’t know he was a veteran.

surprisingly he says that the fact he is a veteran gives him the right to step on the wreaths.

I haven’t served, so it’s hard for me to understand some things, but I don’t see how serving gives you the right to step on the memory of your fallen comrades.

Does it?

We have met the enemy, and he is us.

They only want the press exposure and try anything "new/different" to get it. Maybe people should find something that XR find dear to them and then "crap" on that. Unfortunately when Police sit and watch letting them do what they wish does not give anybody, especially youngsters, a very good example does it!

I was none too happy to see the public excluded from the Cenotaph ceremony on Sunday... Just have to accept it, I guess...!!!

He may have served (in what, as what?). He is still a Walt.

I suppose a retrospective court-martial is out of the question. Anyone who has served knows the sacrifices that have been made, and YOU DO NOT step on wreaths of remembrance.

Four tours in NI, and injured in a bombing in which 2 colleagues were killed, according to this.

As such, he should know better. Far better.

Pick your fights.
 

I have no problem with him standing up for his XR beliefs, I have a real problem with him attempting to steal the show, particularly when that show is:
a) To respect those who have gone before on all sides.
b) To remind us all not to go down that road again (which would surely be in line with XR's ideals?).

Editing to say that he was careful in his approach, and withdrawal from the Cenotaph, fair dos; I still disagree hugely with his attempt to steal the show; not the time, not the place.
I stand by my original statement ;

Buffoon.

Absolutely disgusted by this.

Also downright angry that these morons are undermining their own cause, which is something if left to sane minds would probably be handled just fine.

If they can't play nice, ban the movement and lock them up.

I presume he didn’t like those colleagues and didn’t want to respect their memory.

But I don’t think that means he can tread on the memory of others does it?

Emma Thompson will turn up to defend him shortly I suppose.

May not have been the most sensitive way of going about things.

But he's absolutely right. The biggest risk to our country of climate change is war. It's not rising sea levels, we're not the Maldives. It's not desertification, we're not short of rain. The risk is some poxy country far away that needs water and attacks some other country, and we get drawn in.

Think it's far fetched? Look at ww1. Watch the video above. Read the MoD report.

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From what I can see, the Cenotaph wasn't desecrated.
He didn't stand on any of the wreaths that had been laid. In fact, I can see that he was trying to not stand on any of them.

I don't like XR, I think they are an utterly repugnant group and, given their radical energy agenda, it is ironic that they would highlight that climate change means war, when their own vision will also result in conflict over rare earths and other resources to manufacture the kit.

With that said, I think there's quite an overreaction here. I don't see the fallen being disrespected, nobody has attempted to burn the flags, draw graffiti on the Cenotaph or climb on it which is a stark contrast to the events in the summer. The dude just laid a wreath, without standing on any of the others.
Those we are remembering today made the ultimate sacrifice for King/Queen and Country, in the defence of our freedom. One of those freedoms is the freedom of expression, and, while the group is misguided, it is absolutely reasonable to highlight that if we don't tackle climate change now, we will only see an increase in conflict. They have a right to a peaceful protect, just as much as you have the right to call them a bunch of d*cks for doing it on this day. That's how freedom works and I wouldn't want to live anywhere with lower standards.

It was a publicity stunt to attract media attention to their cause. Seems it worked.

Oh, and the Cenotaph was opened in 1920 to commemorate those lives lost in WW1. There was no threat to our freedom in WW1 at all.

Exactly...
They wouldn't do this if it wouldn't get the entire country's backs up. They wanted to start a conversation.

Being a little controversial gets the conversation going. Look - we have an example of that right here.
Now everybody is trying to figure out how this could mean more war, if they haven't figured it out already.

This has even attracted the attention of senior members of Her Majesty's Government, such as Johnny Mercer MP.

I always question the motives of people when the 'conversation' they want to start is patently only ever going to be at full volume and accompanied by a chest poke.

I was furious when I saw it the first time, this morning.

I went away, made a cup of coffee and thought about it.

The message isn't wrong, and I watched the video multiple times.

XR?? Bunch of eco-warriors currently infiltrated by the Socialist Labour League (Trots) and Young Communists of GB - both are models for the "Peoples Front for the Liberation of Judea" etc etc

Really? If we'd lost WW1 and the Central Powers were victorious then what price for UK freedoms? Until the USA entered the war such an outcome was a distinct possibility. Those who fought for us on the Western Front and elsewhere were conscious of that possibility and I venture to suggest it was part of why they endured the carnage as they did. It is of course portrayed as nothing of the sort now, that they were Lions led by Donkeys, victims of a class ridden society whereby the poor died so that the rich might get richer. I think that is an insult to the memory of the fallen who died in defence of all our freedoms. Germany suffered terribly in the 'Peace' that ensued, to the extent that they pinned their faith in a regime that soon stripped them of their freedoms. Why should it have been different if the roles were reversed?

As to XR, of course they wanted to cause outrage in order to bring publicity for their cause. Did they succeed? Yes. Were they right to do so? No, it's just another group who know what is right along with all the others that do so too.

Says it all really...... what it REALLY is about.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-54840215

I had my ticket and was happily about to jump on the outrage bus... but I see no stamping on wreaths, no desecration. A bit of a wanky protest but climate change affects us all and if we don't pay attention to it the world will suffer as surely as if those we remember hadn't been willing to sacrifice their lives.
There's more than one way to squander a generation.

The sooner this rebellion is made extinct the better. They are always happy to use what is effectively force, to inconvenience or upset ordinary people going about their normal lives.

Our freedoms are rapidly dwindling. XR are a bad lot, and their effect is to give an excuse to our "authorities" to clamp down further.

XR, (like BLM and others) are too offensive in their own way to garner mainstream support. But they certainly give an impetus to our governing bodies in the UK to restrict liberty.

The model is to provoke halfhearted rebellions that can then be wholeheartedly crushed. Has worked for authoritarians for millennia.

Ok first up I’m not a climate fanatic. Think we should just adapt as we go. It’s what we are good at. Not changing human nature.

That out of the way this above post is so 50’s. Who cares if they are supported by communists, Buddhists, or the pope himself. This is the 21st century and I think we are beyond the “Red Scare”.

The world has moved on. The day of the major nations going to war for land is long gone. They have all figured out there is no reason, as it can’t be won. You may conquer but you will never rule. Economic war is the way to go now which all major countries have accepted. China is well into this and is leading the fight and to be fair I’m not sure anyone can stop them. Some minor countries with no major economy to speak of still opt for the confrontational approach, but in the main tanks rolling down Main Street are a thing of the past.

If they really believe in a long term approach, they would get themselves sterilised to reduce the world population - although it could well be too late.

And light their farts to cut down on the methane output.

The virus deniers were pepper sprayed, and a piper assaulted.

Just saying

After the invasion of Belgium, conducted in order to invade France, to deliver a knock out blow to the latter so they couldn't/wouldn't come to the aid of Russian and Serbia, who were next on the German list of nations to confront over the perceived threat to Austria-Hungary. What would have happened if we kept our selves to our selves? I'm not saying this wouldn't have been the better course of action, but had the German Schlieffen plan worked? Also, what about the WW2 crowd? they are represented by the Cenotaph, always have been as well as those who have been placed in harms way since.

FB

I think there's a mistake in the veteran's surname, it should be Bell-end

I suppose a public hanging is out of the question?

Worth having a read of the Bio of the founder of XR on Wikipedia.
Good for a chuckle.
” Extreme weather “ events apparently destroyed his tiny farm in Wales.
He might like to visit Australia !
Is there something in the water in the UK at the moment?

Credit to the BBC for a change. They didn't feature it on the national news.

It is a utterly disrespectful act - no sympathy.

But - I totally understand their concern.
Like the science that says COVID is bad and will kills lots of people, especially if governments don't do hard lockdowns.
Climate/ Environmental science has been pointing out that we marching toward a catastrophe. Orders of magnitude worse for humans and the planet than COVID if we don't change our ways in an dramatic fashion.

we disregard / don't act to our extreme peril.

I am currently watching this idiot on morning TV. He just had his ar$e handed to him by Afghan veteran Marine Ben McBean, but still refuses to admit what he did was wrong. Sometimes I feel like putting my foot through the tv and sending ITV and XR the bill!

"That out of the way this above post is so 50’s. Who cares if they are supported by communists, Buddhists, or the pope himself. This is the 21st century and I think we are beyond the “Red Scare”.

HF40 if you look at my posting history you'll see I'm no red-baiter and that I believe that climate change is happening and is a big issue

XR started out as a group of people who believed in direct action against climate change - I'm no fan of direct action when there are other avenues to follow but that's what they were. In the last year or so they have been infiltrated by those who want to turn it into another anti-capitalist, anti- business, anti-police action group. The idea is of course to provoke retaliation and radicalise the membership on other issues. It isn't a "Red Scare" - its what is actually happening - the YCLUK is on record telling it's members to join XR for this very reason.

The real issue is that XR turn off more and more people (even Greenpeace deals with them using a very long pole) and they damage the whole climate change debate