They targeted only the most harmful cars (SUVs) and they did so in the most rich districts of the city, hitting the privileged upper class - which is responsible for most of the worlds pollution. In the face of climate change only car fetishistic troglodytes will criticize this reasonable and non-violent action.
To everyone who is against this, and call the people supporting it "disgusting":
Here is a post on Beehaw about climate activists who spray-painted a yacht. Posted about 10 days ago but only has 68 upvotes, and 15 comments at this time; meanwhile this post sits at 182 votes and 151 comments just 1 day after. Off course, you could argue it's because c/environment isn't as big as c/news; although that could be said to be a demonstration of the problem itself. But the real questions are: why did it not spread further, and why did you almost certainly not hear about it?
Because no one gives a shit about that. It raises no eyebrows. Because it's meaningless and doesn't really inconvenience anyone. She probably just had her yacht cleaned, and it never bothered her for more than the 5 seconds she was made aware of the spray paint. It's not going to stop any other rich people from buying yachts, and it's not going to raise the awareness of the average person and cause them to reduce their consumption either. In the end, it accomplished absolutely nothing.
Climate activists have been trying peaceful protests for 50 years, do you need a reminder of how bad things are getting?
And before the arguments about how this affects "working class" people, but all of it is really the billionaire's and companies fault and that governments need to act: What do companies stand to gain from ruining the planet? Money, which the people give to them while offering each other excuses to consume. What could a government do to stop it? Well, they could introduce carbon taxes, stop subsidizing meat, and invest in more bike lanes and public transport; which would all result in higher gas prices, higher prices for anything made of plastic (among other goods), more expensive energy, much more expensive meat, a lot more bike lanes with smaller roads, and more public transport. Are these all things you're okay with? If yes, then there's no reason to not get "ahead" (although we're far behind) of the problem and start organizing; and if no... well, then you might have stumbled into the problem.
Finally, here is a picture from two posts on c/news that I think illustrates the problem quite well.
Personally I'm into less than peaceful protest aimed at the most powerful among us. But I hesitate to talk about such things anywhere with anyone. This kind of stuff just makes protestors feel like they are accomplishing stuff while pissing off all the wrong people. For example, I'd cheer them on if they sunk the yaght. But painting it just makes me roll my eyes.
Being a climate activist is important.
Being malicious to others is garbage behaviour and you're doing nothing but making sure people actively want to hurt the environment out of spite.
These people also give genuine climate activists a bad name. Reminds me of when extremists ruined the word feminist. It's hard to explain to people that you want women to be treated equal, but you don't hate men and want them to die.
No form of protest is acceptable to liberals (let alone conservatives). When you peacefully protest, no one pays attention, when you damage private property, everybody screams, when you are disruptive while not damaging said private property, you're still a dick. So who cares, keep on going.
The problem is protests like these hurt working class families. Folks just trying to get by. In my area, you can’t exist without a car. If you want to protest do something that affects the decision makers. People like me have no power.
In the areas of Hamburg that have been targeted not one single person needs an SUV. We have reliable public transport that's easily accessible to wheelchairs or strollers as well. So yeah, it did target the right people.
I'm pretty sure that Hamburg isn't such an area, and that SUV's are a totally unecessery folly there. This isn't hurting working class families. (Also, people like you do have power, organize)
Climate activists have been trying peaceful, convenient protests for decades now yet humanity is fucking up the environment faster than ever.
If your example with feminism shows us something, it's that no matter what you do your actions will be misconstrued by bad actors and your image will be tarnished in a counter-campaign regardless, so if you want to protest something, just skip the phase when you do polite convenient gentle reminders, and go straight to violence and terrorism, if that's what you will be seen as anyway.
It seems like the protest is working because people are both pissed and talking about their carbon footprints like they and their "working class" brothers in humongous SUVs are and were perfect saints that are just innocent bystanders in the crossfire between climate activists and oligarchs. I think these people who bought those SUVs were happily brainwashed into believing they needed this meat bucket to be "Safe" and "Haul Things".
I have no patience for folks who ignorantly decided to drink this climate koolaid, and I think these cars are not only a menace on the road, but a convenient way of telling the world "I don't fucking care about you". Oligarchs meanwhile are happy they made these vehicles accessible to the "working class" so that you can take personal offense on their behalf, really playing yourself there don't you think?
I don't fucking care about your tires, and I'm happy your pissed that someone is willing to do this to them 🤷
Setting aside the general disdain these communities have for people who drive large vehicles...
I don't think vandalization of personal property is going to win anyone over to support your cause. Protests need to be disruptive to be effective, yes, but I would wager this either alienates people trying to do better, or further radicalizes people actively working against green energy measures.
Protests need to be disruptive to be effective, yes, but I would wager this either alienates people
What kind of disruptive protest that doesn't alienate people would you suggest instead?
When they blocked roads, people were pissed.
When they blocked an airport, people were pissed.
When they planted trees on a golf course, people were pissed.
I'm not totally sure to be honest. I don't have a good solution. People need to be pissed for protests to work. But let's say you convince someone to sell their SUV and get a smaller car That SUV already exists. Probably will sell it to afford the next thing, right? Someone is still driving the thing. There's a carbon cost to The replacement car. My understanding is it's usually best to drive your vehicle for as long as possible (buying an electric car when your current car is fine is worse than just waiting until your current car breaks down, then eventually replacing it). Targeting your protests or energy toward policy change for future vehicle production might be more effective? Again, I don't know.
The golf course one is interrupting a leisure activity, rather than stopping someone's ability to go to work and provide for their family.
But if people came out to go to work and their car has the air let out of the tires, it's going to feel more personally malicious I think, which seems like it could alienate people. Being stuck in traffic because of a protest, well, at least you're stuck as a group?
It is a fine line, to be sure, I'm just not sure where to draw it.
The attitude is odd.
For example I'd love to buy an electric car but they're just far too expensive for me to be able to afford. I need something, so I get a cheap and 2nd hand car. Inevitably that is an ICE because even second-hand electrics are hugely expensive. Yet somehow I'm the one targeted?
Why are they not targeting the people who are actually the problem rather than irritating the general public who broadly agree with them in principle who but lack the ability to really do anything effective.
The consumer is a large part of the problem, though. People want these types of cars and not because they are better at what they are supposed to do.
Regardless of that I don't think this is a good way to protest.
For example I’d love to buy an electric car but they’re just far too expensive for me to be able to afford. I need something, so I get a cheap and 2nd hand car. Inevitably that is an ICE because even second-hand electrics are hugely expensive. Yet somehow I’m the one targeted?
I think the goal is to target people with huge, luxury cars. Anything else doesn't make sense at all.
Will they say they're targeting SUVs
My problem with that is if you go and look up SUVs online you'll find that everything from actual suvs right down to estate cars are considered to be SUVs these days.
They are not trying to win these idiots over they are stopping them from driving their useless vehicles. What other plans do you suggest?
Win people over, probably not. However, it might discourage people from driving/buying big cars.
I wish this form of protest would catch on elsewhere as well. Every day I'm struck by the number of huge gas-guzzling pick up trucks parked around the city, and seemingly every bed completely empty. Letting out the air to their tires would certainly be slower and more work than the old method of puncturing their tires, but has the dual benefit of not necessitating replacement (which has a carbon cost of its own) and not enabling the vehicle owner to file an insurance claim.
This is a horrible form of protest because it is likely to cause property damage as most people are completely blind and oblivious and will drive on their now deflated tires for a bit before realizing something is wrong.
That will likely ruin the tire and possibly also damage the rim.
Second, you have no idea who you hurt and the repercussions of it.
There’s no immediate “big car = bad person” logic that’s valid.
If you want to protest in a meaningful manner you should support politicians who want to increase taxes for fossil fuels.
There’s a reason the average engine size (and thus vehicle size) is lower in Europe, and it’s not small streets and parking spaces.
Obviously since giant cars never took off here we didn’t scale things to fit, but that’s a chicken and egg thing.
The situation you are describing where a car owner returns to their vehicle, fails to see their four flat tires, fails to notice the note on their windscreen explaining that their tires have been deflated in protest, fails to notice their car's tire pressure warnings, and drives any way, and drive enough to ruin their tires AND wheels seems unlikely enough to qualify as catastrophizing. The far more likely outcome is that the owner returns to their car and then spends some time, perhaps an hour or two, figuring out how to reinflate their tires.
I'm sure the individuals taking part in these protests also support politicians who desire stricter regulations about the types of vehicles they are targetting. Participating in peaceful protest and participating in a political process are not mutually exclusive.
I wish this form of protest would catch on elsewhere as well. Every day I’m struck by the number of huge gas-guzzling pick up trucks parked around the city, and seemingly every bed completely empty. Letting out the air to their tires would certainly be slower and more work than the old method of puncturing their tires, but has the dual benefit of not necessitating replacement (which has a carbon cost of its own) and not enabling the vehicle owner to file an insurance claim.
There's sides to this. On one hand, targeting poor workers isn't a good look. On the other hand, if you can afford a massive new and clean SUV/pickup in Hamburg of all places, you're probably not a poor worker.
I say go for it. It's better than blocking traffic.
A few decades too late for something like this to make any difference.
I, for one, do not put the value of private property acquired through an unfair system over the value of life on Earth. I honestly don't care about private property all that much in the grand scheme of things.
At least blocking traffic gets attention. Climate change is killing people already - why would I care if people can't get to their jobs, when those jobs are killing everything and everyone I love?
Why should I care about the consumerism these BS jobs keep running? My mental and physical health does not depend on a Funko Pop's existence - quite the opposite actually, it might be dependent on the cessation of Funko Pops' existence.
I'm not even allowed to vote against the system that is so clearly our enemy. I assume the difference between these activists and I is that they believe the system will allow itself to be reformed out of everything that makes it the system.
I'd be fine if it all crashed overnight. In fact I'd be ecstatic, because that is the path to the least painful (remaining) outcome. I mean I would be completely screwed, but it would at least give future generations a chance.
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