As Guido flagged last month, the economy-wrecking and ambulance-delaying crazies over at Just Stop Oil have called time on their direct action tactics. Whether slow-walking in front of traffic or sitting in the middle of the road, JSO’s reign of terror led to commuter fury, especially in London. Their tactics became so unpopular that the group realised it was doing damage to its own message, a classic hard left flop…
Now a group of successor organisations are popping up on the radar to take over where JSO has left off. A bunch of nutters called ‘Stop the System’ are planning operations to cut fibre optic internet cables at companies they accuse of “destroying life on earth” by using fossil fuels. One of their actions in January saw Lloyd’s of London, WR Berkley, Chubb and Tokio Marine impacted…
Then there is The Tyre Extinguishers, a loony outfit which goes around slashing the tyres of SUVs. The group has struck several times in the UK and other European countries. One victim told the BBC: “You deflated my tyres without knowing who I am and my status in life. My mother is in palliative care and I came to the car to go to her, but because of your vicious act, I am stuck trying to reinflate my tyres!”. The group seeks to exploit a legal loophole causing uncertainty over whether it is a crime to let the air out the tyres on someone else’s vehicle…
A recent overview of the operations of climate extremists notes that the Conservative-led charge to toughen up laws against direct action had a profound effect disabling JSO’s operations and forcing its shutdown: “From inside the group, I heard that churn had increased: it was proving tricky to recruit when the jail time was no longer a mere possibility but a tangible prospect. A long-running criticism of both XR and JSO, that they recklessly endangered their actionists, seems to have finally had an effect on sign ups.” Don’t be surprised if Labour is weak on this new wave of trouble…
Starmer’s “anti-extremism” adviser, Lord Walney, has been booted unceremoniously from his post – just a day after the anniversary of the Hamas bombings. Bizarrely, the news broke through the hard left propaganda site Byline Times, with a Home Office spokesman confirming to the highly marginal site that Walney was no longer the Government’s ‘Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption.’ Guido hears Walney himself did not find out with much notice, having been under the impression that he’d stay on as Labour conducted a review of their extremism policies…
Lord Walney’s been a thorn in the side of Extinction Rebellion and other extremists groups for a while, having written a report recommending the police be given more powers to curb disruptive, extreme protests. Extinction Rebellion held a protest at the end of last month demanding the government sacked him – which would have been a very good reason to keep him on. And now Labour has bent the knee to their green mob, casting aside a well-respected expert adviser in the (lack of) process…
UPDATE: Walney “remains in post,” Byline has corrected their false article, The Times says he could be on the way out. A mess…
Labour-led Bolton Council has landed itself in hot water after splashing over £1,100 of taxpayers’ cash to fund an Extinction Rebellion “climate café.” In July, the council handed a £1,134 grant to the local XR tree-huggers, ostensibly to host monthly get-togethers to “chat about all matters climate-related”. Sounds riveting…
Billed as a “relaxed and informal” safe space, the café sessions have fuelled outrage among Conservatives who’ve blasted the fact that taxpayers’ hard-earned cash is being recycled into the hands of the eco-warriors. Labour’s habit of burning a hole in the public purse on green causes is raising more than just temperatures…
Lee Anderson, speaking to The Sun’s Tom Scotson, reveals the wokest thing he’s ever done: “I once had a vegetarian thought, about becoming a vegetarian. That was quickly dismissed when I had a bacon sandwich…”