Climate change activists protesting industries and governments had a busy summer in Europe. A relentless outfit called Just Stop Oil in the UK has created disruptions everywhere from major highways to the British Formula 1 Grand Prix, and more recently, they threw tomato soup on a Van Gogh painting at the National Gallery in London. Across the Channel, the Tour de France cycling race was forced to pause during several stages by climate activists who'd glued themselves to the road. Over the western border, a group called Scientist Rebellion took the sticky route when nine members glued their hands to the floor of the Porsche pavilion at Volkswagen's Autostadt museum in Wolfsburg on Thursday.

The protesters have several requests for VW Group CEO Oliver Blume as listed in a Twitter thread about the event, among them: support for capping the maximum speed on German highways to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph); hastening VW's moves to lower its carbon emissions; canceling the debt and interest payments "owed to VW by the Global South"; and "pressure the [government] to comply with our demands."

Such protests are happening so often that there's now a standard back-and-forth. A group disrupts traffic or makes a scene. Authorities are called in almost immediately. The media follow, capturing the ruckus as protesters are unglued or unchained or coaxed down. The Autostadt is a VW gem among the Wolfsburg factory complex, with the immense glass storage tower shuffling completed vehicles awaiting delivery and pavilions for Audi, Seat, Lamborghini, and Porsche. This should have made it the perfect place for the back-and-forth, a magnet for police intervention and media.


Instead, staff at the VW museum ignored the playbook. Instead of calling Wolfsburg police immediately, staff "recognized the right to protest," then closed the pavilion for the evening and left — turning off the light and heat as they walked out.

The UK outlet Express, likely sick of this happening on its own shores and not inclined to be charitable, wrote that the protestors "pleaded for medical treatment because their hands were sore and moaned that they couldn’t go to the toilet." The paper interviewed one protester who said of staff, "They refused our request to provide us with a bowl to urinate and defecate in a decent manner while we are glued," and, "We can't order our food, we must use the one provided by Volkswagen. Lights off. Random unannounced checks by security guards with bright torches."

What Express left out is that the reason it could interview a protester was because he'd been removed over a potential medical issue and was being held by police. The remaining eight protesters, along with six Scientist Rebellion members who weren't glued, stayed in place through the night to Friday morning. The most recent post on the outfit's Twitter page at the time of writing said police had arrived in the morning to arrest everyone. According to German outlet Welt, "The police then took action against the other activists on Friday. Criminal proceedings were initiated for trespassing, coercion and property damage."

Seems CEO Blume didn't get a chance to swing by before then. And stay tuned for protesters to start showing up with backpacks of food and toiletries and pails full of kitty litter.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/clim...rsche-174600848.html

Turning off the lights and heat was a nice touch. About time people get fed up with these imbeciles.

I loved the part where they cut off the heat and light powered by evil fossil fuels. I would have taunted them mercilessly on the way out the door while I mentioned going out for dinner and sleeping in a nice warm bed.

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…and more recently, they threw tomato soup on a Van Gogh painting at the National Gallery in London.

Please tell me the painting (and others they've done this to) was in a case or otherwise protected. This crosses a line from simply being stupid to becoming just plain assholes.

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Originally posted by egregore:

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…and more recently, they threw tomato soup on a Van Gogh painting at the National Gallery in London.

Please tell me the painting (and others they've done this to) was in a case or otherwise protected. This crosses a line from simply being stupid to becoming just plain assholes.

It was. The frame itself was reportedly lightly damaged and if it is the original, is bad enough.

There is a another video of a climate protesters throwing a bottle of super glue down a storm sewer on the highway.

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Originally posted by Sclass:
Over the western border, a group called Scientist Rebellion took the sticky route when nine members glued their hands to the floor of the Porsche pavilion at Volkswagen's Autostadt museum in Wolfsburg on Thursday.

Actually they started their protest on Wednesday, so were stuck through Thursday before being relieved by police on Friday. Except for the guy who had to quit on Thursday on medical advice because his hands were swollen and there was a risk of thrombosis, then proceded to complain about them being left to protest undisturbed.

This should be the model policy going forward.

Add one thing to allowing them to stay fastened to whatever they have glued themselves to: A quick wash with a fire hose every 8 hours.

You glued yourself there? You want to be there? Fine, we'll be back next Tuesday. Good night.

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Originally posted by gpbst3:
There is a another video of a climate protesters throwing a bottle of super glue down a storm sewer on the highway.

To what effect?

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"They refused our request to provide us with a bowl to urinate and defecate in a decent manner while we are glued,"

There’s a dignified way to crap and piss in a bowl?

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Originally posted by gpbst3:
There is a another video of a climate protesters throwing a bottle of super glue down a storm sewer on the highway.

Charge them with littering too.

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Originally posted by Anubismp:
This should be the model policy going forward.

Frankly, I would have pulled them off the goddamn floor with the skin of their palms still glued to the ground.

^^^^Exactly, but only after they’d been there for several days. Go in with suits and gloves on and rip them off the floor and throw them into a transport where they can enjoy each other’s aroma in a confined space for a while.

Here in UK, one of the two protesters is actually a real-live civil engineer architect designing bridges. So it seemed reasonable to him and his fuckwit pal to climb to the top of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at Dartford, Essex/Kent [with the width of the River Thames separating them].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCD0EHPd62E

The Dartford Crossing used to consist of a double tunnel dual-carriageway road with two lanes in each direction, but increasing levels of road traffic toward the end of the last century meant that building this beautiful and HUMUNGOUS bridge was a vital necessity - it opened in 1991.

Basically, they closed the bridge - the only crossing North/South on the major M25 highway - for TWO days. This meant that they had to put emergency measures in use to change the working of the tunnels back to two holes each way for the time they were up there. Traffic was backed up ten miles on each side of the crossing...,.mostly trucks come from the Channel Ports or heading to them.

It could all have been solved by ignoring them, and sluicing up the mess they made when they hit the road deck, 180m below them. And suing their survivors for any damage to roads surface, vehicles or innocent people trying to go about their LEGAL business.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tacfoley,

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Originally posted by clubleaf206:

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"They refused our request to provide us with a bowl to urinate and defecate in a decent manner while we are glued,"

There’s a dignified way to crap and piss in a bowl?

How would you even manage to drop your pants with your hands glued to the floor? Do you expect the staff to do it for you?

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How would you even manage to drop your pants with your hands glued to the floor?

Did they glue both hands? Or just one?

Well ain't that a pisser?

"Too bad, so sad, your dad". Used to be a fairly often heard statement.

flashguy

Finally. This should be SOP from here out.