‘Climate change affects everyone. So what is getting in the way of doing the right thing?’

Rub of the green: Roland Carn joins EarthQuakers

'Nonviolent, peaceful civil disobedience is sufficient to raise awareness. But on its own it’s not enough to bring about needed change.' | Photo: by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash.

A few Quakers took part in Extinction Rebellion’s actions on climate change in Cambridge. Many Friends (and others) are critical of this behaviour. Disrupting traffic is dangerous and can interfere with people who need to get to hospital. It affects the jobs and income of vulnerable people. It causes delays that make people very angry. Damaging buildings is criminal. Policing demonstrations is expensive and prevents the police from combating crime and terrorism. These Friends see no reason to anger anyone or to encourage aggression, much less defy the law themselves. There must be a better, Quaker way.

You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.