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Demonstrate

Joe Rogaly

Demonstrate for freedom
to save the earth

Picture a cartoon figure

ret Thatcher.

strategy at the time.

walking the streets and

For millions of years, the

The CND marchers were mis-

proclaiming that the end

former prime minister reminded

115

taken. They thought that humankind

of the world is nigh.

me once, the population of the

would blow itself up. It did

What would you do? Most of us

world was under 1bn. “We had

not, perhaps because of the

would avert our eyes or point

all the carbon fixed down in the

stalemate that unilateral dis-

and smile. We should pause. The

earth as coal, oil, peat, gas,” she

armament would have broken.

posters strung across his or her

went on. Then the coup the

120

But others who engaged in

drooping shoulders may be

grâce. “We have now gone up...

street theatre to further a cause

telling the truth.

to nearly 6bn over a matter of

have been proved right. The

The human species may indeed

about 150 years, and all of the

suffragettes are one example, the

be destined to self-destruct. In

carbon that has been down there

tree-huggers who tried to ob-

some moods we think the ques-

for millions of years is in a

125

struct the building of a highway

tion is not whether our world

matter of decades being put up

around Newbury in Berkshire

will come to an end, but when.

there.” Her hands fluttered sky-

another. The battle of Newbury

At least the carrier of the sand-

wards. She was in office at the

was lost. The Salisbury by-pass

wich-board will have warned us.

time. She might have done more

in nearby Wiltshire was cancel-

That is why we should hesitate

about it.

130

led. You never can foretell the

before kicking Greenpeace.

What is the likely effect of so

long-term effect of any demon-

True, this sometimes irritating

heavy an injection of carbon

stration.

non-governmental organisation

dioxide into the air? Adverse.

Prudent corporations realise

- NGO in the jargon of the

The mountain of scientific opi-

this. That is why they are hiring

trade - has become the awkward

nion accumulates on paper and

135

cunning advisers to plan their

squad of the environmental mo-

on-line. If Greenpeace ever ends

defences. Counter-demonstration

vement. Its activists may have

up in court we might witness the

consultants have begun to send

been wrong-headed to target

clash of business vs NGO and

in calling-cards, offering presen-

British Petroleum. They were

try to work out who is right.

tations on how to respond to

certainly brave - and I am not

That would, however, be an

140

NGO campaigns.

talking about the risks inherent

unscientific process. Both sides

This boils down to three possi-

in seaborne activist demon-

could win, and both might lose.

bilities: bamboozle the media, or

strations. For BP is dangerous. It

That is what happened when

go to court, or use a judicious

bites back.

McDonald’s accused of dama-

mix of both.

Worse, it removes its teeth

ging the environment, sued for

145

Hassled by animal rights de-

first. A few days ago it sued

libel, although its adversary was

monstrations? Try the anti-

Greenpeace for £1.4m for

a few penniless individuals, not

stalking law. Roads protests?

occupying its Stena Dee test-

an organisation. The company

Look to the legislation on secon-

drilling rig in the North Sea.

won, but can we say that its

dary picketing. In the US, 14

Hallelujah! The autumn head-

image is what it was?

150

states have adopted “food dispa-

lines were predictable. “Big Oil

This is an outcome that some

ragement” acts, which bar nega-

vs the brave eco-warriors” per-

of us can bear with equanimity.

tive comments about perishable

haps? I never could compose

In a democracy there should be

comestibles. These bans amount

headlines. Then BP offered an

room for direct-action cam-

to a protection racket for far-

out-of-court settlement: stop

paigns, if only to stimulate media

155

mers and commodity merchants,

harassing us and we will not

100

or parliamentary debate. Future

following the powerful anti-

bankrupt you. The action moved

disturbances are likely to incon-

green alliance between loggers

from the rolling seas on the front

venience corporations rather

and right-wing congressmen.

pages to the media backwaters.

than governments, because it is

It is curious that such a curtail-

That is where Big Oil wants it.

the private sector that usually

160

ment of free speech is acceptable

Leave aside the dubious

105

has the most direct influence on

to so many Americans. We

merits of this week’s particular

what happens to us.

may regard this as yet another

case. The Stena Dee might or

Seen this way, Greenpeace

indication of the change in the

might not be worth fighting a-

no worse, and no more wrong,

balance of power between elec-

bout. Global warming, the

than was the Campaign for Nu-

165

ted representative institutions

greenhouse effect, is a serious

110

clear Disarmament during the

and free-ranging capitalist orga-

matter. On this I am a believer,

Cold War. It tried to influence or

nisations. Now, where did I put

irrevocably converted by Marga-

topple governments, a suitable

that sandwich-board?

‘Financial Times’, August 23,
1997

Demonstrate

Demonstrate for freedom to save the earth

Demonstrate for freedom
to save the earth