Dan Wootton: Extinction Rebellion is a disgraceful organisation founded on extremism

Dan Wootton: Extinction Rebellion is a disgraceful organisation founded on extremism
Dan Wootton

By Dan Wootton


Published: 11/08/2021

- 21:06

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:11

Here is Dan's take on the world tonight

Extinction Rebellion

So the extremists of the Extinction Rebellion say they are planning never ending civil disobedience designed to make the daily lives of hardworking Brits even harder.

I, of course, respect the right for peaceful protest.


But it’s about time we start realising there’s nothing peaceful about the criminal damage caused by this group of middle-class champagne socialists who seem to get a complete pass from much of the media, the police and justice system.

Sky News keeps describing them as activists, when they are, without doubt, scumbag common criminals who smell really bad.

Remember earlier this year when they arrived at the headquarters of a London bank and began smashing up its windows with hammers, causing thousands of pounds of damage in the process.

Or when they blockaded printing presses stopping Britain’s great newspapers from being distributed in an anti-commercial and anti-free speech illegal stunt.

Or when they blocked bridges, causing ambulances full of patients to be stuck in traffic.

If we just shrug off this type of wanton criminal damage and never-ending violence, we risk becoming the USA where it’s been a usual sight for entire city centres to be boarded up in recent months thanks to the threat of Antifa protests.

Why do the police treat these dangerous folk intent on wilful destruction with such a soft touch? Perhaps because they’re middle-class champagne socialists.

Well, that has to end this year.

This is a disgraceful organisation founded on extremism

I say that as a long-term environmentalist who believes the UK is already leading the world in action against climate change – but progress must be gradual, measured and weighed up against the economic cost.

In a western democracy there are a multitude of avenues available for folk to protest or express our displeasure that do not involve turning up with hammers and smashing up the headquarters of businesses, putting workers’ safety at threat.

A civil society must eschew violence and criminal destruction in all forms.

The Extinction Rebellion are a malevolent force doing far more harm than good to the climate change cause they claim to represent.

Gavin Williamson

I’m not particularly fond of a political pile on but the A-level catastrophe overseen by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is the final straw.

The bloke couldn’t even remember his own A-level results, so it’s hardly a surprise he’s overseen the type of grade inflation that will wreak havoc for universities, employers and students for years to come.

Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson in his office at the Department of Education in Westminster, London.
Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson in his office at the Department of Education in Westminster, London.
Stefan Rousseau

Not to mention the biggest disparity between private schools and comprehensives in modern times.

It’s heartening that Boris Johnson is considering replacing him with the ballsy Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, who became internationally famous for speaking out against the teaching of white privilege and critical race theory in British schools in the wake of last year’s Black Lives Matter protests.

She’s certainly a success story in her own right – arriving in London at just 16-years-old with £100 in her pocket and studying for A-levels part-time while working at McDonald’s, 25 years later she’s one of the brightest rising stars in this Tory government.

Reflecting her own education journey, she previously recalled: “Most of the students were from ethnic minorities and the expectations for us were low. The poverty of low expectations must change. Schools and teachers matter.”

And so does leadership from government.

Gavin Williamson deserves the dunce cap and Kemi Badenoch deserves a shot at his job – before more damage is done.

SNP

I’ve always known the SNP don’t have much a sense of a humour.

But according to a top Scottish comedian, they’re even starting to ban jokers who don’t support their independence politics.

Leo Kearse – named the nation’s best comedian as recently as 2018 – has revealed that he is now hardly booked for gigs in Scotland because the “woke” SNP, in his words, “own the main comedy clubs”.

No wonder he has declared: “Scotland is like North Korea.”

Ross and Rachel

Now allow me to talk for just a minute about a very special potential Friends reunion because we always need some happy news to lift the spirits.

The one where Ross and Rachel get together in real life is a romance the entire world is pining for.

I'm convinced that David Schwimmer is the man who can truly make Jennifer Aniston a happy and content woman.

It's never made sense why one of the most desirable and famous people in the world has remained so perennially unlucky in love, unable to find a man to fulfil her needs.

But maybe it's because the true love of her life has been within reach for so long, but circumstances – and a certain dude called Brad Pitt – meant it could never happen...until now.

Maybe it’s just a 90s fantasy.

The Friends reunion special, after years of speculation, the cast (Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer) reunited for a one-off special.
The Friends reunion special, after years of speculation, the cast (Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer) reunited for a one-off special.
Terence Patrick/HBO Max

Maybe Jen and Dave will give it a go and work out they’re actually better as just friends.

But, mark my words, their biggest regret will be if they don’t give it a go at all.

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