They can run but they can't hide

Today's Extinction Rebellion (XR) climate emergency demonstration, 'The Big One', coincided with the London Marathon. As both events were, so to speak, running in parallel in Westminster it could have proved logistically awkward. Indeed, there were fears expressed (or is that stoked up?) by the rightwing press and media that climate protesters might disrupt the race as Just Stop Oil (JSO) protesters did with the snooker championship recently. 

In the event, and doubtless much to the chagrin of media moguls such as Rupert Murdoch and Lord Rothermere, and lickspittle commentators like Piers Morgan, the two events coincided but never collided. (In truth, a great deal of effort by both sets of organisers had been put into ensuring that they did not.)

When I got on the tube in East London earlier today on my way to the XR event there were masses of people carrying placards. Hurrah!, I thought, XR is finally getting through to 'ordinary' people (not that we regular protesters are in any way extraordinary) but, alas, I was soon disabused of this notion. 

The turnout was, of course, for the London Marathon, the first to be run in the capital in spring since 2019 due to the Covid pandemic. Unsurprisingly in these circumstances, it was a hugely popular event and one which made the XR gathering look rather feeble in comparison, putting something of a damper on the elation of yesterday's massive rally. However, just as I was despairingly muttering about humanity's eternal willingness to be distracted by bread and circuses, a sizeable column of protesters waving XR flags marshalled outside Westminster Abbey to march on the Home Office not far away.

The march was in support of migrants and in opposition to the government's pernicious 'small boats' policy. In response, we filled in protest letters and folded them into origami small boats to float on the Home Office's offensively inappropriate moat-like water feature. As the march was about to set off (Pathetic Fallacy alert) the sun came out and, after what had been a dull, grey and uninspiring start, my mood lifted considerably.  

Nevertheless, I'm still disappointed (though in truth not particularly surprised) that the parallel events seemed to suggest parallel lives, if not universes. A significant proportion of the UK population is apparently unaware of, or blithely unconcerned by, the omnipresent climate crisis. The world is hurtling towards eco-catastrophe while most people appear content to be diverted by the spectacle of thousands of runners doing their bit for 'charidee'. 

Leaving aside my deep scepticism about the charitable sector, much of whose efforts seem self-serving and designed to allow government to abdicate its responsibilty for huge swathes of basic social provision, I fear that the people's energies are being deflected from the most urgent matter in hand, the survival of Mother Earth, our home. I'm sure charity fundraisers gain a warm glow of satisfaction at having done something positive for their community but there is a more compelling imperative.

Without concerted effort from us all the warm glow could soon be of a planet on fire.

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