HOW NOT TO HOLD UP A GAS-STATION

THE STORY OF HOW A MOTHER AND SON FROM PENZANCE STAGED EXTINCTION REBELLION-S FIRST ACT OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IN WEST CORNWALL

A feral wind had blasted the sea and the land all night – ploughing waves into avalanches and sending spindrift explosions over the walls of Penzance and Newlyn harbours -  After about two hours sleep I awoke focused on the day that had finally come – the day I intended to get arrested – with my 84 year old mother – in a non-violent direct action over the climate-crisis which was to be a Cornish prelude to the International Rebellion Week that kicks off in London in two day-s time – 15^th April 2019 -  This is the Rebellion against the Extinction of life on Earth – which is where we are fast headed unless the World-s governments drastically slash carbon-emissions and other forms of pollution and we change the entire culture of human existence - - -

I had two nagging issues with this Direct Action – One was concern over the wellbeing of my mother – who I felt had let her conscience lead her into very difficult territory and the other was my background sense of guilt for neglecting my partner in activism – my brother Harold – the “Caged Crusader” of Florida – who languishes in prison – serving out his 165 year sentence for thieving – I took a copy of his first book – Department of  Corruption with me to read in the cell – I thought I would write him from the cell too – But things panned out differently -   I thought often of my friends in USA and how I had been meaning to write and explain to them about Extinction Rebellion – I have a lot of friends in Florida – where the Red Tide of algae has been killing myriad fish and making the beaches toxic – The reality is that the human rights and justice situation in the USA is so grim that all my friends there are focused on civil rights – justice – prisoner-s rights and police-brutality and murder -  This work – unpaid and often dangerous – demands everything and consumes vast amounts of time and energy – leaving little time for environmental activism for many people –

At eleven o-clock half a dozen of us congregated in the sharp wind to leaflet the people passing through the centre of Penzance – Our signs were in danger of flying off into the swirling sky – There was some interest and some indifference – Jane showed a great oratorical talent and proved that when you-ve really got something to say you don-t need no microphone!  There was good spirit between those present and if low-key the event was extremely heartfelt and sincere – It felt like we were literally calling to our neighbours – trying desperately to warn them of the danger the planet is facing from climate-chaos and general toxicity and so many people just do not want to hear that -  In today-s neutered culture we have long been conditioned to only trust messages that come from “official” channels – not those that are called out from the heart in the streets of our towns and cities -  

Due to the severity of the wind – there were not many punters around even though it was Saturday -  We did what we could and I think we certainly reached a few people and I hope we made another little ripple to spread through the minds of our friends and neighbours that perhaps there really is something to this climate-change business - - -

Well Verity showed up and as the demo unwound we hit the road for Eastern Green – on foot and buffeted by this wild prowling wind of the sea -  We crossed the road by the garage or “gas-station” that we intended to blockade and briefly mingled into a bus-queue so we could suss-out the situation before engaging in our action to combat the carbon-driven asphyxiation of our planet -  Then we walked onto the forecourt and stood in front of the pumps as a human-barricade -  After a brief quiet interlude things started happening fast – I think it was the very first car that I blocked that started the trouble – An elderly couple – the man seemed overwhelmed with fury at my obstructing his vehicle and simply kept driving right at me with no apparent intention of stopping -  Everything narrowed down to a windscreen rolling towards me as I shouted “stop” and I heard other voices shouting out – Just as the car was about to strike me I thumped the bonnet with my fist then held up my sign as a shield obscuring his view -  This finally stopped him from crushing me -  His wife looked very shocked – The old man jumped out and there were remonstrations and accusations of assault – His car had become a deadly weapon – My cardboard information-sign was the shield I had to protect myself from being crippled by his car -  From this point on things went from ugly to hideous via grotesquely eldritch – As the punters started rolling in – I soon found myself being driven at or fronted at by a big fat black four by four – This joker wasn-t going to stop either – He was already rolling down that lost highway -  This time I side-stepped at the last minute (it was Darwinism in action:  Adapt or Die) -  There was a sense of many things happening at once – Diane remonstrating with a violent motorist – Verity blocking her side of the lane with her FOSSIL FUELS KILL sign – People shouting abuse and insults – mocking and sneering -  Threats – Rednecks and hard-men – ugliness – some honking – As the assault started – the adrenalin clocked in and started work – We had spent weeks getting prepared for arrest – cellular-detention – talking with Babylon – going to court – speaking publicly about how the planetary-crisis drove our action – In my mum-s case she was preparing to face her greatest fear – the fear of being locked into a small space -  We thought we had prepared to meet the public – We had anticipated a level of abuse and hostility – We seriously underestimated the sheer ugliness of Mr Josef Public – We had not expected armed assault to be the very first reaction of these motor-head folks – The car as a weapon against a pedestrian is an unlovely phenomenon – An ignoble and crass cameo of where Homo sapiens has driven himself to in his little tin box – A mad ape in a mineral-chariot of death – Individual and planetary death – Death to pedestrians and little kids trying to cross the road – Death to innumerable myriad creatures of the wild – Death to birds insects women children and men – Death to air and plants – to solitude – peace – tranquillity and nature – Death death death conveyed to ye by the glorious automobile – Let-s all drop to our knees and kiss its little black exhaust-pipe -  

So anyway – I-ve never been too keen on cars -  My views have not changed –

The most extraordinary attack came from a fellow in a big car with his wife -  A short wide chap with a Yorkshire accent and surreal legs – They were as wide as a girl-s waist – bulbous – also taped-up – bandaged and hypnotic – “I-m disabled” he shouted aggressively as he waddled towards me with vicious and viscous intent gleaming reptilian in his unblinking yellow eye – “I-m disabled” came the Peter Kay voice “I-ve got to get to me doctor” he raged (I sensed he was lying) Even as I was telling V to let him through he was on me – A two-handed shove to the chest delivered with spluttering venom – The air was bristling with hatred and violence – Not at all like the meetings where people put their hands up to speak - - -

While all this silt was going down – another layer was developing as green-clad garage staff started emerging and interacting with us – Initially a couple of them had tried to lay hands on me but I told them that constituted criminal assault and they had no such right -  Suddenly twenty year old garage-workers were trying to argue law with me -  I-m not a formally trained lawyer but I know that a Morrison-s employee has no right over anyone else-s sovereignty – no matter if they be standing on the garage forecourt -  I managed to get them to unhand me – but five of them kept trying to surround me and impede my movement – Their effort was only half-hearted though and I could side-step them and continue to discourage cars from entering the pump-area –

At one point there was a backlog of motors trying to enter the garage and some hooligans were starting to congregate – One of the personages who threatened me repeatedly said he would assault me if I blocked anybody-s car from entering -  I did briefly explain to him about the imminent extinction of animal life on Earth but it did nothing to lessen his hatred as he then suggested I should be hung from a nearby tree by those present - 

Still shaked and slaked with adrenalin after the two car-assaults and the crazy toad-man – I was being constantly heckled and questioned by the gang of garage staff -  It did not taste nice –

Slike in USA when a fascist drove his car into a protester at North Carolina and killed him and Chump said there was “fault on both sides” there was outrage upon the nation – Well the same thing nearly happened right here in sleepy little old Cornwall – It would have been Blood On The Forecourt – or just simply Red Asphalt - - -  Happily all our blood stayed inside our veins on the 13^th but there was definitely a slight level of risk and threat – plus a great deal of hostility and aggression –

We are all primates of the ego and I too was trying to impose my will – my dream – on these other primates – these other wilful and egoic dreamers with their own wishes – impulses and – er – drives -  By going against the established behaviour-pattern of these other primates I was violating an unwritten code of the somnambulists – never challenge the basic reality – never try to wake the dreamers – they will turn and rend ye – They will not thank you – they will slag you down (sorry:  They will slag I down)  They will mock I and I and their feet that never touch the earth shall stamp down upon their accelerators –

During the first car-attack I briefly sat down in front of the vehicle but instantly started getting cramp in my legs – and started hopping and limping around for a few moments as I could hear the green-clad garage staff instantly accusing me of trying to fake an injury from the car-impact! 

I remember turning to Verity at one point and saying “Where are the cops~”  I had thought they would be there in ten to twenty minutes but it seemed more like an hour before they finally “deployed” –

The lynch-mob mentality was probably defused by the arrival of the law-enforcement and I think we were both relieved to see them -  They were two ladies – apparently in their twenties and extremely courteous – friendly and polite – They were wearing body-cameras which they pointed out to me and I did not object to – I have noticed a change in police-policy – They seriously do try to act nice these days – At least where possible -  I base this on another incident when I recently saw them handling a seriously drunken man with extreme sensitivity – care and patience – I stress this because over the years I have been extremely critical of the British police – but only when they have killed – tortured or mutilated unnecessarily and I have felt compelled to address and publicize their crimes – I-ve written  copiously about police-violence and written countless letters to MPs and police-chiefs about this issue in the past so I am happy to report that “on the ground” or in the “street” their way of conducting themselves (in my miniscule experience) has evolved into a much warmer and more seemingly humane approach –

The first thing the two WPC-s did was to approach the knot of half a dozen or so garage-workers and management types in suits and start by getting their side of the story -  Even though I heard one of them perjure himself and lie about me right away – Saying I had been “jumping on cars” and had pushed him – I suppose he would rather have seen me go under that car – All physical contact was at the initiation of Mr Garyage and his diminutive yet weighty pal who initially laid hands on me before I vocally repelled them – bla bla bla –

The lady-cops explained the position as they saw it and discussed it with us – They showed concern for my mother who was very cold and no-doubt in shock by this point – She-s 84 and a bitter wind was raging – I had tried numerous times – including on the way to the garage – to try to talk her out of doing the action with me – and had some very serious concerns over it – but ultimately I felt I had no right to try to stop a fellow-activist who was on-board with the greater mission of Extinction Rebellion – from offering her contribution to a project that might give her grandchildren and their grandchildren a fair chance of living in a world with air to breathe – birds to sing and food to eat – In this movement everyone takes personal responsibility and no-one can forbid the action of another – only advise against it – How could I reject an extremely zealous and dedicated comrade – particularly when she was the only one~  I almost think that if I had cancelled the action she would have gone up there and done it on her own anyway!  She knew that was the basis I was working on – I announced the action some weeks back and I would do it alone if necessary but preferably with support – as is the whole basis of XR – a sophisticated support-system for social-reform –

So anyway – after a friendly chat we agreed that Verity should be driven home in the police-car – My advice was that she had achieved our aim and was now getting cold and enough was enough – Everyone was happy when she agreed to accept the HM Gov taxi home and I was extremely relieved that she was heading for warmth – comfort and quietness – She is usually a soft-spoken person who loves rose-gardening and literature – I know this experience was of Biblical proportions to her and I will forever after see her in a luminous nimbus of respect for what she did!  (The things you have to do to earn your kid-s respect these days!) 

So anyway – before the cops took her home they discussed the situation with me – I explained to them that my mother and I were slightly different cases and that I wanted her to go home but I wished to stay put and carry on with the “demonstration” as they were calling it -  They very patiently explained that they were very happy for me to stand “just over there” where I would not be obstructing any traffic and that I could carry on my “protest” over there -  I responded by saying I thought I would probably just continue to stand right where I was and asked them what was likely to happen if I pursued that course of action - - - They took an unusually lenient approach – I thought – when they said they would leave and that if there were further complaints about my activity then the “response might be different” – which I took for a euphemism for probable arrest -  I have to say I found them extremely fair and tolerant – extraordinarily so -  Possibly because they had orders to avoid giving publicity to the International Rebellion if reasonably possible -  On reflection though there was something I was not overly happy about and that was their response to the assaults -  They had responded well when I gave them what I call the Bug Rap – which is the heart-breakingly simply arithmetic behind the insect-decline which is at a global-rate of 2 and a half per cent per annum – which means that at current rates of “progress” all insects will be extinct in 40 years time and therefore so will be most of animal and plant life – The cop-ladies listened to this patiently and seemed to understand the alacrity of what I was explaining – The garage-folks were huddled quietly in a knot nearby – cowed by the presence of “authority” – transmuted from a jeering – taunting mob of wannabe vigilantes into a submissive group of obedient “good citizens” – giving false-evidence against the crazy-man covered in sticky weed “jumping onto cars” -  Crazy days in Cornwallfornia - - -

But when I had reported the two assaults with car (assault with a deadly weapon – as I explained to them) and the one by hands – plus the several threats of violence – her response – when I asked if they would seriously investigate these crimes – was that they could only “crime” them (cop-speak for log a crime for possible investigation) if I gave my name – Since I said I preferred to do that “later in the process” they said they could not investigate without my name so it was up to me -  Fair enough – I initially thought – But later I thought differently -  To me the car-weapon – when used as such – is no different from the knife-weapon or gun-weapon – In British law – intent of use makes an object into a weapon -  Thus a car driven rapidly towards a non-violent protester is a weapon – Well consider that the garage was continuously filming the area with their hidden-cameras – we had our own camera-lady with us for part of the action – and no-doubt some of the drivers and passengers and hangers-on were filming us -  So there is plenty of film-evidence of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon -  If the footage showed two counts of someone waving a knife in another person-s face would the cops have said they would only proceed if the victim came forward and gave their name~  Obviously not – because the victim might be dead -  Or the victim might be reluctant to come forward because of their own involvement in criminal gang-type activities – However – none of that should stop the investigations of a police-force ostensibly committed to opposing and eliminating armed-crime -  They would act on the evidence regardless and find the victim anyway -   The recorded footage shows the car number-plates so these thugs are within reach – Personally I think the cops showed an unwillingness to look at the assaults and were mainly concerned with smoothing things over – I am left with a slight dilemma -  Identifying myself to the cops is a mere formality as they know who I am – I advertised the action in the public domain after all – under my own name -  So it-s up to me whether or not I pursue actions against those three men who assaulted me as the police seem unwilling to act on the evidence on their own initiative – Again – they understand that a court-case over this incident would feed massive publicity back to the message of Extinction Rebellion and that is not yet the wish of the “authorities” -   On one hand I feel that justice should be applied and that hypothesis would oblige me to pursue the prosecutions – On the other hand a triple-court case sounds like a hell of a lot of work that I could honestly do without -  Perhaps this should come back to the root of Non-Violent Direct Action – Ahimsa – the ancient Hindu concept of a loving-kindness that leads to compassionate action -  Perhaps I should use those three ruffians as the objects of contemplation and try to feel some compassion and love towards them – I feel that might be the best way of “winning” and that is what I will try to do – (I make no promise to succeed and I can-t “fake-it”) – If NVDA is to remain pure it-s good to remember the roots –

Sometimes it feels like a cat and mouse game of chess with the cops – They know I can make a fuss and demand those assault-investigations if I want to and I know that – although they drove away giving the impression that no further action would be taken without further complaint – they could still look at the footage – take possession of the footage from the garage and – if they so wished – build some kind of case against me as a method of cooling my free speech -  Considering the political climate (and the fact that I am innocent of crime) I do not expect them to pursue me and I intend to deal with my “haters” through meditative means rather than legal ones – Nothing would give me more joy in the world than to be able to befriend someone who once hated me –

So eventually I bade farewell to my mother and thanked her warmly for her amazing fortitude -  I remember her telling the cops how she had struggled to bring me into the world and did not want to see me go under a car!  Her own mother had been born in a Tibetan monastery to English missionaries and had rode round Labrador in a dog-sleigh as a child – On my father-s side they were Vikings -  

Mum rolled home in the cop-car and suddenly it was very quiet – The cops had gone – my comrade had gone – our camera-lady had gone – the gang of garage-workers had gone – most of the aggressive motorists with their insults had gone -  the forecourt was almost empty – I was there alone – What now~ I wondered –

There was a lull in the traffic – it went very quiet – everything seemed to slow down -  Partly this must have been the contrast with the frenetic activity – violence and mayhem of just before -  As the occasional car rolled in I tried to block it but I was too small and they could simply weave round me -  I could not prevent them -  For a moment I thought I should up the ante and do something more dramatic just to get hauled away and get it over with – But then I reassessed the situation and thought we had already made quite a statement and I could not realistically do anything more alone – Why not save the government-hotel for another day and go and see how mum-s doing and get a cup of tea -  That seemed so eminently sensible that I folded my sign and walked away -  Happily the staff did not come out to jeer me off –

I walked on down the highway and soon found myself singing – it happened to be that old Irish song Dicey Riley about an alcoholic prostitute of Dublin  - lovely song! 

Checking in with my mum – I found her doing not too bad – but still cold and definitely in shock like me – so I nipped down the road to the offie and got a quarter bottle of cognac and she had some in her barley-cup -  I made sure she had food and drink and we talked a bit but we were both pretty fazed and she was going to relax in the bath so we parted after I told her again how highly I thought of her for her bravery in such horrible circumstances and her real dedication to the cause of a healthy planet - 

What did we learn from the action~  Always consider a “clothing-margin” – in other words imagine that it will be colder – hotter – wetter than your wildest imagining – because it might be!  We were under-prepared for the savage wind that came that day bringing the roughest seas I had seen in over a year - 

Camera-crew is absolutely vital for evidence-gathering -  At least two – though preferably three trained operatives needed for any direct action –

Actions should be conducted with other participants – Acting in pairs is not advisable in potentially combatitive situations – The danger or risk level of an action should be evaluated and an appropriate number of activists decided upon – The action should only go forward when this number of dedicated activists has been achieved and promised –

Don-t worry too much about the police harming you – It-s Joe Public who is probably more likely to do you over in these situations – The police might not be much amused by anarchic displays of planet-politics and civil disobedience but at the same time they know that violence against the movement will only increase public sympathy – solidarity and membership – If they can facilitate peaceful protest then it is obviously in the public interest that they do so and there has been progress on this front -  Also police tend to be well-informed on social issues and may – individually and “off-duty” – feel sympathy to a movement aiming at saving the world from the terrors of an unstable climate and a toxic environment – Many police personnel have children or even grand-children of their own and naturally want these youngsters to inherit a world that is inhabitable –

We learned that the public may not react well to being interrupted in their business and that violence may be their first – rather than their last resort -  The nature of the “target” should be carefully considered in advance – Some “targets” – in the sporting sense of the word – offer a lower level of risk of violence or strong aggression than others -  Careful evaluation should precede all and any actions –

As the union-organizers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century knew only too well – it-s all about being Organized!  There is no better medicine for the distress caused by climate-chaos than taking action – When we grieve and mourn we merely emote – necessary for sure but it does not change the world – When we step from the abstract world of thought and discussion and internet conversation into the 3D world of the streets and start taking action – in whatever form we find best – then a line has been crossed into new territory and even the smallest action taken is vastly therapeutic and healing -  From then on we have gone from being theorists and talkers to getting personally involved and thus becoming activists –

Again I think of my friends in USA who work so hard for justice in the face of such repression and State-violence -  Of Harold Hempstead – the prison-activist who risked his life to reveal the story of a Muslim prisoner steamed to death in a torture-chamber in a Florida prison – And the others who were starved to death there at Dade – Also of the other activists who are free and working so hard for those who are not – like the schizophrenics doing ten-year stretches in solitary-confinement and wearing leg-irons that leave suppurating sores on the ankles – I-m also thinking of how cool the police were here in Cornwall – in Britain – compared to what would have happened in most places – like USA for instance -  In all probability we would have been violently arrested – put on the ground – put in a county-jail to await trial for perhaps over a year in an environment where we could be raped or die from battery – or being too hot – or too cold – or too dehydrated – and all this before even standing trial -  So I consider myself lucky to live in Britain where the level of State-violence and oppression is considerably lower than USA – Though I also remember my British activist friends – I-m talking about the ones who are fighting for justice after being bereaved or mutilated by the police here in Britain – Not everyone here has been as fortunate as me in their dealings with the police and I would never want to play down the stories of my friends who have lost their brothers or sons or daughters to the brutal hands of the State -  So far I consider myself lucky but I wonder for my fellow climate-activists in Extinction Rebellion who will be in London tomorrow – 15^th April 2019 – to start the week-long International Rebellion that will bring London to a halt and send Britgov a little wake-up call –

Post Script – Two days later and the storm is still raging – in fact it-s getting worse – These great storms of the sea usually used to come in December or January but here we are on 15^th April and the storm is getting worse - - - - -  One hour ago the Rebellion started in London – I wish heartfelt feelings of success to all those who are out in the streets of our capital – struggling to get climate-chaos put firmly at the top of the government-s agenda -  I believe we must all do whatever we can to help this process along -  Not so long ago I was in Truro – Cornwall – at the Funeral For Extinct Species and I heard one of the inspiring speakers there mention the fact that in the recent past you would expect to have a lot of insects splattered on your windscreen after a summer-drive but now you no longer have this occurring -   Well I learned at the garage two days ago that if you bug motorists they will happily try and squash you like a bug and you might find yourself splattered across their windscreen like a cadis-fly of old -  

As we go forward with the XR campaign there will be many things to learn – If our dedication to peaceful and non-violent activity remains strong then we can achieve far more than we yet realize -  We can be a real voice for nature and for the survival of the planet – and not just a voice but a helping hand – or rather a vast forest of helping hands – stretching round the World – reaching out to connect with each other and cooperate in protecting the World – the myriad life-forms – the endless fruition of nature – the life – the life of the planet – the very life - 

REVOLT FOR THE CHILDREN OF TOMORROW

ACT NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

William Blake 1804

Speaking for myself I'm worried - extremely worried - about the imminent fate of this old planet.  Like many people, I have had a little awareness about Climate Change for some time.  Recently the penny has started to drop - thanks largely to a wonderfully inspiring group of people called Extinction Rebellion who have come together to create and implement solutions to the grave crisis our Earth now faces.
I first heard about this group (known as XR) in autumn 2018 when they occupied five of London's bridges in a mass-protest against governmental inaction on the Climate Crisis (as it is now known to be!) I instantly felt a profound empathy with what these folks were up to and contacted XR in London to discuss setting up a group in my local town of Penzance, which is in West Cornwall, Great Britain.  Despite my wish and intention to form a group then, my own life was very unstable as I was homeless, ill and already deeply committed to some very demanding civil rights activism concerning the murder of black Muslim US prisoner Darren Rainey and the relentless campaign of The Caged Crusader - my dear friend and brother Harold Hempstead, aka The Witness, aka Miami Harold.   I had to be realistic and admit to myself that it was not practical for me to try to form yet another campaigning group under those circumstances.
As things occurred I got my sick-money cut off by this reactionary government and so became a virtual destitute (along with half a per cent of the British population, around 300,000 to date) and did not form a local XR group.  Happily though some other folks did and I soon became involved with Extinction Rebellion Penzance.  This group is now thriving, as is our neighbour-group in St.Just.  As indeed are numerous other groups on this island and in many lands a-foreign.
All the info on XR is of course available on the jewel-net (sometimes called the internet.)
What I'm giving here is a personal view. XR can inform you of what they are all about. If you are moved by what you read and hear of this group I strongly suggest you find (or form) a group in your own area or nation - (If living under totalitarianism obviously proceed with caution!)
One of the most admirable qualities of Extinction Rebellion is its insistence on the ethos and techniques of Peaceful-Resistance, also known as Non Violent Direct Action which has its cultural roots in the Ahimsa of the classical culture of Vedic ancient India.
By the later half of the nineteenth century a few books on Buddhism, Hinduism, Vedanta, Zazen and other mystic traditions of the orient started appearing in Europe in translation.  Count Leo Tolstoy, the great Anarchist author came across an ancient Tamil text rendered into German - Tirukkural.  This, combined with his devout Christianity and staunch Anarchism, crystallized into a philosophy of peaceful resistance to governmental mal and social iniquity in its myriad forms.
Among the countless millions of people around the world who have been uplifted by Tolstoyan philosophy was a young Indian lawyer by the name of Mohandas Ghandi. 
Using the philosophy of Ahimsa to animate a brilliant strategy of civil-resistance, Gandhi freed one of the World's largest countries from one of the world's most powerful empires.  Gandhi had also been influenced by Henry David Thoreau, the great American Transcendentalist author who lived wild in the woods of Walden and preached the moral doctrine of Civil Disobedience. (Thoreau had been exposed to the "new" Hindu ideas along with Ralph Waldo Emerson.)  Thoreau was happy to spend some nights in jail for refusing to pay his taxes as he disapproved of the Mexican-American War being waged by the emerging colonial super-power against its impoverished brother-nation.  He was a man of conscience who believed that you should not cooperate with that which you believe to be wrong.  This idea, combined with many Hindu concepts, strongly influenced Ghandi's notion of Satyagraha which is basically relying on the power of truth to animate a stance of non-cooperation with a corrupt government or power-structure. 
From Gandhi the light passed to Dr Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama, USA.  Dr King was profoundly influenced by the active-pacifism of Mahatma (Great Soul) Gandhi and its influence became central to his monumental struggle for Civil Rights for USA's Black population in the 1960's.  In the psyche of Black America, Dr King is perhaps on a similar level to that of His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is to Tibetans. The "humble monk" from the roof of the world is another world-famous proponent of non-violent resistance to oppression who received the Noble Prize for Peace in 1989.
With Ahimsa firmly at the centre of the Extinction Rebellion campaign's philosophy, the group is attempting to quite literally save the world! That's good enough for me and I am very happy to play an active role in this great existential drama, this spiritual battle that has been declared.
My own view is that those of us involved in this rebellion against the extinction of life on Earth would be wise to continue studying the history of organized struggle to glean all the lessons available and perhaps avoid making some of the mistakes of our predecessors in similar movements. 
Happily, the people who created this movement have already done deep studies and based policy on a perfect blend of moral-philosophy and peer-reviewed scientific studies, combined with proven effective techniques of civil disobedience.
I recently discovered the brilliant slogan "The greatest threat to the world is the belief that somebody else will save it."   If you feel this - then you know what to do.
Before they shot him, Joe Hill, the legendary International Workers of the World union-activist summed up the situation in three words that seem to ring true in the face of the great darkness we now face:  "Don't mourn - ORGANIZE!"

अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मस तथाहिंसा परॊ दमः।
अहिंसा परमं दानम अहिंसा परमस तपः।
अहिंसा परमॊ यज्ञस तथाहिस्मा परं बलम।
अहिंसा परमं मित्रम अहिंसा परमं सुखम।
अहिंसा परमं सत्यम अहिंसा परमं शरुतम॥

Ahimsa is the highest virtue, Ahimsa is the highest self-control, 
Ahimsa is the greatest gift, Ahimsa is the best suffering, 
Ahimsa is the highest sacrifice, Ahimsa is the finest strength, 
Ahimsa is the greatest friend, Ahimsa is the greatest happiness, 
Ahimsa is the highest truth, and Ahimsa is the greatest teaching

From The Mahabharata First Millenium BC.


As the rather more modern Bard aka Shakespeare put it: 

What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honor.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honor,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honor
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors,
And say "To-morrow is Saint Crispian."
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say "These wounds I had on Crispian's day."
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

From Henry V, St Crispian's Day

PEOPLE'S SPONTANEOUS DECLARATION OF SOVEREIGN AUTONOMY

We The People of this Earth Demand the Right to Life.

Furthermore we demand and assume the right as sovereign and intelligent peoples to conduct our affairs as we collectively see fit.

We take unto ourselves the responsibility for protecting this Earth for the future generations of beings who will need it in their day just as we do in ours.

To this end we - the warriors of ahimsa - shall use all peaceable means necessary.

Our Mother Earth is gravely ill  -  Apathy or Action  -  Which Side Are You On?

Twelve Years

The Cow is worse than the Car - Combined emissions from the meat and dairy industry outweigh the emissions from all transport - cars - lorries - ships - trains - planes - motorcycles etc etc -

I think most people are aware of the recent announcement from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that we have a mere 12 year duration of time in which to redress the climate breakdown and keep global temperature rise to one point five degrees -
Failure to do this will have catastrophic results for the immediate future of the Earth and all species -  At the moment the World is on target to fail spectacularly at this golden opportunity -
Therefore pressure must be brought on the governments of the World to pursue policies which will protect - not further endanger - our common (and only) planet -
Nothing short of a cultural upheaval will achieve such fundamental change as is needed - as it is our present culture that has so degraded our planet -
We must all make changes in our lives -  Move away from the internal combustion engine -  Don-t waste food -  conserve electricity and fuel -  consume less -  go vegan -  there are many many ways in which we can make a contribution but perhaps the biggest contribution is getting the governments to do the right thing -  a difficult problem as naturally the capitalist governments are in the pockets of the biggest producers of capital - the petrochemical industry - the meat industry - the arms industry etc etc -
We basically change the culture of the world or the world rapidly degrades into an unlivable hell-planet -  Surely worth giving up the odd luxury to have such a beautiful world under our feet - - -

Derek Thomas MP Challenged On Mass Extinction Event

Open letter to:  Rt Hon Derek Thomas MP -  29-11-2018

CC:  The Cornishman newspaper

Dear Derek

I am sure you are aware of the recent announcement by the IPCC that the governments of the world have a mere twelve years in which to drastically reduce carbon emissions for there to be any chance of keeping global temperature-rise to one and a half degrees -

I am sure you have also heard of the predicted consequences of failure to do this -

Currently around 200 species are becoming extinct per day in what scientists have declared to be the greatest extinction-event since a meteorite wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago -  Since 1970 we have lost half of the wild animals on earth as well as vast amounts of forest and wilderness -

In view of this emergency in which we find ourselves I would be very grateful to know what steps you - as political representative of this south-western part of Cornwall and the Scilly Isles - are taking to address this situation and press for the reduction of carbon-emissions and other forms of pollution in this area -  

My view is that we should all do whatever we can to prevent this Mass-Extinction-Event  from drastically degrading the world that our children will inherit from us -  

Obviously - sitting in the House of Commons - you are in a far stronger position to influence our climate and nature-protection strategy than the average citizen and I welcome hearing your response to this emergency -

With best wishes -

Jeremy Schanche

Public Message to Andrew George

Public message to:  Andrew George, former MP and Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Cornwall and the Scilly Isles.  6.6.2017 

Re:  D-Day For Democracy

Dear Andrew,

It's two days before the general election and I've just received your latest propaganda leaflet.  As you know, I am supporting you in this election, as the only viable alternative to the right wing.  However, 

I feel you have shot yourself in the foot in a big way.  Not only have your Liberal Democrat Party refused to make a coalition with the Socialist Jeremy Corbyn, if the people choose him (the Lib Dems having sold out and already been in a compromised coalition government with the rightist Conservative Party) but you have gone further and made an extraordinarily negative statement.

"Theresa May will win this overall."

I'm amazed that you can make such a negative and prejudicial statement to the people of West Cornwall - effectively undermining support for the Labour Party.  Whilst we all have a right to express our opinions, when an MP or former MP speaks, many people take their words more seriously and are influenced by them.

Having registered my complaint, I still hope you win and look forward to working closely with you to address the problems of police-violence, government-deception, foreign policy, social inequality and other matters.

Wishing you well for Thursday,

Best wishes,  Jeremy Sch@nche

Open Letter To Chris Drew, West Cornwall Labour Party Candidate

Public message to Chris Drew, West Cornwall's Labour Party Candidate: 

C.C:  Andrew George, Liberal Democrat Party;  Dick Cole, Mebyon Kernow Party; Amanda Pennington, Green Party.                                                     2.6.2017

Dear Chis,

Tory policy is killing people in our country.  As life-supporting services die back through engineered-austerity, we, the people die back.

This is why I am asking you to facilitate the defeat of this dehumanized and corrupt Party in our area in the most effective way possible.

It is commonly believed in St.Ives and the Isles of Scilly Constituency that Labour do not have the required support to get voted in in this area.  Last year I joined Momentum with a very sincere wish to push the understanding of Socialism out into our community and actually spread this idea.  I realized it would be a massive task.  After a brief engagement with Momentum I became otherwise engaged... it had become clear to me that the local branch of the Socialist vanguard was not going to change the ideology of the area in any significant way whatsoever, despite noble intentions.  The required foot-work was not done and West Cornwall has not collectively grasped the beauties of Social Living.

You know what I'm going to say, Chris, and I only say it because I believe our most vital common aim is to defeat the Conservative Party.  

If we take the long term view, we might imagine two different scenarios...  in one, you fight Derek Thomas the Conservative and lose by a margin that, had it gone to the Liberal Democrats, would have swung the balance and thrown the right-wing out of our area.  In this version, you'll go down in history as 'Chris The Vote-Splitter' who saddled us with the Tories - cruel but true.

In the version that I'm proposing to you, you honourably step aside and tell all your supporters to vote for Andrew George, the Liberal Democrat this time round, as the single realistic tactic to defeat Derek Thomas, the dishonest right-wing Tory.  In this version you will go down in history as a hero.

Think about it.

Use your own conscience.  Use your natural authority to think as a free man.  If you consult with your Party they are unlikely to agree with this proposal.  You must follow your conscience and do what you think best, in you Heart of Hearts, to save us from Derek!

Of course, you must consult the Labour Party, as it would be unfair not to, however, ultimately you must consult your Heart.

I ask you this as a brother-socialist who will weep for joy if Corbyn gets in, I swear.

You must do what is right, Chris, you stand at the crossroads.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Sch@nche

P.S.  I'm asking that the named recipients of this message, if you can, please endorse it and also discuss this with Chris.  Thank you very much.  Let's defeat the Tories!
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You gotta try these things....

Here's my article on Socialism  with lots of links to the history of the Workers' movement.

Check out this brilliant book on Jeremy Corbyn by Rob Donovan - available now.