Called to Action

Last week I took part in a Greenpeace Action, it is something I have done before but each time it challenges the reasons why I get involved in Direct Actions and makes me ask the question, does it really make a difference?

We closed the offices of Centrica for the day because of their about their over-reliance on gas, their lack of investment in renewables and their failure to bring energy bills under control. I was involved in the team that closed the main visitors entrances and put massive bills in the way of the doors. This meant a very early start and sitting and waiting for a long time before we pounced into action. Although I was sharing this time with people who I had not seen for a long time and could have used the time to catch up, it is a time that I use for reflection. I am putting myself at risk of arrest and do I think this risk is worthwhile.

One of the main reasons I got involved in Greenpeace many years ago was to be able to try and change the way things were happening and to shout out, enough is enough. Climate change was one of my main catalysts to go and speak to people about how our society and our behaviours can destroy our natural world. So yes the risk is worthwhile if we can influence the way the big companies start to think, even if its a strategy of least opposition.

After we had chained our big bills to the entrance, we then had the job of helping out the fire exit crew, people assigned to ensure staff could not get in or out of side doors. A door had been marked as an entrance and exit that could be used if needed. The rest of the day was spent waiting to see what would happen, the police soon arrived in force. But there was no arrest strategy, so we just waited. We found out we had achieved what we set out to do quite quickly which was a good feeling. It was a sunny day, the car park was nearly empty and news that message was being shared on Twitter and Facebook widely. So on reflection a good job done by all.

On the way home we had a chance to check if the action had made a difference and soon found the internet was alive with comments, yes a discussion was ensuring, one that was not there before the action. So yes my small involvement and risk was worthwhile, one I would happily take again.