The Slow Newscast Just Stop TurmOil
May 13, 2025
Lou Lancaster, a former special needs teacher turned climate activist, shares her journey after serving prison time for protests. Sophie Caron, an ex-advertising professional, discusses her radical actions with Extinction Rebellion. They dive into the emotional impacts of activism, illustrating the joy of reunion after prison and the severe legal repercussions they faced. The conversation also explores the current landscape of climate activism, the government's crackdown on dissent, and the moral complexities of civil disobedience in the fight for climate justice.
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Lou Lancaster's Climate Activism
- Lou Lancaster, a 59-year-old former special needs teacher, was arrested 13 times for climate protests and spent nine and a half months in prison.
- Despite harsh labels from media and courts, she remains positive and determined to continue activism.
Shrinking Space for Protest
- The right to non-violent protest in democracies is under strain due to laws and public opinion favoring no tolerance for disruption.
- Balancing protest rights versus others' rights to go about daily life is increasingly difficult in the UK today.
Protest as Redistributing Pain
- Reverend Gregory Livingston likens society's reaction to protest to a dog lying on a nail, needing to be hurt badly before it moves.
- He advocates for disruptive civil disobedience that forces society to pay attention, even if protesters face severe consequences.