COP30 Discovers Protesters Exist, 3 Years Late
The BBC breathlessly reports on crowds marching at the COP30 climate summit, highlighting it's the 'first time since 2021' protesters have been 'allowed' outside UN talks. One might wonder what changed between 2021 and now, besides the public relations optics. For years, climate activists have faced increasing surveillance and criminalization, from Extinction Rebellion activists labeled
'terrorists' in the UK for peaceful protest, to the widespread use of anti-protest laws restricting fossil fuel pipeline opposition in the US. So, the 'news' isn't that people showed up to protest, it's that the media is finally acknowledging their presence outside the approved, sterile zones. It appears the powers that be have decided that a 'manageable' protest makes for better TV than a
complete blackout. How many 'allowances' does it take before we question the nature of the permission itself?