Written by Dietrich Becker-Hinrichs
In the climate justice movement the feeling sometimes fades,
Demonstrations or blockades alone do not bring the necessary success. The forms of action seem to exert too little pressure on decision-makers, so that urgent changes for social change are not implemented. Thus, the co-founder of "End Land", Tadzio Müller, prophesied a militant movement. "If climate protection is prevented, the green RAF creates. Or climate panisans. Or sabotage for future. Whatever they call themselves." MÃ1⁄4ller assumes that radical forms of protest will increase: "Destroyed car showrooms, destroyed cars, sabotage in gas power plants or on pipelines. This will definitely happen next summer," says the activist.1
Malm does not ask that the whole movement should carry out such actions, that this could be left to small groups, while the others continued to carry out nonviolent actions. However, in the combination of both action variants, it would see a strengthening of the movement. He complains that there is too little revolutionary spirit in the climate justice movement. He accuses her of being too pacifist. Intense, Malm deals with the works of Maria Stephan and Erica Chenoweth, who, in their large study "why civil resistance works", have a greater probability of being successful.3 Malm claims, in the example of the civil rights movement in the USA, that Martin Luther King's nonviolent actions were only successful because Malcom X also had a radically violent flank of the movement, in view of which the rulers gave up. By the way, Chenoweth impressively refutes this in her latest book.4 A whole series of recent investigations show that spontaneous violent actions of a movement provide short-term attention to the media, but in the long term weaken the movement. The numbers of those who want to participate significantly decrease, the movement loses sympathy with the majority of the population, the focus is diverted from the subject matter to the question of violence.
But aren't there any violent sabotage actions?
First of all, it is important to distinguish between sabotage actions, to which the activists are openly professed and are also prepared to accept prison and those actions that occur in secret. The most well-known example of the former are the two women Jessica Reznicek and Ruby Montoya, who in 2016 repeatedly sabotaged the Dakota Oil Pipeline in the USA and caused considerable damage. Jessica Reznicek was sentenced to 8 years in prison. They call their actions a non-violent direct action, which is necessary because the previous protests had no success and there would be no indication that the oil and gas companies would sew their policy of promoting fossil fuels.
Can you see the sabotage of a pipeline as a non-violent action? Yeah, if that doesn't damage people. Violence is always directed against people, violence is damaged lives, violence restricts life possibilities, so the galatory definition of violence can be put to the point.
to face the threats. And they make it clear that those who do nonviolent resistance show the face. Such people who put everything in the weighing pan to stop a threat and who are willing to accept high personal disadvantages enjoy great respect within the movements.
The effect of such actions on the broad mass of the population is also crucial. The sympathies and respect that the climate movement has acquired through its non-violent and imaginative actions disappear through such actions. Each movement must strive to win the hearts of people who are not yet engaged or active and to draw them to their side. This is not happening by such actions.
But how to meet the call for more escalation? What should be done from a nonviolent view to respond to such demands.
Hopeless. Others move back to the private and give up.
Bill Moyer postulates that it is now about classifying its own movement into a major action plan and sharpening the view for the long-term development of a movement. That is why, following Bill Moyer, I would like to end by calling three points that could be an inspiration for how the climate justice movement could overcome this phase.
- To meet the feeling of hopelessness and burnt-outness, it is crucial to get support in fixed groups. In such groups there should be time for personal, for joint cooking, walking, enjoying nature, celebrating parties. It is necessary to create an atmosphere in the groups where I can openly express my feelings, also the negative, and get me support from others.
- The climate justice movement should expand the spectrum of its nonviolent actions. These include actions of non-cooperation. Well-organized boycott actions and actions of the Divestment should lead to public protests and actions of the Civil Disobedience. Thus, banks could be asked not to hold shares in companies operating nuclear power plants or gas power plants. If they don't withdraw, the account would be cancelled. In the Anglo-Saxon countries this form of resistance is more widespread than in Germany. This would also be an appropriate response to the recent EU greenwashing decision.
- In the groups of movement we should take time to study successful campaigns, and incorporate models such as the Momevent Action Plan into our reflections. Employment with the theory of non-violent resistance should take intensive space in training and training. The workshop for non-violent action is happy to participate in such measures.
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