Eco-Disturbance of (relative) Public Peace

FionnMatthew

An eco-campaign for reducing carbon emissions just (in the last hour) sent a parade past my apartment window (on Parliament St.), and since they stopped at the lights, they were standing outside my window blowing whistles, shouting and banging drums for about five minutes.

I can put up with the vehicular noises, the sounds of drunken revelry, and the noises of street cleaners at 4am. Just about. But I think this sort of thing is obnoxious, and what's more, utterly ignorant of the fact that people live over most of the streets in Dublin, with private lives, commitments and entitlements.

Why are protests like this, which disturb the public peace in such a concerted way in the city, officially allowed by the police? The city is a residential area too.

I'm trying to write a paper on the philosophy of language, and outside, 200 and something people stand, idiotically shouting, ringing bells, blowing whistles, waving signs and banging drums at an inert building.

I understand that there is discourse on the public ownership of the streets, and the right to protest, etc. CF. Reclaim the Streets, etc. But if anyone has any claim to the streets, it's the people that live on them, over them, or just off them. And that ought to guarantee at least an iota of respect and care by people who, in their use of the streets for such purpose, purport to be socially-minded. A socially-minded respect and care not observed by banging drums, blowing whistles, ringing bells, shouting angrily at absent somebodies, or any of the most popular methods of attracting attention employed by typical protesters.

I vote Green, I read heavily in contemporary science about global warming, I'm dabbling with deep ecology. My political inclinations are not anathema to those of the protesters. But the practice of gathering together in an inarticulate mob, and waving signs bearing two-line slogans on them, seems to me pointless. And why can't such things be done with some regard for the peace of private residents?

Are there laws on such things?

ODS

FionnMatthew wrote: »

I'm trying to write a paper on the philosophy of language

I love the idea of a communications philosopher grappling with such a dilemma

On a not-unrelated note I was at a function last night where Minister Eamon Ryan was encouraging people to join in with this demo... Hmmm I somehow doubt that Eamo himself was out at this in the howling rain, on Feckin' Culchie Day

latenia

I got stuck on a bus behind them. I respect their right to protest but surely a Sunday afternoon would be more appropriate given the traffic problems they caused?

Gaspode

I love the idea of the eco protesters causing noise pollution!!
I suppose everyone has the right to demonstrate on the street. but marching to try and get something done about global warming (if such a thing exists) seems a bit futile.

delta_bravo

ODS wrote: »

I love the idea of a communications philosopher grappling with such a dilemma

On a not-unrelated note I was at a function last night where Minister Eamon Ryan was encouraging people to join in with this demo... Hmmm I somehow doubt that Eamo himself was out at this in the howling rain, on Feckin' Culchie Day

I think he did in the end. Heard it on the radio

lostexpectation

you live in the town center , take the good and the bad... the city belongs to everyone

FionnMatthew

lostexpectation wrote: »

you live in the town center , take the good and the bad... the city belongs to everyone

True. But so, technically, does the road outside your house, if you have one. And there ought to be fair-use guidelines for the use of public property, which don't infringe beyond a reasonably acceptable degree on the entitlements to freedom from excessive noise pollution of private residents.

I do take the good and the bad. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on Parliament street are sublimely "bad" in this respect, with buses with broken engines, souped-up boy racer cars, the incessant, excessive drone of push-along street-cleaning machines (there's one outside my window now), minor and major car accidents, karaoke clubs making noise into the night, police and emergency service vehicles, drunken shouting, brawls, etc.., and I "take" them.

But that's all somewhat unavoidable in a city centre (although, there could be restrictions on the amount of noise cars can make, on the times at which street cleaners may operate, and on the kinds of noise that revelers and clubs are entitled to make after a certain hour).

Surely just making noise for the sake of it: actually, deliberately making noise, which is one of the stated intentions of demonstrators, is a practice incompatible with the public requirements of an area which is indicated in both public entitlements to fair and respectful use and both public and private entitlements to freedom from obnoxious and unnecessary noise, and/or obstruction, and/or invasion of privacy.

FionnMatthew

As of tonight, you can add a díckhead playing a tuba to the above list.