Dave Vetter Profile picture
Climate writer @ Forbes & The Climate Laundry. @ davidrvetter on Bluesky + Threads. If you like my work, please consider supporting via https://t.co/dhfNwZ4Ug9

Feb 18, 2023, 16 tweets

I'm live at the pro-traffic rally in Oxford city centre. Ostensibly a protest against LTNs, or low-traffic neighborhoods, it's an intoxicating mix of far-right conspiracy slogans, antisemitism and really terrible hip-hop.

There's a fairly hefty police presence, and turnout occupies about a third of Broad Street at its widest. There's about an equal contingent of confused tourists.

Some of the many inventive signs at the rally. There's a great deal of information about chemtrails, the WEF and the Rothschilds.

Climate denial is a strong theme. The gentleman holding this sign is a cab driver from Swansea. He says that while local pollution does exist, global pollution is an invention of the WEF, and climate change is a hoax.

The man with this sign told me that the Rothschilds control all governments, and told me that "Ashkenazi Jews aren't like us"; "no one knows where they're really from"

When media organisations like GB News claim 15-minute cities are a plot to take away our freedoms, these are the people they're appealing to. It is a coordinated campaign to weaponize low-information paranoia and fear.

Accompanied by a heavy police presence, the marchers are headed out of town to Cowley Road.

The Oxford LTN protest is now headed across Magdalen Bridge. I've seen at least three Welsh flags, for some reason.

Some confusion at The Plain roundabout, with LTN Oxford protestors on loudhailers saying they won't go where the police tell them to go.

The crowd is now going where the police are telling them to go. #ltn #oxford

The rally is, at heart, a climate denial protest. This man says carbon is good because we're made of carbon. "When they talk about reducing carbon they mean they want to reduce you." #oxford #ltn

Traffic on Iffley Road will remain at a standstill for some time. #oxford #ltn

Some stickers and signage from the protests. A large proportion equate 15-minute cities to slavery and talk about the WEF. #oxford #ltn

My friend and colleague Vero was handed this leaflet, which summarizes numerous climate science denial myths in one handy pamphlet #oxford #ltn

Incidentally - here's a great video explainer on what 15-minute cities _actually_ are:

For those interested in how these Oxford LTN protesters are being manipulated, see here:

Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.

A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.

Keep scrolling