Activists spray red paint over billionaire Walmart heiress's superyacht for a second time | CNN
www.cnn.com
Spanish climate activists sprayed red paint across a superyacht owned by billionaire Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie in Barcelona on Friday, the second time the yacht has been the target of protests in the past two months.

Spanish climate activists sprayed red paint across a superyacht owned by billionaire Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie in Barcelona on Friday, the second time the yacht has been the target of protests in the past two months.

  • Nepenthe@kbin.social
    3415·
    1 year ago

    A spokesperson for Marina Port Vell said that the boat had not been damaged in Friday’s action. “After a quick action on behalf of the security team, the incident has been corrected and the boat is now in a perfect state,” the spokesperson told CNN.

    Cannot stress enough that a new paint job is not the kind of action that’s going to fix jack shit. More than likely, it’s barely an annoyance. Few people on the planet have not heard the message already. If you don’t want them joyriding a massive yacht everywhere, remove the yacht.

    • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
      52·
      1 year ago

      So, while you’re entirely correct, someone on the team of “let’s harass the inconceivably wealthy” would probably still appreciate this action because it’s better than nothing.

      It’s also possible they’re trying to get the media to cover it more, rather than cause actual property damage

      • Nepenthe@kbin.social
        158·
        1 year ago

        Uh. Lemme check. Yes. We’re well past the “please stop killing me, it’s really mean :(” stage. They know. They are choosing to jetset anyway.

        If the disgustingly rich haven’t shifted their focus by now, they’ve basically made their stance known already and stuff like this strikes me as just toying around. It makes activists feel like they accomplished something, and then it’s rectified quite literally the same day and everyone continues about their business.

        Wanna join in or would your parents worry?

        • HeartyBeast@kbin.social
          3·
          1 year ago

          So what have you done yourself? Stolen any boats?

          It’s too easy to sit and criticise other peoples protests from the comforting you gaming chair.

        • Touching_Grass@lemmy.world
          417·
          1 year ago

          Its self masturbatory. It makes themselves feel like they did something but grosses out most other people. These types of activist whose strategy is to do something shocking just to get press are always counter productive. As if they can’t reason how they’re speaking to the choir

    • LinkOpensChest.wav@lemmy.one
      175·
      1 year ago

      And end up like Will Van Spronsen, who was called a terrorist and demonized by almost everyone for doing good. (Reddit would suspend your account just for mentioning him.)

      The super wealthy’s propaganda tools are more powerful than ours because they control the media, and there aren’t as many people who are awake to what’s happening as you might think. I’m all for direct action like what you describe, but we still need the red paint to make people aware of what’s going on. And I promise, it does do something. What do the unlovable rich want that they can’t buy? Love and respect. (Look at fucking Elon, that pathetic insect.)

      I recently read a sci-fi book called “Station Six” by an anarchist author who goes by S.J. Klapecki. Let me quote one of the characters:

      He wants to live like good King Arthur, loved and cherished and appreciated by his serfs. I like throwing a wrench into that. I think it’s important. And, who knows, maybe the next set of malcontents will learn something from us. I doubt it, but there’s my optimism for ya.

      You and I look at the activists pictured and think, “What was the point,” but the majority of people are still learning their ABCs of why this whole system is fucked. Sure, I’d have preferred the ship got destroyed completely, but these folks still did a brave act that has hit that sweet spot where it will get media attention without being entirely buried like a Will Van Spronsen (who, for the record, is a god damn hero and I’m not disparaging him at all).

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
        54·
        1 year ago

        There’s quite a difference between destroying a yatch and trying to blow up a building with people in it…

        • LinkOpensChest.wav@lemmy.one
          75·
          1 year ago

          Not sure whose disinformation campaign you’ve been hearing, but he set fire to unoccupied buses, not “trying to blow up a building with people in it”

          But I’m sure the fascists are happy someone from sh.itjust.works came along to defend them. What a shocker.

          Edit: What I should have said is “exhibit A” – This is why we still need the red paint, so thank you for illustrating my point