Guardian Weekly

I back activists, but I won’t blow up a pipeline myself. Here’s why

There’s a fundamental principle that should apply to every conflict. Don’t urge others to do what you are not prepared to do yourself. How many wars would be fought if the presidents or prime ministers who declared them were obliged to lead their troops into battle?

I can see why How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Andreas Malm’s book which has inspired a film of the same title, has captured imaginations. It offers a lively and persuasive retelling of the history of popular protest, showing

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