George Monbiot writes about
planning
to be arrested for protesting for Extinction Rebellion. (I read
that he was indeed arrested.)
It is misguided, even unfair, to criticize Extinction Rebellion for
being "too white" or "too male" or too whatever of that kind, because
that is not their choice. A volunteer activity must to go with those
that volunteer. When an activity needs to recruit as many people as
possible, it would be self-defeating to reject some volunteers for the
sake of demographic balance. Rather, the activity must seek, and
welcome, every volunteer that is willing and able to work for the
cause.
If you would like more blacks or more women to participate in
Extinction Rebellion, by all means try to recruit them. But don't
criticize the campaign for doing the most it can with the people who
have volunteered.
Indeed, people from less privileged groups may have rational reasons
to hold back. Maybe they have to work 50 hours a week to get by.
Maybe they expect the judicial system to treat them with bias. Maybe
they can't afford bail and fear being
jailed
for months if they are arrested, or being stuck for years in a
Ferguson-like
cycle
of fines and jail.
Given that privilege exists, I'm glad that people with more privilege
are taking advantage of it to take risks for the sake of saving the
world from disaster.