From Cambridge to Bristol, Newbury to Totnes, Extinction Rebellion activists today staged peaceful protests to raise the alarm on the ecological and climate emergency, with actions still due to commence in a number of towns and cities. [1] The protestors aim to raise awareness of the crisis we face and to pressure local councils to declare a Climate Emergency, go zero carbon by 2025 and create Citizens’ Assemblies to deliver the required changes to avert ecological and climate disaster.

Highlights include 250 protesters in Bristol singing subversive carols and giving speeches before marching on the City Council, with some stopping on the way to spray-paint the Defra building, and plant a tree on the lawn outside the Mayor’s Office. In Cambridge, a few hundred people staged a die-in at the Grafton Centre before marching to the local council centre and planting trees of their own.

Extinction Rebellion Cambridge activist Angela commented: “We’re holding a die-in at two shopping centres, alongside three coffins representing the current victims of climate change, the non-human victims of the ongoing mega-extinction, and the future victims still to come.

“We’re soon to march on the city council, where we will demand that they take serious measures against the climate crisis.”

USA Plans National Day of Action – Rebellion Day 1 on 26th January 2019

The UK Regional Day of Rebellion comes as news hits from across the Atlantic that Extinction Rebellion New York has just had its first meeting in preparation for a National Day of Action in the USA on 26th January 2019 for what it dubs ‘Rebellion Day 1’. [2] This features as a key part of the build up towards International Extinction Rebellion Week, which will take place globally on beginning 15th April 2019.

Liam Geary Baulch of Extinction Rebellion commenting on the campaign to date said: “We have been talking to people about the real science that we’re seeing now, not in an alarmist way, but in a realistic way. We are now facing what could be the next mass extinction. We’re already grieving over the lives lost, both human and otherwise, to climate change. And we’re seeing and talking to people about the fact that we might now be facing human extinction”.  

“And so we’re asking people to face that grief and feel that emotional response to this crisis, what we’re calling an emergency crisis – we want to shift the language to that emergency crisis – and to respond to that and move through that into action.“

England

Protest events have been happening in more than 12 towns and cities in England including Newbury, Exeter, Bedford, Halifax, Swindon, Bath, Frome, Norwich, Truro and Preston New Road where there has been a solidarity visit to the anti-fracking protest camp. Yesterday Extinction Rebellion Manchester held a symbolic action in St Peter’s Square.

Highlights from Bristol, Cambridge, Totnes and Newton Abbot include:

Bristol

More than 250 protesters in Bristol sang subversive carols and gave speeches before marching on the city council; some stopped on the way to chalk-spray the Defra building, and a tree was planted on the lawn outside the mayor’s office. Describing this tree as “the gift of life”, protesters urged the Mayor to implement strong measures after his City Council declared a state of climate emergency last month.

Fran, 29, said: “We’ve had a beautiful event at Cabot circus, singing alternative carols, talking to passers-by, and giving speeches before staging a mass die-in; we’re just about to begin a march which will end with presenting a gift to the mayor, and encouraging him to ratify the climate emergency measures.”

Tom Daldon, 19 from Bristol said:“This is the greatest challenge of my generation. We will continue to act together, we will not behave until we are listened to.”

5 people have been willingly arrested for spray-painting with removable paint; police horses were at the scene.

Cambridge

With a few hundred people in attendance, starting at the Grafton Centre, Extinction Rebellion Cambridge activist Angela commented: “We’re holding a die-in at two shopping centres, alongside three coffins representing the current victims of climate change, the non-human victims of the ongoing mega-extinction, and the future victims still to come.

“We’re soon to march on the city council, where we will demand that they take serious measures against the climate crisis.”

Alison Green, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Arden University, who attended the protest events in Cambridge and who also recently helped write and organise the recent international letter that saw Vandana Shiva, Naomi Klein call for action on the climate emergency said: “Cambridge rages against the dying of the light. A few hundred people have turned out here in Cambridge to support the event. Lots of upbeat and powerful speeches. I’ve just done mine and people are gathering around listening with interest – in spite of the cold!”

Live updates from Cambridge are available at https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/live-updates-protest-cambridge-grafton-15555155

Totnes and Newton Abbot

There were 120 people spread across Totnes and Newton Abbot. As Dr Larch Maxey, 46, explained, “we’ve just had some beautiful singing from our choir, who’ve been singing alternative carols written by local XR members. There are 40 of us here in Totnes, and we’ve sent many more of our members to support Newton Abbot in its first XR event, where 80 people have gathered to sing and protest.”

Brighton

In Brighton, where the Brighton and Hove Council this week declared a climate emergency, Claudia from Extinction Rebellion said: “We have 12 years to make a difference – the government must declare a climate emergency now. We have 10 people singing at the Royal Pavilion ice rink and have another 30 people making Extinction Rebellion snapped logo wreaths.”

“Demonstrators are going to adapt “Give peace a chance” to “Give [life] a chance”. They are also going to make a lot of noise by banging and bashing instruments for 12 minutes to represent the 12 years we have left before we go above 1.5 degree warming.”

 

Scotland

Glasgow

100 people gathered at the Buchanan Street steps in Glasgow today. Anna, 24, said “We’re meeting to rally and sing subversive carols at the Buchanan Street steps, and we’ll be giving away trees to members of the public, after which we’re planning some thought-provoking disruption based around today’s Christmas shopping”.

An action is due to happen in Inverness from 4.30pm and in Dundee and Fort William XR activists will be holding their first meetings.

 

Wales

Events have also taken place in Carmarthen and Cardiff, while the Llandudno event has been postponed until tomorrow due to the storm.

Notes to editors

1. Climate Factsheet for Rebels https://rebellion.earth/the-climate-factsheet-for-rebels/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2018/oct/08/ipcc-climate-change-report-urgent-action-fossil-fuels-live; https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2017-07-02-three-years-to-safeguard-our-climate.html

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/21/human-race-just-001-of-all-life-but-has-destroyed-over-80-of-wild-mammals-study

2. https://theintercept.com/2018/12/15/extinction-rebellion-nyc-climate-activism/

3. About Extinction Rebellion

Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices, with human extinction also a possibility, if rapid action is not taken.

Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by its Government. The group’s key demands are:

• The Government must tell the truth about the ecological emergency, reverse inconsistent policies and work alongside the media to communicate with citizens
• The Government must enact legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and to reduce consumption levels
• A national Citizen’s Assembly to oversee the changes, as part of creating a democracy fit for purpose.

Website: https://risingup.org.uk/XR/; facebook https://www.facebook.com/ExtinctionRebellion/; twitter https://twitter.com/ExtinctionR; hashtag #extinctionrebellion

Declaration of Rebellion: https://rebellion.earth/declaration/

4. About RisingUp

Extinction Rebellion is an initiative of the RisingUp network, which promotes a fundamental change of our political and economic system to one which maximises well-being and minimises harm. Change needs to be nurtured in a culture of reverence, gratitude and inclusion; whilst the tools of civil disobedience and direct action are used to express our collective power.

Website http://www.risingup.org.uk/; facebook https://www.facebook.com/RisingUpUK/; twitter https://twitter.com/RisingUpUK