• 11 activists from Extinction Rebellion stripped off and glued their hands to surfaces in the public gallery at the House of Commons today in a bid to draw politicians’ attention to the Climate and Ecological Crisis

• Two of the activists wore full grey body paint and elephant masks while the others pointed to ‘the elephant in the room’

• The action takes place just two weeks before the International Rebellion beginning on Monday 15 April which is set to shut down central London for days on end

• Extinction Rebellion invites people to ‘Come to stay, take 2 weeks off work, bring a tent and your family.

Today 11 activists from Extinction Rebellion stripped off in the House of Commons public gallery in an attempt to draw politicians’ attention to the Climate and Ecological Crisis.

Two of the group wore full grey body paint and elephant masks to bring the message that politicians neglect of the climate crisis has become an ‘elephant in the room’. Inspired by the suffragettes’ protest in the same building over 100 years ago, activists glued their hands to surfaces in the public gallery.

Mark Øvland, 35, said: “We are impelled to act in this way because the most important and pressing issue of our time is being flagrantly and recklessly ignored by our government and media. By undressing in parliament, we are putting ourselves in an incredibly vulnerable position, highlighting the vulnerability that all of us share in the face of environmental and societal breakdown. There is an elephant in the room and it is demanding attention.”  

Iggy Fox, 24, a wildlife biologist said: “I’m tired of the time and resources our government wastes rearranging the deckchairs on the Brexitanic. I want a future, and right now they are burning it like there’s no tomorrow. Wildlife populations are crashing, Manchester was on fire in February, and air pollution and heatwaves are killing thousands in this country every year. It’s high time politicians stop beating around the bush and tackle the environmental crisis head on, like they should have done years ago. I won’t stop causing disruption until the government does its duty to protect the people from disaster.”

Oliver Baines, 68, former charity chief executive said: “This is an emergency. We cannot wait. We have to have action from the government now, regardless of any other calls on their time. Our future is in peril.”

Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:

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

We are in a climate breakdown
“If we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences for people and all the natural systems that sustain us.”

General Antonio Guterres – UN Secretary – 11 Sept 2018

“If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”

Sir David Attenborough – COP24 2018

Coming up

• 1 April – Paint the Streets Worldwide: Disobey to Tell the Truth – Global. Calling rebels willing to join a week of mass flyposting, using non-violent civil disobedience to tell the truth on climate breakdown and ecological collapse. We will use stickers, posters, banners and more, covering the streets with our messages, to shake awake our fellow human beings who are sleepwalking into disaster.
• 15 April – International Rebellion – Global. Extinction Rebellion activists in the UK and around the world are calling for a full-scale international rebellion: to demand decisive action on the climate and ecological collapse from governments around the world. Come to stay and book time off work.
• Lots more protests and events! There are many other actions and events happening now in London and around the UK due to Extinction Rebellion’s decentralised structure (too many to list here). For the latest news, see the website: https://rebellion.earth/events/ plus also check out the facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtinctionRebellion/events/.

Notes to editors

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.

Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:

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

Get involved in Extinction Rebellion’s other events:

1. In the UK, come to one of our events, join the Rebellion Network and let us know how you can help out
2. Start a group where you are – locally in the UK or in your country around the world
3. Find your local group: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=11jUqqjTHMThksd4KbvGGzb3I3Cr3PkBl&usp=sharing
4. Check out the International XR website, with links to the French, German, Italian and UK websites
5. We are holding Collaborative Leadership Calls to help coach people to improve their leadership skills and capacities
6. And while your time and energy are the most important things, if you are financially able to donate money, see our Fundrazr crowdfunder.

UK website: https://rebellion.earth/

International website: https://xrebellion.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtinctionRebellion/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExtinctionR hashtag #ExtinctionRebellion

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

About Rising Up!

Extinction Rebellion is an initiative of the Rising Up! 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