Extinction Rebellion: International Action Highlights
April 21, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion
France
Rebels blockading Flagship H&M store in Paris – tipping tons of discarded H&M clothing outside the entrance. YouTube video:
Massive NVDA with multiple groups – blockading multiple sites inc. The Ministry of Agriculture and Ecological Transition at La Defense, as well as Total, EDF and Societe Generale.
Norway
APRIL 15
XR-Norway staged a funeral procession to the Norwegian ministry of finance. An appeal was read out, asking Norway to halt plans to explore for oil in the Arctic, and to set an early date for the termination of oil and gas production.
The XR declaration of rebellion was also read. The ministry administers the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, made rich by revenue from oil and gas production.
APRIL 17
Banner drops in various locations in Oslo.
The Norwegian oil ministers and prime minister like saying that «the person who will shut down Norwegian oil production has not yet been born». A large XR banner was dropped stating that «Those who will shut down Norwegian oil production have been born — It’s us!»
Canada
Montreal –
-17th of april, 5am – The Premiers Office.
-6 rebels, the objective was to hold the doors by chaining ourselves until media arrived.
-police deployed a pr team and they negotiated with our liaison that if we could get our message out we’d leave without their having to use force.
-we got every major news outlet in montreal to report it.
Uganda
Kampala– our XR group conducted a community event educating locals on sustainable and organic agriculture complimented by a local choir performance.
Italy
Milan
* Monday 15 tell the truth (déclaration of rebellion, flyposting, giving flyers,6 etc)
* night between Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 posting poster “No way Norway” to walls of Norwegian Consulate
Turin
* Monday 15 (before dawn) banner drop
* Saturday 20
Dinosaurs standing, déclaration of rebellion, die-in
Rome
* Monday 15 artist happening, creating the extinction symbol with plants and human bodies
* Thursday 18
Sound the alarm, die-in
BELGIUM
Monday 15th:
8am: giant human XR logo in the middle of the European Headquarters in Brussels.
11am: blockade
Saturday 20th:
1pm: spontaneous speeches on climate change all around Brussels
5pm: die-in in a mall
Last event:
17th: XR Belgium supported Via Campesina at an action in Namur
Mexico
We had the march on the beach of Puerto escondido on Sunday 14 in order to raise awareness with people placing garbage cans and explaining about the problems caused. We had a radio and TV interview in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca.
USA
New York, NY – April 12th – XR NYC drops a banner at Yankee Stadium during Yankees’ game.
New York City – April 17th
*over 200 people gathered outside City Hall to demand urgent action on climate change, they participated in mock citizen assemblies discussing solutions
*62 people arrested for blocking the road and access to the Brooklyn Bridge with a human roadblock and die in, 2 climbed nearby lampposts to drop banners saying “declare climate emergency”
(Arrested included a woman 7 months pregnant and people of all ages including many parents and grandparents)
Eugene OR – April 16th – Student activists working withExtinction Rebellion Eugene &Cascadia Forest Defenders have launched a 3 day tree sit in Eugene OR about the Thurston Hills clearcuts. This protest is calling for the immediate halt of logging on all public lands to address the imminent threat of climate change..
Washington D.C. April 16th – Eight arrested with Extinction Rebellion DC as they occupied the streets in front of Republican National Committee headquarters in the nation’s capital.
Los Angeles, CA April 16th– Solidarity with STAND-LAat City Hall and late night Paint the Streets, Wheat Pasting, Stenciling. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwXBUjwHQ8-/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Los Angeles, CA – April 15th– “We’re turning our grief into action, to possibility.” XR LALaunched a weeklong Climate Camp modeled on German climate movement Ende Gelaende – incl hard blockade training & building towards a yet to be announced nonviolent direct action scheduled for April 22nd. April 15th, included late night Paint the Streets, Wheat Pasting, Stenciling. https://www.facebook.com/events/652981618495557/
Tampa Bay, FL – April 15th– “Climate Emergency!” Funeral procession for the Earth and rally for a climate emergency at the office of Kathy Castor, Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. https://www.facebook.com/events/486164308587122/
Austin, TX – April 15th – “Demand Divestment Now!” Three activists were arrested and held overnight for supergluing themselves to the front doors of JP Morgan Chase Bank, the largest investor in fossil fuels in the world, shutting the bank down. They were released from jail at about 3:00 am April 16th. https://www.facebook.com/XRAustin/videos/398066127412579/
San Francisco, CA – April 15th– “Sound the Alarm” Extinction Rebellion SF Bay Area joined by over 200 allies from the indigenous, environmental, labor and youth groups stopped traffic in downtown San Francisco for close to two hours while painting a mural on the road, to sound the climate alarm.
Chicago, IL – April 15th– “Extinction Wake Up! Honor the Dead, Rouse the Sleeping” XR Chicago marched with a giant puppet in downtown Chicago to rally in front of the Thompson Center. The Thompson Center shut down due to the protest. April 12th – “Oil Money is Blood Money.” XR Chicago members blockaded the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Chicago, IL – April 12th– XR Chicago blockades Forward Energy [?] conference at the University of Chicago [?]. Two arrested
India
On 15th April in 2 cities (Bhopal, Dhanera)
Bhopal, Madhyapradesh: Around 40 people turned up for today’s protest. The crowd read the Hindi translation of Greta. People performed music, dance and gave speeches on the government’s inaction on climate crisis. They requested state and national government to declare climate emergency.
Dhanera, Gujarat: Around 10 people came together in this city, which is in Gujarat, Western India. This is a state of Indian PM Modi. They requested PM to work towards clean air, water supply and stop massive industrialization which is damaging our agriculture land and hampering millions of farmers. They also requested Indian Government and Gujarat state to declare climate emergency. I have attached a colored picture where 6 people are standing in front of a van.
On 16th April In Dhanera, Gujarat–school kids protested outside of the The Ministry of Environment
Austria
Vienna –We blocked Vienna’s main street in the inner city (The Ringstraße) right in front of the town hall for 45 minutes
Had coverage in all major news papers online, print as well but to a lesser extent.
Ireland
Friday 19th –held a ‘Day of Rebellion’ in Dublin with around 2000 attending
Protests will also occur in Belfast and Cork in Solidarity with XR activists around the world
South Africa:
Cape Town – declared their declaration of rebellion outside the Emergency Electricy summit called by the western cape chamber of business by singing Khoe songs and questioning delegates how they will fulfil their promise to halt emissions by 2050.
Johannesburg – delivered their demands and “letters to the earth” outside Gauteng provincial legislature.
Ghana
City: Accra, Ghana.
Saturday 20th April 2019 YAYOKPAKPA Rally With TOTROKUSAFO-KCORSDAF at the Agomenya Market in Krobo-Odumase: Launch of the Annual International Mother Earth Month “YAYOKPAKPA Sweet Mother Earth Rally for Climate Emergency” of the TOTROKUSAFO-KCORSDAF, in Internationalist Solidarity with the Agomenya Market-Women and their Communities of Resistance, in the historic Agomenya Market of Krobo-Odumase in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
Sunday 21st April 2019 Easter Sunday Earthrise in Resurrection with Christ Communion Sharings: As for example, the “Laudato Si” promotional sharing of the 24th May 2015 signed and 18th June 2015 published Second Encyclical Message of Pope Francis, “On Care for Our Common Home”, by SMERJAPIC-WA Activists of the 28th December 2018 launched Communion Action Link for Laudato Si (CALLS), in collaboration with the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO), the Pan-Afrikan Catholic Environmental Justice Emergency Action Communion of Laudato Si (PACEJEACOLS), the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM), the Christian Climate Action in the United Kingdom (CCA-UK) and the Rendezvous of Victory InterFaith Study and Action Network (ROVIFSAN).
Monday 22nd April International Mother Earth Day Protect Our Species Actions: Various actions in protection of Species and Biodiversity in diverse community environs throughout Ghana and West Afrika.
Quote: “Our esteemed Sister Dukosafofeno Nyoefe Yawa Dake of the ‘ABLODEDUNOVISIHA’ Community of Resistance soul-stirringly sings‘Miano le miafo’ – meaning ‘Our Mother is waking us up!’ Yes, we have long been rising up from our Eurocolonially intoxicated slumber against the Maangamizi crimes of Ecocide destroying the amazing Wonders of Mother Earth such as the spiritually awesome ‘Kloyo’ original mountain home of our ‘Klo’ Community of Resistance here in Ghana, and similar sacred sites of Environmental Justice battling Communities of Resistance throughout Afrika and all over the World. It had seemed like most of the peoples in Europe and the Americas cared nothing seriously about us and our Green-beautiful planetary home of this Global Village. Now that it appears Communities of Resistance in the Global North are also beginning to more seriously rise to join our Communities of Resistance in the Global South, we can only stronger gird our loins to more courageously brave and step up to Seize this Time of Climate Emergency for the greatest ever push of our lives towards the Grand Extinction Rebellion Rendezvous of Victory! ” – By Maatyo Dedo Azu, Chairperson of the TOTROKUSAFO Krobo Community Regeneration for Sustainable Development Action Forum (TOTROKUSAFO-KCORSDAF) and a Co-Spearhead Coordinator of the SMERJAPIC-WA, Somanya, Eastern Region of Ghana. Tuesday, 9th April, 2019.
Spain
* Madrid blocked the headquarters of Spain’s top polluter (number 37 globally) Repsol, accompanied by a die-in and performance.
* Barcelonacreated the Extinction Rebellion symbol out of activists and then marched to the main government square and read out the declaration followed by a die-in.
* Granada held a protest gathering in one of its main squares during which the declaration of rebellion will be read out by several signatories including pioneering environmentalist, Jorge Riechman.
* Valenciaalso plans to take a symbolic action, and gathered several dozens who then proceeded to block a street with discarded plastic.
* Mallorcaheld a public reading of the declaration followed by a die in.
* Puerto Real in Cádizhang a large banner calling for a climate emergency with XR logo at the main entrance of the town.
* A group of mountain climbers climbed the Pyreneesand unfurled a large banner atop a glacier of which only 35% remains compared to its size in the 1990s.
Scotland
Edinburgh
* Monday, XR Scotland held a “festival of climate reality’ – a small version of the Spring Uprising. Workshops, talks, trainings, workshops and crafts were attended by 500 people.
* Tuesday, XR Scotland held the central North Bridge between North and South Edinburgh for 5 and a half hours on Tuesday – a celebratory festive protest which was covered on all major Scottish media networks and papers.
* A cycle block from 5 points across the city converged on North Bridge at 3pm
* Over 700 people attended the road block
* 29 people were arrested – a few from swarming onto the main road, many who sat down when asked to vacate the bridge and were arrested one by one – and put into an out of service public Lothian Bus!
* Wednesday, around 50 rebels headed down to London on the bus to join the rebellion Thursday! More are coming this weekend.
Denmark
Copenhagen – A funeral for the future march culminating in a peaceful sit down protest outside the Danish Parliament
Switzerland
Monday : 250 ppl blocked a main bridge in Lausanne during an hour and the very same today with 350 ppl.
In Zurich on Thursday, die in in front of Credit Suisse, police intervened but no arrest, alike in Lausanne
Australia
Day one: Monday
Australia’s week of international rebellion began with a traffic disruption in Melbourne at 7:30am. A six lane road was blocked intermittently over a period of an hour by about 30 rebels. The traffic blockade allowed bicycles to get a free run into the city where they are usually delayed for long periods at the traffic lights when cars have priority. Traffic was blocked four times, each time for a period of a few minutes, but still created major delays. The police arrived half way through and after some negotiation, allowed the blockade to continue on the basis that police would assist with traffic management. Police joined the rebels on the road and stood between them and the traffic.
Images https://www.facebook.com/pg/XRAustralia/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2586501298030902
Video highlights: https://www.facebook.com/XRAustralia/videos/420086405392234/
In Adelaide, South Australia, rebels entered Parliament house while sitting was in process and demanded the declaration of a climate emergency. They were forcibly removed by security. But the story made the evening TV news on two stations,
Sydney –rebels staged a ‘die in’ dramatically dropping dead in the streets.
“Protesters dropped “dead” in the middle of the busy streets of Sydney, Australia on Monday to highlight the emergency we are all facing due to catastrophic climate change.
It served as a haunting and symbolic demonstration of what we will all face if we don’t drastically slash our carbon emissions in only 10 years: The ‘mass extinction’ of nearly all species on the planet – followed by the deaths of hundreds of millions of people, due to famine, water shortages, increased natural disasters, and ecological collapse. This effects you. “
Day two: Tuesday
There was a ‘camp out for climate’ event in Melbourneovernight. Around 40 rebels gathered on the steps of Parliament House for a peaceful demonstration before moving to the Treasury Gardens to stay the night.
A special song was sung in support of the London rebels.
Police attended, but allowed the camp to go ahead and even provided support in the form of patrols around the perimeter of the park. This was a great opportunity for rebels to rest, reflect, make new friends and have long discussions. More of these camp-outs are planned, which we hope will gradually grow in number, frequency and size as more people join the campaign.
Photos here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BwTwKCgnIfg/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Day four: Thursday
Bob Brown’s Stop Adani convoy headed off from Melbourne to make their way up to Queensland to protest the Adani mine proposal in the Galilee Basin. They will return via Canberra just in time for the last two weeks of the federal election campaign. Several car loads of rebels have gone with them to make the journey.
https://www.bobbrown.org.au/stopadaniconvoy
In Queensland, two rebels occupied coal trains making their way to the Brisbane port. One was on the coal train for over four hours before being arrested. The other occupation took place later that same night and lasted for four hours before arrest.
A peaceful demonstration in Brisbane, Queensland the same day was violently attacked by police. “Six climate rebels were ambushed by the Queensland police services cyber crime and tactical response units moments before the action took place leading to all six being arrested (Some violently with heads being bashed, some having their legs kicked out from underneath them at the hands of police.) Two were charged with offences and four were released with no charge.”
Saturday 20th April:
Surfrider’s Paddle Out For The Bight – Torquay
https://www.facebook.com/events/2022852367843189/
Sweden
-In Sweden there have been actions in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Lund, Örebro and Uppsala.
-In Stockholm on Monday hundreds of people performed a die-in and held a blockade for several hours outside the Parliament.
– In Gothenburg on Wednesday several people ended up being arrested during an XR road blockade.
– Six people glued them themselves to the walls, and 60 people took part of a blockade of the national television station SVT in Malmö – demanding that they report about the severeness of the climate and ecological crisis.
Poland
– the streets of poland have been painted as the movement continues to grow and wakes up more people
– Car die in photo opp is being sent out to media to build some of the topics that the ‘truth is bloody’ and that coal kills
Pakistan
Extinction Rebellion Pakistan staged a demonstration in front of the National Press club and demanded the government to ban single use plastic all across country. Even though the crowd was small, these demonstrations will create the much-needed awareness in Pakistan, where the environmental minister says that the unpredictable rains across the country is because of the current government. Actions such as these will at least start a conversation in the media about climate change.
Czech Republic
Prague – highly visible action to be carried out on the 21st in line with Earth Day
Estonia
Tallinn –
Page:https://www.facebook.com/XREesti
Monday April 15 – in order for action to begin, hope must die. So we will bury it with a funeral procession where some people take part willingly and others… probably not so willingly. At least they will be inside cozy cars. After the march we will send hope on its way and declare an open rebellion and the next actions. Madis Vasser, a local activist: “The estonian word for hope – “lootus”, is really close to the word nature – “loodus”. Hope does not die last, nature dies last. Hope must die well before, in order for nature to survive.”
Tuesday April 16 – We’re fucked, and we need to shout it from the rooftops. Or from other visible places. With banners. Big banners. Also, to lift the mood, we will paint the streets with XR symbols. Did you know that the “do not park” traffic sign is literally just two straight lines away from the extinction logo? We shall host a challenge to see who can transform the most signs in a day. We are in a hurry after all!
Wednesday April 17 – Everything is awesome when you are a part of a team. And you do swarming. On the main intersections. While painting the streets. Best to leave your car home that day. Also, some highly illegal tree planting might be in order too.
Thursday April 18 – MORE TREES! Estonians love trees.
Friday April 19 – National holiday. Time to connect with loved ones. Send a letter perhaps. Or read one. Publicly. For Earth. Wherever we find people to listen to us.
Saturday April 20 – All this rebelling takes the breath away. So we’ll do some die-ins at the way-too-many malls in Tallinn.
Sunday April 21 – We have grieved, we have rebelled, we have rested. Now we party. Where? On the streets of course!
Finland
Helsinki – Monday April 15: Declaration of Rebellion Helsinki, Lahti and Tampere
Rebellion Statement at Railway Station at 16.00 A public declaration of rebellion.
Elonkehän deep ecology zine panel discussion at 17:00.
A design-a-rebellion hang-out group where it has been designed as an inclusive space to bring the people together in a relaxed way and at the same time refine the plans for the rest of the week. Live music by Mummin kullat and food sharing. Place tbc.
Tuesday April 16:
Panu Pihkala Climate Diligence Workshop at the harbour as a free city event. After the workshop semi-spontaneous dance performance in the streets.
Wednesday April 17:
Die-in against 6thmass extinction of species in Lahti at 16.00
Marcus Petz, national coordinator said “Finland currently has had a government of failure. It has failed to find jobs for its people. It has failed to carry out the needed SOTE health care and social reform. And now it is failing to take the needed action on climate change. A
‘After these elections will it carry on failing? We the people of Finland are rising up to rebel with non violent direct action in our thousands along with millions around the world. Rebellion Week is a fun, participative action to demand the truth on climate change and the environmental crisis. We want not just empty words but zero carbon for all our futures. We are ready for change.”
Germany
Berlin – Monday April 15: Declaration and blockades of bridges: declared the rebellion to the government in front of the parliament at five past twelve, including speeches and performances. In the afternoon, we had a legal assembly on an important bridge over the river Spree (with music and dance under the slogan “If I can’t dance it’s not my rebellion”), starting at 2 pm. Around 3 pm we blocked further bridges over the Spree by disobedience and nonviolent sitting blockades.
Wednesday April 17: Action rally on the topic of agriculture. We did legal and disobedient actions at different places in the city centre and demand a fundamental change of agriculture including a drastic reduction of animal production and consumption in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to free up land for carbon sequestration and conservation.
Thursday April 20: We protested against shopping, consumer culture and fast fashion in a big mall and highlight the destructive effects of the fashion industry on climate, environment and people.
Saturday April 27: Mass die-in and celebration.
Frankfurt – After declaring the Rebellion to our government on the 15thin Berlin, XR Frankfurt we have been having their local rebellion week from 16th to the 21th of April. Actions include:
Tuesday April 16: Swarming.
Wednesday April 17: Regeneration Day in the park with music, XR talk, theater, yoga, banner and textile painting, seedbomb making and much more, for everyone to join!
Thursday April 18: We confronted the banks with an action drawing attention to their investments in future destruction.
Friday April 19: March of grief.
Saturday April 20: Die Ins all around the Zeil, one of the main shopping streets in Europe.
Sunday April 21: Truly Standing action in front of our Dome waiting for the people to come outside with candles in our hands, asking them for help.
Hamburg – Cycling for survival – starting with a half an hour of talks/speeches we’ll go around the Alster.