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Illustration by Janice Chang

The UK’s rebellion in April launched Extinction Rebellion onto the world stage. We brought London to a halt, captured imaginations, and put humanity’s survival on the national agenda.

Now we’re back – with more experience, more resources, and five times the numbers.

If we’re to save this planet, we’ll need every person – and we’ll need you to be prepared.

So please take the time to read through this last round of essential information. Whether it’s knowing our action plan, understanding your rights, or bringing the right gear – what you read here could make a crucial difference to the success of this rebellion.

Whether you’re a fresh new face or a grizzled veteran, check out our revamped Rebellion FAQ page for general information. Not sure how to help? See this page full of roles that need filling.

If you need or can offer a place to stay in London during Rebellion, this form is for you.

If you’re wondering where you’ll be getting your news, rest assured the newsletter team has you covered. We’ll be sending out daily international updates from Tuesday morning onwards, featuring a dedicated London updates page, and a live ‘Rebellion Needs’ page.

For the most immediate information, we also encourage everyone to join our Telegram broadcast channel.

Whatever happens next week, we’re here for each other. In a time of division and crisis, this team is fiercely proud and immensely privileged to see so much love, thought and energy coming together, from all corners, to fight for a future that is shared. Whatever happens, we’re here for the best reasons in the world.

See you on the streets.

Join us on Monday October 7th!

If you’d like to help, please check out our guide and learn more about XR.

To connect to rebels in your local area, get in touch with your nearest XR group. If there’s no active group near you, you can start your own! 

If you’d like to see previous newsletter issues, you can find them here.

As we enter this crucial phase in human history, our Rebellion will need money to make sure our message is heard. Anything you can give is appreciated.

Support the Rebellion

London Rebellion Action Plan

For the comprehensive low-down on the rebellion’s action plan, see our Mass Action Briefing, which details the biggest collective events of the fortnight.  Featuring: Westminster Site Blocks, City Airport action (sign up here), Hunger Strikes, The People’s Speech and much more!

The Plan of Action!

No better place to begin…

Rebels from far and wide will gather for the first time on Sunday evening for an auspicious Opening Ceremony. Firebowls, beacons, speakers and song will herald the beginning of the rebellion, and the change that we hope will come with it.  

See you at Marble Arch from 5pm, for solemnity, rousing beauty and mirth! 

Police Response

Our police liaison team have been in close communication with the police in the run-up to October. They have received the impression that police will be seeking to exercise a more robust response than in April. For more information about this dialogue, see here. We urge everyone to stick strictly to NVDA principles and remember your rights.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks, we encourage all rebels to remember that police officers are ordinary people doing a job – and that we’re doing this for them too!

Essential advice for Arrestable Rebels

Don’t forget to get skilled up on the law before your arrest! The legal team have prepared an XR Legal Briefing and Common Charges sheet which you should read before the day.

For all rebels interested in filling police cells, we ask that you pledge non-cooperation at the police station. For more information, see here.   

Just as important as getting arrested is staying well.  You will find copious emotional and practical advice in this guide for pre-action prep. We strongly advise a read.

Finally, for all the wonderful people in action support roles, you will find a full list of online training videos here.

How we will decide stuff during Rebellion

The Rebel Council, Parent Groups, People’s Assemblies, Telegram broadcast channels – the Decision Systems team are working their socks off to enable every rebel to feel empowered and informed about how decisions will be made during the Rebellion.

This might be the decision to leave a site, to make a move, to take a particular action – or not to.

We want to encourage rebels to take pride in and participate in XR’s self-organising, inclusive decision-making systems.

Here is a post to learn all about how it will work in Rebellion. There are videos to watch too, where the lovely Linda explains decisions at the site level and rebellion-wide pressure building teams, with the help of some cracking diagrams.

Rebel Nosh 

October Sustenance are the brilliant team dedicated to keeping the rebellion fed.

They’ve made a Rebel Survival Kit with all the essential foodstuffs to bring, and a website brimming with advice, recipes, philosophy and ways you can help out. You don’t need to be in loco to do this – you can order a bulk bag of rice in Timbuktu!  

Join their Telegram channel for on-the-ground updates, including cheap places to eat, free food spots and the sustenance needs of the movement!

They do not wield a huge budget so anything you can give is hugely appreciated.

To full bellies!

Legal Observers

Calling all Legal Observers out there! Yes, YOU! If you are planning on taking on the important role of being a legal observer during the October Rebellion please get in touch with independent_legal_observers@protonmail.com .

Join the refresher online session this Sunday at 10am-12pm, link here.

Weather Warnings

Don’t let that fire inside you burn out, make sure you stay warm and dry. So, make sure you dress and pack accordingly, and keep an eye on the forecast.

Dig out your warm wooly winter gear, pack your socks, hats, scarves, gloves and fleece pyjamas. Test out your best waterproofs, jackets, umbrellas, and bring spares!

Camping out in rebel town? Please remember that the nights will feel like winter! 

Layering is the way to go! Bring extra layers for under you tent to stay dry – think dry cardboard, old yoga mats etc. Put an old blanket or rug on the floor tent floor, then ideally a few layers of sleeping mats. Use a three-seasons sleeping bag and wrap yourself up in extra blankets.

HS2 Rebellion – all aboard!

HS2 is the express train to climate and ecological disaster, costing us taxpayers over £100 billion. Imagine how we could use that money for good.

Following Saturday’s protest at HS2 HQ in London, legal action via Chris Packham and direct action by ancient woodland occupation teams, we (XR, Chris Packham, ReThinkHS2.org and many others) won a battle with HS2 and the Gov yesterday … all ancient woodlands are now temporarily protected from any HS2 enabling works, until Boris/Schapps make their ‘go’ or ‘no-go’ decision on HS2 later this year … a review of HS2 will be submitted to Boris/Shapps at the end of this month, so the October Rebellion is critical to making sure they make the right decision and bin HS2.

Actions are being planned and tree camps are being established … XR groups can contact PeteXR@protonmail.com to get involved, or join us here.

The Future is HERE (and families are welcome!)

We need everyone on the streets next week, and everyone is welcome! 

The Future is Here site (at the Mall) will be the site for all rebels from across our community to come together, a place for young, old and everyone in between to bond and rebel in peace. In our community hub, we are creating a safe and fun space for families, youth and little rebels, packed with activities, talks and workshops.

Planning to come as a family? Read the family friendly rebellion guide.

Together we will vision the future we want to see. ‘You are never too small to make a difference’

Action Briefings

If you are taking part in October’s actions, we strongly recommend that you join an Affinity Group (instructions here) and register your group. We are working on a series Decentralised Action Briefings for causing disruption in the city, such as “How to Block a Tube Station”. Stay tuned for these! 

Rolling announcements doc during Rebellion

‘Will there be a newsletter over October?’ we hear you ask.  The answer is yes – every day! 

‘What about announcements?’  Well, announcements are likely to come so thick and fast, and be so subject to change, that a daily email would be little use. Instead, we’ve set up a rolling announcements document for all of London’s needs.

If you need to make one at any point over the fortnight, just email ………  with *Announcement* in the subject line, and it’ll go in the doc as soon as possible.

Packing your bags for October

Starting to pack for the Rebellion? Here’s a (UK-specific) guide!

(Arrestables – take note that we suggest you bring steel cable ties. They’re more effective and less damaging than superglue at affixing human wrists to things)

The Hourglass – XR launches a newspaper!

You may have seen one of the 100,000 copies of The Hourglass that were distributed all over the country last month. If you didn’t get your hands on a physical copy of the newspaper this time, here’s a digital version of the first issue you can peruse!  

Just Launched – Rolling News of Trials and Arrestees!

This week, we launched a new page on our website dedicated to our trials and arrestees. 

Here you’ll find news about the 1,000 people arrested during April Rebellion as they make their way through the courts: videos, mitigation statements, trial updates, portraits, and anything else we think might interest you. 

You can find it under Trials in the News section. 

Please keep checking in, and share links using the hashtag #XRTrials. 

If you have news about your own trial or would like to contribute please email zoe.blackler@protonmail.com.

And, if you’re in a position to help support our defendants with their legal costs, please consider contributing to our Crowdjustice campaign. No donation is too small.

Humans of XR

“Eating whatever we want whenever we want has to change. Going wherever we want however we want whenever we want has to change. Party politics have had their day – they create division rather than the co-operation this crisis requires – they have to go. And, most crucially, the way we prepare children for their futures, i.e., education in its broadest sense, has to change both form and content.”

Read more of Mick’s story into XR on Humans of XR.  And to submit your own story, pitch it to this group.

Thank you 

Brilliant rebels, as ever, thank you for reading. And thank you for all your hard work – it has made October possible. We are in awe of you!

As we enter this crucial phase in human history, our Rebellion will need money to make sure our message is heard. Anything you can give is appreciated.

Support the Rebellion