Day 15: Hunger strikers begin third week with further meetings with political leaders
December 02, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion
Email: press@risingup.org.uk
Phone: +44 7969 083 371 / +44 7459 055152
Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|Media Assets| New – Crowdfund the #ElectionRebellion! #ThreeDemandsBill #12DaysOfCrisis
- Five Extinction Rebellion activists continue their hunger strike for the third week outside political party headquarters until party leaders meet them to discuss the Three Demands Bill and act now on the Climate and Ecological Emergency
- Green Party senior leadership met with hunger strikers for one hour meeting
- Hunger strikers appeal to the public to put pressure on political parties to support the Bill
- The Global Hunger Strike highlights the realities we all face in this Emergency including vulnerabilities to food shortages and acts in solidarity with those already suffering
Five Extinction Rebellion activists continue their hunger strike for the third week outside political party headquarters in London to put pressure on party leaders to meet them to discuss the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, known as the Three Demands Bill [1] and act now on the climate and ecological emergency.
Today, hunger strikers met senior leadership of the Green Party of England and Wales; Amelia Womack, Deputy Leader, Mary Clegg, Chief Executive and David Flint, Convener Climate Change Policy Working Group, for a one hour meeting to discuss their support for Three Demands Bill.
The hunger strikers reiterated the need for us all to Tell The Truth about our vulnerability to looming food shortages and the Green Party reiterated their support for citizens assemblies. They said: “Extinction Rebellion are doing so much to draw attention to the climate emergency, bringing the need for urgent action to the forefront of people’s consciousness.”
Sarah Lunnon, Political Circle Coordinator, Extinction Rebellion said: “We welcome the Green Party’s continuing engagement with Extinction Rebellion, and we now call on all Green Party parliamentary candidates to publicly endorse the Three Demands Bill. Any target other than 2025 crashes through our carbon budget and risks unimaginable horror for millions.”
Petra Metzger, 37, an art and design lecturer, said after meeting the Green Party “I feel despair. It is crucial that we aim for 2025 not 2030, even if we don’t know how to get there, we know we need to start the journey.”
Hunger strikers met with Adam Price, Plaid Cymru leader, last week for the requested meeting. Mr Price pledged to push for citizens’ assemblies on the climate crisis both at a Welsh Government and UK Government level. Activists have met with Labour and Liberal Democrats’ senior figures with follow up meetings expected. Only the Conservatives and Brexit Party are yet to make contact.
Peter Cole, 76, grandfather and emeritus professor of respiratory medicine, outside the Conservative Party Headquarters in London said: “We will stay here until they come down to discuss and agree to the Three Demands Bill, even if that means staying here until the election. We are laying our lives on the line to save our children and children throughout the world from dying. The government must act today.”
The hunger strikers have said that people can support them by putting pressure on political parties by sending letters, emails, calls or via social media asking them to meet with the hunger strikers and support the Three Demands Bill so they can stop their hunger strike.
From December 7th Extinction Rebellion activists will peacefully occupy local party offices around the UK to demand all parties support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (the Three Demands bill). Hunger strikers are calling on people to join them in solidarity in their local areas on the day.[2]
Update from the Global Climate Hunger Strike around the world
This Global Hunger Strike highlights our current and future food vulnerability in the Climate and Ecological Emergency and act in solidarity with those already suffering. More than 500 people signed up in 28 countries. Many on 24 hour fasts in support of the Extinction Rebellion Hunger strikers.[3]
In Australia Dave McKay has been on hunger strike for 15 days, on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne asking 12 members of parliament to meet him and discuss support for declaring a climate emergency in the state of Victoria. Dave has spoken to three MPs so far, with an email from a fourth.
In Israel Shadi Sror began his hunger strike on is on Day 20, demanding the Isreali government take serious action on climate change and the ecological crisis by supporting the Three Demands Bill.
Notes for Editors
[1] Draft of the Climate and Ecological Emergency (‘Three Demands’) Bill – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dXZif0DtyUkwUwQvj6XRQbFY_QwwoIUK/view
Extinction Rebellion UK hunger strikers demand that all UK political parties and Parliamentary Candidates support the Three Demands Bill, and do all in their power to ensure it becomes law. The Bill calls for the following:
- Tell the truth: Tell the truth by declaring a Climate and Ecological Emergency and do all in their power to communicate the urgency for change, including working with government and other institutions.
- Act Now: Promote policies to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
- Beyond Party Politics: Help the government create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
Sign up for Global Hunger Strike here: https://rebellion.earth/event/global-hunger-strike/
A copy of the letter delivered to all UK party leaders can be found here
[2] https://www.facebook.com/events/1302685906605842/
Further information on the Hunger Strike:
- Humans of Extinction Rebellion on Rebel Radio:https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/humans-of-xr-27112019/
- Rebel Radio will be interviewing the people behind the Three Demands Bill on Wednesday 04 December from 5pm.
- Previous quotes can be found in press releases here and video testimonies. For more information or to arrange interviews please contact rogers.johanna@gmail.com
Hunger strike guidelines:
- Everyone who will participate as a hunger striker will need to fill in a form. The form is mandatory and if the striker is not registered, they will not be considered as part of the Extinction Rebellion Global Hunger Strike. This is for safety reasons.
- Furthermore, we are imposing a strict 24 hours limit for participants under 18 to hunger strike for health and safety reasons. For an under 18 to participate they MUST have both medical and parental consent and complete this form.
- The Global Climate Hunger Strike was initiated by Giovanni Tamacas of Extinction Rebellion US. Giovanni’s mother is from Vietnam and father from El Salvador. Like millions globally, his family are already feeling the devastation of the Emergency.
- The UK XR’s action is inspired by the iconic DREAM walkers’ hunger strike of 2012, an occupation by two young ‘undocumented’ immigrant students of President Barack Obama‘s Denver campaign office. Their hunger strike led to Obama passing the DREAM Act after an 11 year hiatus the Act grants legal status to certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and went to school there. Massive displacement of populations and communities is accelerating in the wake of our global CEE.
- Protesters vow hunger strike to push U.S. on climate change – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climate-protests-trfn-idUSKBN1XM2KU
Photo & Film opportunity: Find photos of hunger strikers here in the relevant day here. (Contact 07969 083 371)
About Extinction Rebellion:
Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction, global pollution, 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 their Government.
Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:
- Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
- Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
- Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
What Emergency? | Extinction Rebellion in Numbers |This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook.
Get involved:
- In the UK, come to one of our events, join the Rebellion Network and let us know how you can help out.
- Start a group where you are: in the UK or around the world.
- Find your local group.
- Check out the International XR website, with links to the French, German, Italian and UK websites.
- And while your time and energy are of most importance, if you are financially able to donate money, see our Election Rebellion crowdfunder.
- Read more about Election Rebellion https://electionrebellion.uk/
About Rising Up!
Extinction Rebellion emerged from 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 while the tools of civil disobedience and direct action are used to express our collective power.