Extinction Rebellion UK has responded to the general election result by inviting people to join Upgrade Democracy – a three day mass occupation of a high-profile location from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September. As the result of the UK General Election is declared, our response is clear: it’s the system that needs to change, not the government.

Analysis by Vote Climate showed all of the main political parties’ plans would take us over 1.5C between 2030 and 2035.

Extinction Rebellion spokesperson and Olympian Etienne Stott said: “This should have been the Climate and Nature Election but the media and politicians failed us. Labour are simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The new government will struggle to do the right thing in a system that has been corrupted by oil and gas interests that have been spreading denial and delay for the last 40 years.  

Only a citizens’ assembly can break through the influence of lobbyists, donors and a hostile right-wing press. And only People Power can force the change we need onto the political agenda. That’s why, at the end of August, we will hold a mass occupation targeting a symbol of our broken system to demand an emergency citizens’ assembly on climate and nature. 

“We invite people to bring their creativity, humour, collective intelligence and their tents to join us at the location in the South East which we will be announcing shortly. People who are not able to camp are welcome to join us for one or more of the days.

This is not the change we need! It’s time to upgrade our democracy!

Notes to editors:

Read our longer statement

Extinction Rebellion said in 2018 that we needed to achieve net-zero by 2025. 

• Labour has said they will not cancel recent oil and gas licences – including the controversial Rosebank oil field in the North Sea – which will lock-in global average temperature rises of 1.5C. 
• After receiving a donation from climate denier and former Global Warming Policy Foundation Chair, Lord Donoughue, Labour reneged on a commitment to invest £28 billion a year on the green transition. 
• Labour have not committed to review our carbon budgets in the light of the latest science. 
• Labour have not committed to being led by an emergency citizens’ assembly on climate and nature.