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Extinction Rebellion supporters from groups across the United Kingdom will start gathering in Windsor Home Park on the morning of Friday 30 August for three days of creative, peaceful action to propose democratic renewal as the answer to the climate and nature emergencies. [1] [2].

The new government is using outdated climate targets that fail to account for the latest science, the Paris Agreement, and global equity [3]; is set to approve new North Sea oil licences issued by the last government [4]; is expanding aviation [5]; and has an MP that is a trustee of the UK’s leading climate change denial group.[6]. As we predicted, a change of government won’t be able to fix things, because it is the underlying system that is at fault.[1]

Since its inception in 2018, Extinction Rebellion’s third demand has been for a citizens’ assembly on climate and ecological justice.[7] As the years have passed it has only become clearer that our current political system is not fit for purpose. When it comes to addressing the climate and nature crises we see politicians side with the fossil fuel industry and other vested interests while the world goes up in flames.[8] Upgrade Democracy puts our demand for a citizens’ assembly centre stage, where the stage is one of the several luxury country residences of our unelected head of state.

XR has planned an action-packed weekend with three themed days that comprise a dramatic sequence. On Friday, after setting up camp, the central action will dramatise how our system has been broken with a performance by XR’s black-clad Oil Slicks on The Long Walk signifying how our political, judicial and media systems now serve the interests of oil, money, and other villains.

The centrepiece of the weekend takes place on Saturday afternoon – a mass assembly or Massembly which should be one of the largest participatory, democratic events ever held in the UK. We will explore the question “How might we take meaningful steps to upgrade democracy?” After understanding more about the challenges with our current system and hearing about democratic innovations that have proven successful elsewhere, people will deliberate in small groups where everyone’s voices can be heard. Then participants will submit their ideas via the open-source app Polis and everyone can vote on them. A simultaneous online version of the Massembly will allow people that can’t be there to take part. Further online assemblies are planned to follow allowing for  greater participation of the general public. The Massembly builds on XR’s experience of holding around 25 community assemblies around the country over the last year.

On Sunday from 11am there will be a publicly accessible gathering involving speakers,  training sessions, block printing and music. This will be followed at 1pm by a closing performance-action entitled Another World Is Possible which will dramatise the death and revival of democracy through theatre, large-scale puppetry and communal song.

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

Friday 
Morning – camp opens and people start to arrive
Noon – fUnfair opens at Camp
5:45pm – theatrical action with oil slicks and rebels in suits on the Long Walk

Saturday 
Noon – March arrives at Castle
12:15pm – ceremony to deliver post
2:30pm – Massembly takes place on the Long Walk
5:30pm – Massembly finishes
6pm – fUnfair opens at Camp

Sunday
10am – March leaves Camp led by drummers
11am – March arrives at Castle Gates for speakers, training sessions, art blocking, music, etc.
1am – Another World is Possible performance
2:45pm camp starts packing down
4:30pm final litter pick

QUOTES

Etienne Stott, XR UK spokesperson and Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist, said: “The first job of the state is to protect its citizens and keep them safe. Politicians are too close to and too compromised by the vested interests of the oil barons and media billionaires to carry out this primary duty of care. A citizens’ assembly is a proven mechanism that can be deployed to bypass these corrupting influences and get things done in a way that is fair for all and bridges political divides.”

Paul Thistlethwaite of the Massembly organising team said: “The Massembly provides an opportunity for anyone to experience what a different form of democracy feels like by actively taking part and joining the conversation. Through a process of listening, learning and discussing with others, participants will be able to better understand the key challenges with our current system and explore various improvements and alternatives. By combining in-person and online assemblies and using advanced tools, we aim to run one of the largest participatory democracy events in the UK so far.”

Rebecca Iester, a participant in the Peoples’ Assembly For Nature who will be speaking at Upgrade Democracy on Sunday said: “I am one of a too-small number of individuals who have been fortunate enough to participate in a citizens’ assembly, and I feel compelled to share my incredible experience, not only during the assembly but also beyond. Some issues, such as the climate and nature crisis, are too significant and too important to be relegated to a particular political party’s agenda. We cannot allow political point-scoring to obstruct our efforts to protect our futures. The future belongs to everyone, and we deserve the right to have our voices heard regarding what that future could look like, beyond simply casting a vote once every four to five years in an outdated voting system that results in an unrepresentative parliament.”

Marijn van de Geer  of XR’s Citizens’ Assembly Working Group said: “Despite vilification from the right-wing media, and new laws putting activists in prison, people are refusing to be silenced and are coming together peacefully to challenge our broken system and to explore together how we can fix it. We are defying the current climate of repression – it’s too important not to – we need to be there, we need to be seen and we need to be heard.”

Dr Pete Knapp of Scientists for XR said: “For the last fifty years fossil fuel interests have sowed confusion about climate science and disinformation about the solutions so they can keep their profits rolling in, in the full knowledge that this would render the planet inhospitable to most of life on Earth. Successive governments have rolled over for these interests, suppressing climate action, imprisoning peaceful protesters and treating the  critical threshold of 1.5C of the Paris Agreement with contempt. It’s time for the people to take back control from the fossil fuel companies that are burning down our house.”

WILL WE BE STORMING WINDSOR CASTLE?

Regarding the misinformation circulated by MailOnline and amplified by other sections of the  press, Marijn van de Geer of XR UK’s Citizens Assembly Working Group said: “Extinction Rebellion UK does not have any plans to storm Windsor castle, any hotels nor cause public disruption during our three day event ‘Upgrade Democracy’ in Windsor. But we will be hatching exciting plans to fix the current broken system that is burning down the planet. This gathering is about uniting communities for positive change, not disruption or alienation.”

WILL WE BE SCALING BACK OUR PROTEST?

Regarding the statement by the Royal Borough Of Windsor & Maidenhead issued on 16 August, Catherine Bartlett for Extinction Rebellion UK said: “Conversations have been taking place with the Crown Estate, the Council and the police for months in order to ensure they protect our right to protest. Due to various factors they cannot endorse it, but as we are continuing to consider local residents and other measures this should not impact those attending. The action will go ahead as planned, and XRUK is doing everything it can to ensure that both the protest and the campsite will be safe for everyone. Our Rebel Agreement will help make sure everyone is safe and looked after.”

CAN’T WE ALL RELAX NOW WE HAVE A NEW GOVERNMENT?

The new government is essentially running the same old failed system and making accommodations with the same powerful vested interests. They are using the same outdated climate targets and don’t have a plan that is consistent with the Paris Agreement, the latest science and global equity. Since 2011 127 former oil and gas officials – including 49 industry bosses or senior executives – have been recruited into influential government positions and ministerial advisory boards. Labour MPs have received £45,000 in donations from fossil fuel lobbyists. One of their MPs is trustee for the UK’s leading climate science denial group. Chancellor Rachel Reeves accepted a £10,000 donation from a leading climate sceptic just weeks before dropping Labour’s £28bn green transition pledge. Under threat of legal action from oil companies they seem likely to approve licences for North Sea oil drilling issued by the previous  government. Labour has started expanding aviation. Sewage is still being poured into our rivers while our water bills go up. Right-wing media are still spewing out disinformation and anti-climate action news and commentary on a daily basis poisoning the national conversation around the need for urgent action. Last year saw a record number of UK editorials opposing climate action almost exclusively from right-leaning titles. Labour has so far failed to repeal protest laws written for the Tory government by the Policy Exchange which aim to protect the profits of its oil company funders.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

[1] Extinction Rebellion announces mass occupation as general election result called, declaring “we need to upgrade our democracy, not just change the government” https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2024/07/05/extinction-rebellion-announces-mass-occupation-as-general-election-result-called-declaring-we-need-to-upgrade-our-democracy-not-just-change-the-government/

[2] Secret location for Extinction Rebellion’s mass occupation Upgrade Democracy revealed https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2024/07/08/secret-location-for-extinction-rebellion-mass-occupation-demanding-upgrade-democracy-revealed/

[3] Net Zero: The Ambition Gap Will the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy keep 1.5°C alive? https://www.zerohour.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/NZ_Ambition_Gap_Report_online.pdf

[4] UK could approve 13 new oil and gas projects despite North Sea pledge https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-could-approve-13-new-oil-and-gas-projects-despite-north-sea-pledge/

[5] How airports became a battleground for a looming Labour revolt https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-heathrow-and-gatwick-expansion-plans-risk-triggering-a-labour-revolt/ar-AA1pdNbE

[6] Labour Candidate Maintains Ties to Climate Denial Group Despite ‘Conspiracy’ Claims https://www.desmog.com/2024/06/20/labour-candidate-graham-stringer-maintains-ties-climate-denial-group-global-warming-policy-foundation-gwpf-conspiracy-claims/

[7] Citizens’ Assemblies https://extinctionrebellion.uk/decide-together/citizens-assembly/

[8] Increasing frequency and intensity of the most extreme wildfires on Earth https://climateattribution.org/resources/increasing-frequency-and-intensity-of-the-most-extreme-wildfires-on-earth/

About Extinction Rebellion

Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a decentralised, international and politically non-partisan movement using nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

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Time has almost entirely run out to address the climate and ecological crisis which is upon us, including the sixth mass species extinction, global pollution, and increasingly rapid climate change. If urgent and radical action isn’t taken, we’re heading towards 4˚C warming, leading to societal collapse and mass loss of life. The younger generation, racially marginalised communities and the Global South are on the frontline. No-one will escape the devastating impacts.