New film celebrates climate resistance
June 13, 2025 by Extinction Rebellion
The Line We Crossed comes to UK cinemas and community centres from 23 June
A new documentary film by award-winning filmmaker Liz Smith celebrates the resilience and courage of those taking action in the face of an alarming clampdown on protest rights in the UK at a time of accelerating ecological crisis.
The Line We Crossed offers intimate access to the lives and experiences of those on the frontlines of environmental protest, including Marcus Decker, who received a 2 year 7month sentence for climbing the QEII Bridge to raise awareness of the climate emergency, and Trudi Warner, who was arrested for standing silently outside a UK court holding a sign affirming the independence of juries.
The film also features Sam Griffiths, currently serving a 16-month sentence in Scotland for peaceful protest, and concert pianist Holly Cullen-Davis, partner of Marcus Decker, whose life was deeply impacted by his incarceration. Other activists who appear in the film who have an XR background are Valerie Brown, Cathy Eastburn and Olly Rock.
At the heart of the documentary is a chilling portrait of a legal and political environment increasingly hostile to nonviolent dissent. During filming, sweeping new anti-protest laws were enacted, giving police broad powers to arrest citizens for minor disruption and courts started to deny activists the right to explain their motivations, and impose disproportionately harsh sentences.
The film features a powerful interview with Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, who warns:
“The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights clearly says that the right to protest covers civil disobedience, and the fact that [activists] are prevented in the UK to do so is a matter of great concern for me.”