Red Rebels shut out of Westfield Shopping Centre as Extinction Rebellion UK activists display banners reading  “No Shopping on a Dead Planet” and “A Better World is Possible”

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XRUK Press Contact: Marianna (+44) 7827922444
media@extinctionrebellion.co.uk

On Saturday 6th December, Extinction Rebellion’s Red Rebel Brigade silently marched towards Westfield in White City, West London to share a message about the potentially disastrous impact of the uncontrolled growth of human activity on our children and on future generations.

Eleven Red Rebels moved through White City towards the shopping centre in slow, silent formation, with rebels carrying banners reading “No Shopping on a Dead Planet” and “A Better World is Possible”. Their intention was simple: to invite shoppers to pause and reflect on whether the habit of over-buying is the gift we want to pass on to the next generation.

Westfield security were quick to close the door on our message. Around ten security officers surrounded the group and intercepted their entrance to the shopping centre by shutting the doors to the west side. They even brought a dog out. The officer in charge repeatedly threatened to forcibly remove the Red Rebels if they did not leave, claiming the silent performers were “intimidating” his guards. The main entrance of the centre was closed for around an hour.

Rebels gave their message on a small megaphone:

“We are here today to say this obsession with growth cannot continue. Each year, billions of tonnes of waste are created globally, with vast amounts still being dumped in landfill or burned. We don’t need to be constantly sold new things. We have this one beautiful planet. There is no Planet B. There can’t be infinite growth on a finite planet.”

Westfield is complicit — it tried to silence our message. Security staff demanded that the megaphone be put away, citing the presence of children. Yet young people around the shopping centre were not upset and instead approached the Red Rebels with curiosity and excitement, taking stickers and information from outreachers. For many families, these gentle moments of connection stood in stark contrast to the aggressive response from security.

An activist from Fashion Rebellion notes: 

“Fast Fashion produces enough discarded garments every second to fill an Olympic swimming pool. Our discarded clothes end up in places like Ghana’s “fast fashion graveyard” where 15 million items of discarded garments arrive each week. We now have enough garments to clothe the next 6 generations.“

This peaceful, nonviolent action spoke to Westfield and its shoppers as people like all of us, caught inside a system that pushes constant consumption as the measure of happiness and success. The Red Rebels’ presence asked a question: who benefits from this, and who pays the price?

Jen Massey, mother and community worker from Brighton said:

“We came to offer a message of care, not confrontation. Another way of living is possible for us all.”

This action forms part of XRUK’s winter creative work reflecting on what has been lost, what is broken, and what might still be rebuilt. As the year draws to a close — a time traditionally associated with generosity, reflection, and spending time with our loved ones — XRUK is calling on people to recognise that leaving a habitable world would be the most meaningful gift of all.

Just last week, the National Emergency Briefing (NEB), attended by over a thousand MPs and business, faith and media leaders, delivered a stark, united warning that the climate and ecological crisis now threatens food security, health, and national security across the UK. As well as confronting the reality of the crisis, the NEB illuminated countless examples of regeneration, repair, and human creativity already taking root. Groups are uniting to achieve the better world that remains within reach.

Our action sends the message that similarly, the crisis directly affects all of our everyday lives — and our choices around consumption, solidarity and care matter now more than ever.Extinction Rebellion urges shoppers to resolve to help repair the environment in the New Year. A better world is possible and we will build it together — a healthy environment in which to flourish is the best gift that we can give to our children.

Notes for Editors

1. Extinction Rebellion is a network of people who care deeply about the future of our planet, all human beings, and all living things. We are from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We come together in Extinction Rebellion because we are living in a time of Climate and Nature Emergency with our eco-systems and society at risk of collapse in the sixth mass extinction.
   We aim to tackle this crisis head on, using campaigns and Nonviolent Direct Action to compel those in power to act.
   https://extinctionrebellion.uk/about/
2. The Red Rebels are an international performance activist troupe dedicated to illuminating the global environmental crisis and supporting groups and organisations fighting to save humanity and all species from mass extinction. https://redrebelbrigade.com/ 
3. The National Emergency Briefing (NEB) is a cross-sector initiative bringing together leaders in their fields to present the latest risks facing the UK from the climate and ecological emergency. Last month, the NEB issued an Open Letter urging leaders to tell the truth about the scale of the climate and ecological crisis, to act now with the urgency the science requires, and to strengthen democratic participation so communities can shape a fair transition — themes that closely reflect the three core demands XRUK has championed since 2018. Its message is not only one of risk, but of regeneration: the Briefing showcased numerous examples of communities and institutions already working to restore ecosystems, strengthen social cohesion and build the foundations of a safer, fairer future. https://www.nebriefing.org
4. Extinction Rebellion and the Red Rebels recently took part in the Make them Pay rally in Central London with a coalition of  groups joining together representing millions of workers, citizens and communities across Britain. https://www.makethempay.org.uk/ 

Useful Sources on Fast-Fashion Waste & Overproduction

• “Fast-Fashion Beyond the Tag” — infographic & report (by Center for Biological Diversity) — shows that the industry produces over 100 billion new garments per year globally, and describes the environmental, waste and pollution consequences. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/pdfs/Fast-Fashion-Beyond-the-Tag-Infographic-2023-02.pdf
• “AT WHAT COST? Unravelling the Harms of the Fast Fashion Industry” (2023) — overview of waste, emissions, and the global environmental footprint of fast fashion. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02914-2
• Report on global textile and clothing waste — estimates that global clothing production has soared, much of which ends up as waste.https://earth.org/fast-fashion-pollution-and-climate-change
• Environmental impact analysis of fast fashion’s carbon and pollution footprint (e.g. water usage, microplastics, pesticides, etc.) — useful to show that overconsumption impacts more than waste. https://zipdo.co/sustainable-fashion-industry-statistics