BREAKING, London: Extinction Rebellion occupies UK Dept for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
November 12, 2018 by Stu
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BREAKING, London: Extinction Rebellion occupies UK Dept for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Welcome to the Rebellion! Multiple teams of activists from Extinction Rebellion are occupying inside and currently glued to the entrance outside of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) at 1 Victoria St, Westminster, London SW1H 0ET, to highlight the havoc being wrought across the UK by fracking, which the Government is undemocratically supporting. [1]
The police say there is complete lockdown, no one can get in or out. Activists say is a party atmosphere, it is a for a good cause.
The UK government, specifically BEIS, is promoting fracking – meeting with fracking companies more than 30 times in the last 3 years, compared to zero times with anti-fracking groups – despite massive local opposition with protesters across the country. From Preston New Road (665 days now and counting) in Lancashire, to Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire, to Horse Hill in Surrey, communities are coming together to fight against fracking.
Becky Daniels, a protestor from the Preston New Road fracking protest site in Lancashire commented: “The time to take action against climate injustice is now. The political system is failing us from local councils to central government. Democracy no longer exists, as seen with England’s ‘dash for gas’ and the systematic criminalization of peaceful protest.”
With just 5 days until Rebellion Day, Extinction Rebellion is attempting a nonviolent uprising against the British government for its criminal inaction on the climate emergency and ecological crisis. Extinction Rebellion demands that the UK government immediately declares a climate and ecological emergency; reduces to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, and creates a citizen’s assembly to oversee these changes. [2] [3]
Becky added: “If we do not act now, we face Extinction. At the very least we will witness the breakdown of society as we know it. The days of nimbyism are over. The impacts of climate injustice will be felt around the world. We are imploring you to stand with us in solidarity and declare a climate emergency.”
The evidence of the harm created by fracking is clear. There are, for example, 218 peer reviewed scientific papers on the harm to water and 102 papers on harm to air. Fracking is worse than the burning of coal for global emissions. Since Cuadrilla (whose shares are now flatlining on the stock market) began fracking at Preston New Road two weeks ago, there have been more than 30 earthquakes in Lancashire, and still Cuadrilla and the Government want to weaken legislation further, which puts the health of the public and future generations in dire risk.
Julie Daniels, Becky’s mum and a fellow protestor, said: “Having been involved in the anti-fracking movement for over seven years, it was inevitable family members would become involved. Continuing to use fossil fuels ignores that the window to steady runaway climate change grows smaller every year. We are the first generation that knows what we have to do and the last generation able to do something about it. This is not just a family affair, it’s a family emergency we can’t ignore.”
Tina Louise Rothery, Becky’s Aunt and Julie’s sister, also a Preston New Road protestor commented: “The government has failed us all. We will not sit passively while the climate and our civilisation breaks down. We are rebelling in order to protect all life, and we will escalate until we win.
The issue of the climate is the very stuff of survival. The safe quality of our air, water and soil must be addressed now as a matter of urgency. The government must face us and face up to its responsibilities – the decisions made now will bring the wrath or gratitude of future generations.
Our children demand this civil disobedience of us. We are non-violent but what we demand is non-negotiable”.
Towards Rebellion Day
Rebellion Day (17th November) will be the climax of a week of civil disobedience, with the potential for more. Details will be revealed in due course, but for now here are some key dates:
- Thursday 15th November: An LGBTQI party to disrupt the Brazilian Embassy in the wake of Bolsonaro’s election. Women, people of colour, LGBTQIA+ people, defenders of the environment and free speech, and allies to any of these minorities are welcome [4]
- Saturday 17th November: Rebellion Day – major acts of civil disobedience across London, at Parliament Square and on some bridges. Thousands are expected to take part in a series of non-violent direct actions highlighting the villainous behaviour in our climate and ecological emergency, with protests including road blocks, bridge blockading and countless actions in solidarity across London and nationwide. Everyone is invited, particularly citizens concerned about the ecological crisis and those that feel the time has come to take a stand, and be conscientious protectors of the earth.
Many other events are taking place online and around the country in preparation for the rebellion, including non-violent direct action trainings in Leeds, London and Wales, talks across the UK about the climate emergency and what citizens can do to be part of Extinction Rebellion movement and talks by international partners about coordinated Rebellion Days around the world. [5]
Notes:
- The UK government, through BEIS, is promoting fracking despite massive local
opposition. The fracking industry is receiving huge tax breaks in the UK. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/19/george-osborne-tax-break-fracking-shale-environment
Many early investors bought shares in Cuadrilla’s parent company AJ Lucas at $1.20 (Aus), when Cuadrilla appeared to be in the ascendant in the UK. However, after several years’ delay, the price fell and by 2015, the price was around .42c where it lingered, barring a few ups and downs. At around .40c, further investors bought in, but since protests began at Preston New Road in January 2017 the picture of easy success for investors failed to materialise. Many of the .40c buyers would sell once the price hit .41c or more, but the original $1.20 shareholders face huge losses – at .28c this morning, it’s got to hurt.
Labour Party reveal UK government meetings with the fracking industry.
Fracking is worse than burning coal. https://theecologist.org/2016/jun/09/fracking-twice-bad-climate-coal-will-climate-change-committee-ban-it
Since fracking began there have been 30 earthquakes at the site in Lancashire and Cuadrilla are wanting to weaken legislation as a result https://drillordrop.com/2018/10/30/government-urged-to-suspend-lancashire-fracking-over-earthquakes/
The evidence of the harm created by fracking is clear, there are for example 218 peer reviewed scientific papers on the harm to water and 102 papers on harm to air
https://www.zotero.org/groups/248773/pse_study_citation_database/
from Compendium of Scientific Medical and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks & Harms of Fracking, Concerned Health Professionals of New York (CHPNY), (2016) http://concernedhealthny.org/compendium/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2018/oct/08/ipcc-climate-change-report-urgent-action-fossil-fuels-live; https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2017-07-02-three-years-to-safeguard-our-climate.html
- About Extinction Rebellion
Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction 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 its Government.
- Extinction Rebellion’s topline demands are:
- The Government must admit the truth about the ecological emergency, reverse all policies inconsistent with addressing climate change, and work alongside the media to communicate with citizens
- The Government must enact legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and to reduce consumption levels
- A national Citizen’s Assembly must be created, to oversee the changes, as part of creating a democracy fit for purpose.
Website: https://risingup.org.uk/XR/; facebook https://www.facebook.com/ExtinctionRebellion/; Rebellion Day facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/1758991460816073/; twitter https://twitter.com/ExtinctionR; hashtag #extinctionrebellion
- Declaration of Rebellion: https://rebellion.earth/declaration/
- Queer Party to SAVE the Amazon’. Details of this public protest are here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/252083962143963/. If you would like to attend please be in touch with press@risingup.org.uk
- All details of Extinction Rebellion public events can be viewed here:
https://rebellion.earth/events/ If you would like to cover a public event then please contact press@risingup.org.uk
The RisingUp network 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; whilst the tools of civil disobedience and direct action are used to express our collective power.
Website http://www.risingup.org.uk/; facebook https://www.facebook.com/RisingUpUK/; twitter https://twitter.com/RisingUpUK
