Judge trying climate defenders questions existence and severity of climate crisis as UN urges courts “to listen to what environmental defenders have to say”

February 29, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

In his directions to the jury in the JPMorgan window breakers case yesterday, Judge Reid cast doubt on the existence and severity of the climate crisis. Judge Reid expressed his doubts about the reality and severity of the climate and ecological crisis, which is already seeing millions displaced, starving, injured and dead, on the same day as the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Michel Forst, released his latest report, State repression of environmental protest and civil disobedience: a major threat to human rights and democracy.

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Extinction Rebellion blockades Lloyds of London

February 28, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

Dramatic scenes have engulfed the nerve centre of the UK’s insurance industry as hundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists formed a Blockade For Life around the entire Lloyds of London building. XR’s 800-strong Carbon Bomb Defusal Squad are linking hands to form a 300m-long human chain around the iconic building, allowing staff to leave the building in the City of London but refusing to allow anyone to enter or re-enter.

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Extinction Rebellion protests against ‘climate blind’ Gatwick Airport expansion 

February 28, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

Extinction Rebellion activists are protesting outside the Sandman Signature London Gatwick Hotel this morning (Wednesday 28 February) against Gatwick Airport's plans to increase passenger numbers to 80 million a year, at the start of a six month government planning inspectorate examination, which is sitting at the hotel.

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Extinction Rebellion protesters occupy insurance firms insuring climate chaos

February 27, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

Extinction Rebellion activists today (Tuesday February 27) occupied the offices of five major insurers in the heart of the City of London, including the iconic Walkie Talkie building, as the movement launches its week of action to stop the companies insuring climate chaos. Teams of activists in business attire infiltrated the lobbies of the firms from 8.30am, outsmarting police and security, and staged a lobby occupation calling for company bosses to talk to them about the need to stop insuring new oil, coal and gas.

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Ffos-Y-Fran Four charges dropped after ‘illegal coal mine’ fails to cooperate with court

February 23, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

The Crown Prosecution Service has dropped all charges against the four Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists who blockaded the entrance to the UK’s largest open-cast coal mine, last summer with a pink boat. While removing the immediate burden of legal confrontation for the defendants, the decision has left a “crater of unfinished business” in the fight for climate justice and accountability for local residents.

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Extinction Rebellion sends ‘message from the heart’ to global insurance leaders

February 22, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

Hundreds of top insurance bosses were sent an ultimatum by letter yesterday as Extinction Rebellion gears up to join a week of protests in the City of London and in towns and cities across the UK and across the world Thousands of activists from XR and other organisations and movements are expected to flood into the City from Monday to demand leading insurers pull the plug on the fossil fuel crooks by refusing to insure new and existing oil, gas and coal projects and infrastructure.

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House of Commons lobby targeted by Extinction Rebellion to protest against UK’s role in violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

February 20, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

What are the dangerous and shadowy links between the UK Government’s Rwanda flights and a heartbreaking war over resources in Africa that is also fuelling the climate crisis and destroying vital ecosystems? Today Extinction Rebellion activists answered that complex question as they staged a protest in the House of Commons pretending to hold guns to their heads and unfurling a banner saying: ‘STOP FUNDING RWANDA WAR IN D.R. CONGO.’

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Love means…stop insuring climate chaos

February 14, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

“Roses are red, violets are blue. Stop insuring fossil fuel crooks or we’ll come after you.” Extinction Rebellion issues a Valentine’s Day warning that insurance industry firms will be targeted by escalating protest and disruption from February 26 unless they stop greenlighting fossil fuel projects setting the planet on fire. XR are staging four days of protests from February 27 as participants in the Insure Our Future Global Week of Action. Chidi Obihara of Extinction Rebellion said: “Just 20 companies insure 70% of fossil fuel projects. Many of these companies are based in the City of London, or in cities and towns across the UK. Thousands of us will pay them a visit during our week of actions to convince them to abandon the oil, gas and coal industry completely."

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Three trials of people who took action to defend lives to begin next week

February 12, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

On Monday 19th February trials start for people who broke glass at the world’s worst bank, stopped traffic on M25 and occupied tunnels to stop fossil fuel expansion and protect lives. The trials take place just a week after we learned that the ‘safe’ limit for global heating has been breached for a whole year for the first time, and a week after the one year anniversary of Just Stop Oil supporter who took his life just weeks after being sentenced by Judge Reid. The trials take place as the government attempts to strip legal defences from people facing trial in civil disobedience cases.

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Science Museum event targeted by Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg over fossil fuel sponsors

February 01, 2024 by Extinction Rebellion

Protesters from XR including doctors and scientists targeted a panel debate organised by the Science Museum on scientific predictions for 2024. They were joined by climate activist Greta Thunberg who had just left the first day of her trial at Westminster Magistrates court. For the duration of the event an GP stood next to the panellists in silence, holding a banner saying “2024 – MORE DROUGHTS, FLOODS AND DEATHS FUELLED BY SCIENCE MUSEUM OIL AND COAL SPONSORS”. From the audience Greta challenged the museum’s Science Director, Roger Highfield, about Adani’s sponsorship of the Energy Revolution gallery due to open this spring.

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