Category Archives: Archived XR Newsletters

Newsletter #19 – Get Ready for Rebellion!

April 10, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Welcome to the 19th Extinction Rebellion Newsletter!

It’s finally here: the International Rebellion is now just days away. For the details of what’s coming in London, we’ve released a comprehensive guide packed with useful information including a map, a timeline, and a legal overview. We’ll also be giving live briefings, including trainings in NVDA and regen, and a legal observer training over the weekend.

The buildup is already well underway: following an amazing action from XR Youth (see below), Extinction Rebellion Fashion Action will be shutting radically repurposing Oxford Circus this Friday. The following day, the Earth March will be arriving on the outskirts of London; Sunday will be the final stretch of their awe-inspiring journey – if you’re in London on the weekend, please join them to show your support!

Eagle-eyed rebels will have noticed that some of the above links lead to our wonderful new website, which went live earlier this week. As the pace of news accelerates next week, you’ll be able to find daily updates on the website, courtesy of the newsletter team.

And for those pondering the many exciting and nerve-wracking possibilities which next week may hold in store, now might be a good time to read an article written by one of our members, about about the first major action in November. We don’t know what exactly will happen on Monday – but we know it’ll be exhilarating, sincere, and rooted in a profound love for each other and the planet.

You can check out local upcoming events on our website at rebellion.earth/events. If you can’t spare time, but can donate money instead, please see our fundraiser page

Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
Act now
International Highlights
Announcements
News & Recommended Content

Recent Activity

Culture Declares Emergency

3 APR

Last Wednesday the group ‘Culture Declares Emergency’ held a symbolic, horse-lead procession through the streets of London to visit some of the 190+ cultural institutions and individuals who have joined them in declaring a climate and ecological emergency. The group blocked roads after setting off from Somerset House across Waterloo Bridge and along the Southbank, stopping to make announcements and hold short performances at the venues such as the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe.

Walking with the procession were ‘Heralds’ wearing living grass coats grown by visual artists Ackroyd & Harvey and carrying banners with names of the declarers listed. A newly composed soundscape by Mira Calix featured in the ceremony of declarations of Planetary Emergency, as well as readings from selected ‘Letters To The Earth’, writings submitted by the general public for a nationwide cultural action – the first project of Culture Declares which will take place on Friday 12 April. To find out more about this event please visit their website.

XR Youth block London Fracking Conference

4 APR

Our young rebels threw themselves into the mix last Thursday when 6 members of XR Youth ‘locked on’ outside the entrance to the London Fracking Conference at Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum. They planned to disrupt a seminar titled ‘Unconventional oil and gas market in the UK – planning changes, environmental regulation and tackling the scale-up challenges’.

The young rebels used bike locks to chain themselves together blocking entrances to the building and forcing attendees to step over them to the enter, while wearing t-shirts saying “Don’t step on our future”. The event promised to “assess the next steps for overcoming barriers to the commercialisation of domestic shale into the UK energy mix” and look at “questions around the economic viability of the sector and the implications for further investment and exploration for additional wells, taking into account oil price trends.”

No arrest were made. For some of the rebels it was their first action and we couldn’t be more chuffed and proud of them for their courage!

Earth March Update: More Groups Join Road to Rebellion

ONGOING

As more and more Earth Marchers join the long road to Rebellion Week, it was brilliant to see 5 more groups set off to join us here in London before activities kick off on the 15th.

Stroud Earth March gathered for a send-off supported by the Stroud Red Band, Stroud MP David Drew and Mayor Kevin Cranston. He said: “The most serious problem this country, and all nations on earth, face is Climate Change. We have only a very short time to turn things around, it is simply not good enough for governments to say it is a very important and then carry on as usual.”

**(source: @Kathyrnor Earth March leaving Oxford)**

Oxford march left on Tuesday 9^thApril, heading for Wallingford, with further planned stays in Henley, Slough and finally reaching Richmond by 13^thApril. The Oxford marchers are currently numbering around 50, with numbers reportedly increasing all the time!

Also setting off this week were Earth March Colchester and Ashdown Forest Earth March. One of the marchers, Ness writes:

‘And we’re off… All packed. Annual leave booked. Today I set off with a new friend, Theresa; to walk to London. We have stocked up on good food, warm gear and may even treat ourselves to a few evenings in the local pubs. Some of the route takes us through miles of farmland; something I’m really looking forward to.’

Finally, a group of about 50 people from Brighton group left the city’s Palace Pier at 2pm on Sunday for the 8-day trek, with the hope of reaching Peacehaven after day one. Before leaving, the group were read a letter of support from Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas. She said: “Your action could not be more urgent. We have all the tools we need to shift to a zero carbon economy – what we lack is the political will. Make your voices heard. Change the debate. This is an emergency. Let’s treat it like one.”

Earth Marchers will be arriving in London on the 14th, the day before Rebellion Week kicks off, for a welcoming ceremony in Hyde Park. And we can’t wait to join them!

For photos, videos, accounts of the marches, and details of the remaining legs of the Earth marches, please see the Earth March Facebook page and individual march pages.

Local contributions

Decentralisation is a key element of XR’s ethos. So while high-profile actions will often take place in the big cities, we’re eager to celebrate all the amazing actions across the country and the world every week. If you’re involved in your local XR scene, in whatever part of the world, and if you’ve got a story to share, please email xr-newsletter@protonmail.com with ‘Story Contribution’ in the subject line. For major bonus points, it’d also be really helpful if you could write the story as you’d like it to appear in the newsletter!

Upcoming Activity

International Rebellion

15 APR | 11:00 | GLOBAL

That’s right, the moment we’ve all been waiting for is almost upon us. In less than a week’s time the International Rebellion will begin and thousands of us will be descending on our cities to shut down the streets and demand our governments take immediate action to address the climate catastrophe we all face.

Starting at 11am on Monday 15th April, we will meet at Parliament Square in London before holding five of London’s busiest, municipal areas and bringing the city to a standstill. We will hold a full-scale festival of collective action and creative resistance with people’s assemblies, art actions, stage performances, talks, workshops, food and family spaces.

There is so much going on and we want to make sure you’re all prepared for the week(s) ahead. So check out our comprehensive guide packed with useful information including a map, a timeline, and a legal overview.

Earth March: Marchers Arrival Celebration

14 APR | 17:00 – 18:00 | Hyde Park, London

Earth Marchers are walking from as far away as Land’s End in Cornwall to join the Rebellion. They’ve braved hard weather and hard roads to join us. For those who live in London already, or those who couldn’t join the marchers earlier: let’s give them the welcome they deserve by joining the last leg of the journey, and coming together in Hyde Park for a celebration on the eve of our Rebellion.

The final day’s march will begin on the morning of the 14th at locations around the perimeter of London; if you’d like to join the marchers, please see the Facebook event to find your nearest route.

The reception at Hyde Park will include speeches, music (details to come), training, dancing and food. Marchers and Rebels are encouraged to set up tents to stay in Hyde Park overnight.

The South Central Rebel Ride

12-15 APR | Southampton to London

Join the Rebel Riders who are cycling from Southampton to London to join the International Rebellion! You can either ride the whole way or join for short or long sections of the route through Hampshire and Surrey from 12th to 15th April. The South Central Rebel Ride is one of many marches and rides heading for London for April 15th.

Route: between Southampton, Eastleigh, Petersfield, Hankley Common, Guildford, Woking, Kingston-upon-Thames and London.

Find out more on how to join the route and times here.

Fashion Circus: Dress to Excess

12 APR | 6.30pm | Oxford Circus, London 

London’s Oxford Circus – the epicentre of fast-fashion – is getting taken over. The iconic zebra crossing will be transformed into a catwalk as Extinction Rebellion Fashion Action teams up with performers, musicians, and sustainable designers to throw light on the environmental cost of the fashion industry.

The theme “Fashion Circus: Dress to Excess” speaks to a throwaway culture of overconsumption and waste which pervades the entire economy, not just the clothing sector.

If you can’t join the party in person, the event will be broadcast live via mainstream and social media ( #xrfashioncircus).

Creative Actions

For creative actions and to join the preparation for the rebellion, please see our full list of upcoming XR Arts events!

Mrs Noah

15 APR | 18:00-18:20 | Parliament Square, London

A comic take on a medieval mystery play in the age of climate change.

Invisible Circus

15 APR | TBC | Parliament Square, London

Join the circus! We need – performers / supporters / theatre and dance people!

Red Brigade is a slow motion Buto meets Venice Carnival style procession aiming to create beautiful disruption using the architecture of the streets to create powerful and arresting imagery, moving in flocking style in en masse improvisation. dress fully in red (shoes, gloves, headgear a must – skin is sin!) with white face red lips and black eyebrows, extra fabric and face paint will be provided.

Mermaid Queens and crustation nation is a more lively and interactive musical procession with Plastik Paradisco aiming to draw attention to ocean pollution, come as your favourite sea creature or Mermaid queen and join the parade.

Street Circus Cabaret: we will also be supporting and participating in Circus processions putting performances on a mobile cabaret stage to bedazzle stranded commuter and bewildered tourists showing humans are capable of beautiful and impossible things! – this is hoping to use the Swarming idea but taken to the next level so we need supporters to surround and protect this action whilst holding up the traffic.

Upcoming: The Regeneration Game

The XRPD (Extinction Rebellion Performing Arts Department) proudly and humbly invite you to join a spontaneously generated, collectively created, fully immersive, symbolic, rebellious rite of renewal: THE REGENERATION GAME.

Keep an eye on The XR Regeneration Game Facebook page for playing times and locations.

Act Now

XR Mass MP Letter Writing Campaign

Until 19 APR

It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Now it is time to wield that particular weapon.

We are calling for a massed letter writing campaign to flood MP’s with our concerns about the climate crisis.

Take up your pens and ask your MP to sign the Caroline Lucas led Early Day Motion #2177 to declare a climate emergency. Demand they accept the need to have the people take the lead on addressing the ecological crisis by supporting the widening call for a citizens’ assembly for the climate emergency.

You can find your local MP here and more details about the campaign here.

International Highlights

Three Die-ins in Switzerland

18 + 20 MAR, 5 APR

Rebels in the city of Neuchâtel have performed three die-ins in recent weeks. While the first two aimed to highlight the overall message of Extinction Rebellion, the third one was specifically targeting telecommunications companies to protest the release of 5G. Rebels pointed out that faster connection speeds come with increased emissions, and that relentless progress and consumption is unsustainable and unacceptable.

Protest at Museum Opening in France

31 MAR

Rebels used the opening of the new Science and Nature Museum of Bordeaux to draw attention to the ecological crisis and the systemic problems causing it. Some rebels performed a die-in while others spoke to the assembled crowd.

Arty Rebels in Ireland

2 APR

Showing that rebellion can occur in any way and at any scale, a family at a beach in Wexford, Ireland created the Extinction Rebellion symbol out of sand and seaweed. They said, “The most interesting thing was people who stopped to watch us and ask what we were doing it for – it was a great way to get the conversation started”.

Supportive Marathon Runners in Spain

7 APR

Rebels hung a banner from a bridge across the route of the half marathon in Madrid, to remind runners and spectators that we are all running against the clock to halt the climate catastrophe. They were pleased to receive a lot of encouragement from runners passing below.

Announcements

Last Chance – Legal Observer Training

13 APR | 12.00 – 17.00 | XR London Office, 184-192 Drummond St.

Don’t miss the last Legal Observer Training before the big event! More Legal Observers are needed for International Rebellion so please come along.

You’ll often see legal observers at demonstrations wearing bright orange bibs. Despite having no official status, theirs is an important role recognised by bodies like the Courts and the U.N.

This training session will cover key legal guidelines for protesters, how to take Legal Observer notes, how to monitor arrests, and the legalities around Stop & Search. This is important work so if you’re interested, please come along.

If you can’t make the full training, we’re also offering an online Arrest Watch training on Thursday, 11th April, 6-9.30pm – register here. Arrest Watch trainings are not the same as Legal Observer trainings and are not meant to replace them. They are much more about providing rebels with insight into the full arrestee support system (rather than just what’s going on at an action) and showing them how they can become part of it. You can find more information here.

We’re still in urgent need of more legal observers (LOs) and back office supporters for the rebellion! If you can help us out, even if only for one shift, please sign up on our rota. Only people who attended the full 5-hour GBC LO training should sign up for legal observing. Anyone can help out in the back office but it’s preferable that you attend an Arrest Watch training beforehand.

XR Legal Support – read these two guides.

With actions come consequences. And with XR actions come legal consequences.

So make sure you are well versed on XR’s legal strategy here and the practicalities of arrest here before partaking in any International Rebellion fun on the 15th.

The basic XR Legal Strategy is to tell the truth about the climate emergency and the urgent need for a radical change of course. If you’re arrested and prosecuted for your actions, the courts present an opportunity to do that.

The XR Legal Strategy Team has developed these documents to support you through the legal process, whether you have external legal representation or elect to represent yourself. They are designed to help you explain why your actions are a reasonable and proportionate response to the crisis and include a letter of support from the leading climate scientist and activist, Professor Jim Hansen.

XR Circle of Counsel: Questions & Reflections on the Rebellion

12 APR | 6.00 – 7.30pm |

The first gathering of the XR Circle of Counsel will be a valuable opportunity to hear renowned rebels, authors, facilitators and mischief-makers discuss XR’s present and future.

Confirmed attendees include Micah White, Miki Kashtan, Anne-Marie Culhane, Dominic Barter, Toni Spencer, and Helen Meads.

More details on the event can be found here and you can submit your questions for the gathering to xr-counsel@protonmail.ch

Learning to hold the world in our heart: Holding an Intention Field for our rebellion actions

In the Vision Sensing group we are continuing to ‘build a loving field’ to support the rebellious acts that many are courageously undertaking.

There will be many opportunities during the Rebellion weeks in London to contribute to building a collective vision of the future we wish.

To help support those undertaking rebellious acts we have an online “intention field” Facebook group, “Holding the World in our Hearts”, which we invite you to join. Together we hold the intention to move through our planetary crisis with “love in action” and “love in stillness”. We lean into the riches of our imagination and curiosity and through our hearts into leadership. Please join us and dedicate your sacred practices to this vision. We hold regular ‘virtual meetups’ where we can contribute our love, our intentions and our spiritual and heart-led capacities for creating a more beautiful world. Please join us!

We will also be holding Intention Circles during the first week of Rebellion in London, and details of these will be advertised within the Holding the World in our Hearts Facebook group. So watch this space and join us.

Internal newsletter

Want to get the inside track on developments in XR UK? If you’d like to be added to the internal newsletter, please email xr-newsletter@protonmail.com with ‘Internal subscribe’ in the subject line.

XR Blog

XR Blog seeks submissions on an ongoing basis, from rebels from all walks of life. Minimal writing experience is required. If you’re stuck for content we can provide a variety of writing briefs. Please contact us on xrblog@protonmail.com

News & Recommended Content

1.BP has been convicted of environmental crime in South Africa

For a seemingly minor crime of building petrol stations without the proper environmental authorisations, but apparently the first successful private prosecution in SA on environmental grounds, which potentially ‘opens the door for a large number of similar prosecutions, perhaps on thousands of counts of historic environmental crimes never prosecuted by the state’.

2. ‘Dead corals don’t make babies’ in the Great Barrier Reef

Reproductive material was down 89% in 2018 after successive mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 according to a study in Nature. Here’s what we’re missing:

In related news this was the hottest March in Australian history – ‘Despite two severe tropical cyclones in the northern states, temperatures across Australia were 2.13C above the average.’

3. Saudi Arabia’s largest oil field producing 35% less than previously announced

Ghawar, which is the largest conventional oil field in the world, can pump out a maximum of 3.8 million barrels of oil per day, not the 5.8 million claimed by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in 2017. No mention of climate change but surprisingly some discussion of peak oil in this Bloomberg article which finishes by noting revised estimates that Ghawar has ‘48.2 billion barrels of oil left, which would last another 34 years at the maximum rate of production’. Meanwhile, a panel of judges at the ‘Permanent People’s Tribunal’ has urged the United Nations to ban fracking, though regrettably this is again just an ‘advisory opinion’.

4. Promising new campaign: Natural Climate Solutions

Championing all the ways that restoration of ecological communities can contribute to carbon sequestration. Importantly they observe that this shouldn’t be used to enable ongoing CO2 emissions, and insist that projects ‘work with the guidance and free, prior and informed consent of indigenous people and other local communities’. Here’s an introductory article by co-founder and usual suspect (!) George Monbiot with links to some remarkable new research.

5. Living Without OilThis free online course through The Open University explores oil’s role in society and the economy and the danger of carrying on with the current status quo. Some of the topics covered include the debate surrounding peak oil, oil consumption in the UK, how greenhouse gasses and particulates are produced through reactions, and even a bit of basic chemistry notation. This is an eye opening course that clearly outlines some of the key reasons why action is needed now to combat climate change and protect the environment from the big oil companies

6. Why the Guardian is putting global CO2 levels in the weather forecast

As CO2 levels continue to rise The Guardian has made the decision to publish current global CO2 levels in their daily weather forecast. As CO2 levels fluctuate naturally with the seasons they will be also publish the level for the same day on the previous year and the pre-industrial level.

7. The false promises of ‘green growth’

Important critique of the renewable energy industry and moves towards a ‘green new deal’. The key point being that, without a challenge to ongoing economic growth and ballooning global energy consumption ‘the energy it produces has been in addition to, rather than instead of fuel-based energy sources’. She also mentions the environmental impacts of mining for the necessary component parts, especially rare earth metals – a catastrophe on land and lately being prospected under the sea (including ecologically invaluable hydrothermal vents). Apart from anything else these are all nonrenewable resources which, as with oil & gas, will hit a peak and become depleted within a short space of time, especially if there is a concerted effort to upscale their use to keep the unsustainable economic system going for as long as possible. ‘To change our energy model requires doubling the production of rare metals every 15 years, and will require extracting over the next 30 years more minerals than humanity has extracted over the last 70000 years’. This graphic illustrates the scale of the problem:

8. How Climate Change is Fuelling the US Border Crisis

An engaging, long-form New Yorker piece investigating the impact of climate change and extreme weather on subsistence farmers in Guatemala’s western highlands. Many have been forced to emigrate, leaving villages as ghost towns. Others stayed, fighting back with new agricultural methods and meteorological technology, only for the Trump administration to defund the programs that were assisting them. “In most of the western highlands, the question is no longer whether someone will emigrate but when. ‘Extreme poverty may be the primary reason people leave,’ [said] Edwin Castellanos, a climate scientist at the Universidad del Valle… ‘But climate change is intensifying all the existing factors.’”

9. Forests are a Low-Tech but High Impact Way to Fight Climate Change

Recent research has demonstrated that preserving and replanting forests can have a profound effect on climate change, in addition to other ecological and economic benefits. As the piece reports, “natural climate solutions such as conservation and restoration of forests, along with improvements in land management, can help us achieve 37 percent of our climate target of limiting warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”

10. Inside the rebellion

Two long-term XR participants speak about their experiences of the movement and share their thoughts on how to take it forward: ‘Scenes From a Rebellion’, an in-depth piece by James Westcott from the bridge occupations to April 15th, and ‘Forging identities through collective action’, a podcast with XR strategist and lawyer Mothiur Rahman looking at issues around belonging and ‘vulnerable honesty’. Worth passing on to those unfamiliar with the movement.

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Thank you

Thank you for reading. There’s so much exciting stuff going on that we barely have time to write this sign-off. Keep up the good work! If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 12 rebels.

As we enter this crucial phase in human history, our Rebellion will need money to make sure our message is heard. Anything you can give is appreciated. Please visit our Fundrazr page.

Alternatively, standing orders or money transfers should be made to our Triodos Bank Account (Sort code: 16-58-10 Account No: 20737912) in the name of Compassionate Revolution Ltd (the holding company for Rising Up!).

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.For queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters

Newsletter #18 – Never mind the bollocks, here’s the elephant in the room

April 3, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Greetings Rebels!

Welcome to the 18th Extinction Rebellion Newsletter, another rip-roaring guide to events happening and events happened in the XR universe.

Highlights wise, let’s start with the bare essentials and the eleven brave rebels who got naked this week in the public gallery of the Houses of Parliament. Reminding everyone that yes, there is a climate crisis, and no, it cannot be ignored, this cheeky bit of action garnered a whole lot of media attention. Normally it’s the Mail and Murdoch press ogling the flesh, but this bevy of buttocks even made it onto the front page of The Guardian. Not too shabby.

Paint the streets meanwhile, XR’s DIY guerrilla marketing campaign, has got off to a fly(post)ing start – with XR posters and stickers sprouting up across the globe like little truth mushrooms. Special creative bonus points to the rebels who printed their own clothes pegs and clipped them onto commuters! More details below and more updates here.

Casting our collective gaze further afield we have updates on XR Ghana and how it is forging links across West Africa, details of a die-in by Dutch rebels in Amsterdam’s financial district, and a full blown funeral for the Earth in Cape Town.

But despite all this excellent hustle and bustle on behalf of our planet, the great day of International Rebellion must not be forgotten. Yes, April 15th looms larger and more lustrous than ever, so lets make sure our affinity groups are ready with all the latest details. A comprehensive guide to the event is available here.

And if you’re in London on the 14th, please consider coming to join our incredible Earth Marchers for the final day’s walking, as they converge on Hyde Park from all sides of London. Let’s give them the welcome they deserve!

If you’d like to get more involved with XR, and really why wouldn’t you, please check out our volunteers page. If you prefer to keep it close to home, why not get in touch with your nearest XR group. And if you’re time poor, but able to spare a few coins, maybe you could drop them into our fundraiser pot.

You can check out local upcoming events on our website at rebellion.earth/events. Or create your own event by filling in our talks and trainings form! If you’re new, or haven’t already seen it, remember to check out our Campaign Overview Document. It’s basically the DNA of XR.

Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
Act now
International Highlights
Announcements
News & Recommended Content

Recent Activity

Rebels strip off in House of Commons

1st April

We know you’re all sick and tired of hearing about Brexit and it’s monotonous carrying on with the same old indecisive nonsense week in, week out. Well, we hope this didn’t make you miss the debates on Monday evening where Extinction Rebellion stirred things up and switched the subject from Brexit to climate emergency!

11 rebels stripped off during debates and glued their hands to the glass in the public gallery. During the peaceful protest, rebels stood with their arses pointed at MPs and spoke frankly with onlookers about climate breakdown, before singing and dancing along to the nursery rhyme ‘Nelly the Elephant’ in reference to climate change being ‘the elephant in the room.’

Rebels had painted ‘SOS’ and ‘For Life’ on their chests, managing to hold their ground for 20 minutes before being removed. 12 people involved were willingly arrested.

While all eyes are on the UK due to the Brexit mess, this was a unique opportunity to shake things up and get the global media talking about the climate crisis. The support within the gallery was positive with MPs laughing and many people within the gallery cheering the rebels on, no doubt relieved to have a breather from Brexit, even if just for 20 minutes.

Earth March Update

As the International Week of Rebellion looms closer, Earth Marchers have continued their journey towards London, buoyed by the support of people along the way: the Bath and Bristol group reaching All Cannings, Devizes, while the Cornwall group reached Bruton, stopping by Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh’s office on the way. Meanwhile other groups are gearing up for their March beginning this week including: the Colchester March setting off on 9^th April; the Brighton March on 7^th April; the Ashdown forest March also setting off on the 7^th April along the Greenwich Meridian, amongst others.

This week, Maddy Adams shares her experience from the Cardiff to Swansea XR March on the Earth March blog:

‘It was joyous to be walking in the glorious sunshine, through beautiful countryside with fabulous friends old and new.

Felt hugely grateful to the public, supporting and nourishing us along the way, and to the XR members who greeted us at our destination.

Felt thankful for the hundreds and hundreds of “honks” of support and thumbs up from drivers passing us on the roads.

Felt inspired by the teacher who listened to us sing to his schoolchildren at the school gates, as they left school for the day.

Total admiration for Laurie 87, still marching, still caring, still fighting for a better world.’

You can read the full post here

If you’re interested in joining the Earth March for part of the journey, please look at their Facebook page:

Tower Hamlets Street Party

30th April

Saturday 30th April, XR London had there third Saturday Street Party, following Crouch End’s on the 24th March. It was another family friendly day, with local residents holding a communal space for creative discussion of how to deal with the climate and ecological crisis. Discussion centred around the key local issue of air pollution, with children in Tower Hamlets having “stunted lungs”, 5-10% smaller than they should be – according to a 2018, large scale study by King’s College London.

Blocking the main junction in Bethnal Green for twenty minutes, the group followed a samba led procession into a park, where a numbers of speakers and performers were heard, for an uplifting day of solutions focused discussion. This celebration of our collective power followed Tower Hamlets Council declaring a climate emergency on the 20th March. Over 40 Councils have declared a climate emergency since Extinction Rebellions Declaration day in October 2018.

Manchester Street Party

31st March

Sunday 31st March, Manchester rebels put on a fantastic street party in Stevenson Square. The sun was out, the shops opened their doors to join in, and the community came together in a beautiful fun filled day. Manchester DJs B L O O M performed, with a number of local bands supporting, to spread the love with amazing music – all pedal powered! The food was home-made or saved from going to landfill, with donations pouring in at the vintage market stall. The samba band held the day together and attracted people from across the city – with conga lines going for hours. It was a beautifully rebellious day for Manchester.

Paint the Streets

Paint the Streets officially kicked off on Sunday 31st March with rebels all over the globe plastering XR posters and stickers in public spaces. Rebels have been working hard to break the law and get the XR message out there in places ranging from London to Berlin to Austin. The London Underground might have been worst hit with the XR adornments stuck all over stations and billboards in as many awkward spots as possible, and there has been a makeshift ‘nature’s graveyard’ in Bethnal Green, with animals at risk of extinction named on the gravestones. One clever group of troublemakers have printed ‘Rebel for Life’ on clothes pegs and have been clipping them to coats of tourists and commuters. Bravo, you lot!

Regional groups have also been doing their bit, such as in Bristol where young rebels have been painting murals encouraging onlookers to join in the fun.

Harmonie, writing to us from Exeter, says:

We painted the streets of Exeter with chalks, posters, leaflets and stickers. We displayed the XR message on bus stops, doors, cashpoints and shop windows. We adorned the statues in the city with big banners and held a stall all day printing XR logos on anything we were offered. Our day ended with a die in on private land in a shopping centre where the police who had been lovely all day stepped back and let us protest in peace.

Please keep an eye out for updates by following the Facebook event here.

Critical Mass

Rebel riders swarmed the streets last Friday, handing out leaflets to passers by as they rode their bikes around Central London. Rebels set off from Waterloo Bridge at 6:30pm wearing high vis jackets and clad with leaflets containing information about International Rebellion Week starting on 15th April.

Story contributions

Upcoming Activity

Taunton Rebellion Day – Samba March

6 APR | 11:00 | Taunton High Street, Taunton

This week, Taunton XR organises its first event: a peaceful Samba March through Taunton to raise awareness of the sixth mass extinction, climate change and ecological breakdown. They are meeting on the High Street at 11am calling everyone to join them for a Day of Rebellion.

You can see details of the event on

Climb for the Earth, family-friendly parade and climb

7 APR | 15:00 | Llanberis, Wales

On Sunday 7th of April the world class climber James McHaffie will climb a new route in North Wales – and name it after Extinction Rebellion. He will raise an Extinction Rebellion banner to draw attention to the climate emergency and to mark the countdown to International Rebellion.

Join James and other climbers: XR Earth Climb and Parade, Llanberis, Wales

Ahead of this, and to mark the event, on the 7th of April there will be a family friendly parade in Llanberis from 3pm until 4pm. Starting at the Electric Mountain Visitor Centre (beside the lake), we’ll walk along the lakeside and finish at Pete’s Eats where James will give a talk. In addition to James’ talk local people will talk about their concerns about the changes to the landscape that they have seen over the years.

The dress code is ‘animal’ so come dressed up if you can. Enjoy the festivities and have fun with this unique and important event.

Look at the Facebook page for details of the event

Local section of Earth March – Brighton to Peacehaven

7 APR | 13:30 | Palace Pier, Brighton

On Sunday 7^th April, the Earth March from Brighton will set off, with a fully accessible and family-friendly walk along the undercliff path. Along the way, marchers will encounter: a Rebel Piano; a Fun Beach Cleaning opportunity; and of course, tea and cake! Other ideas are very welcome, including poems and readings, meditation by the sea or rockpooling.

Anyone wishing to join the March is invited to meet 1.30pm at the Palace Pier for a 2pm start. At the end of the March, people can easily return to Brighton independently via public buses on the coastal route.

The full path available here :

See also the Facebook page for the event on

XR Fashion Action: Circus of Excess

12 APR | 18:30 – 19:30 | Oxford Circus

Join the Fashion Circus – dynamic sustainable fashion show in the street at Oxford Circus on 12th April then swarm to Buckingham Palace to demand a response from the queen (bee)! Rebels will be taking over London’s Oxford Circus, the epicentre of the fast-fashion shopping “experience”. The Tokyo-style zebra ‘X’ crossing is to be turned into a catwalk as XR Fashion Action teams up with students from art and fashion colleges and universities all over London to showcase their sustainable fashion and body-protest designs. The theme “Fashion: Circus of Excess” addresses issues of un-sustainability in fashion and how its practices impact other species.

The models will parade across the iconic crossing, accompanied by the XR choir and XR musicians. This will include opera singers and an amplified string quartet performing Beethoven’s ‘Ode An Die Freude’ (Ode to Joy) from his Symphony number 9, drums ensemble “EarthNicht”, and blues band Gabriel Byrd and the Ambitious Bastards. Surrounding the performers in a circle will be XR cyclists, there to provide both protection and lighting.

Find out more on the Facebook event here.

Power Beyond Borders – Solidarity Event

26 – 30 JUL | South East England (Specific Timings & Location TBA)

Are you against new fossil fuel power stations and racist border policies in the UK? If so, this mass action camp might be just the event for you.

Power Beyond Borders is your chance to meet people from across Europe and beyond, have a great time protesting for climate and migrant justice, and take direct action over two urgent injustices: Drax Power’s plan to start building Britain’s biggest gas fired power station this autumn.   And Theresa May’s ‘Hostile Environment’ policy, a scheme that inflicts raids, imprisonment, and violent deportation on those seeking refuge in the UK.

The camp is being hosted by Reclaim The Power (RTP) a national network fighting social and environmental and economic justice through direct action. Everyone is welcome this summer, and there are three things you can do right now to make the camp a success.

  
1) Fill in this short form to let RTP know you are coming and what skills you might bring.  
2) Spread the word on social media (Facebook Page #PowerBeyondBorders #ClimateJustice #MigrantJustice)  
3) Contact RTP to host a workshop or find out more (powerbeyondborders@protonmail.com)

When the location is announced, we’ll let you know.

Samba for Rebellion

APR 13 – 14 | Near Euston (TBD)

Two samba drumming groups are coming to London on 13 April to support protests, block roads and teach samba over the following weeks! On Sat 13th and Sun 14th of April we are organising two days of samba practice in preparation for the International Rebellion in London. All skill levels welcome!

If you would like to join the XR Samba Band, don’t hesitate! XR have invested in the drums and we need players. We are going to have at least two Samba bands and the workshops will likely be near Euston. Please sign up using the Facebook link here.

Act Now

1. Join our call for MPs to sign the Parliamentary motion to declare Climate Emergency.

We’re asking all XR members living in the UK to write to their MPs. This will be a concerted push of ‘soft pressure’ before we take to more disruptive measures on the 15th of April; we’re looking for hundreds of letters. Find out more about the motion here.

Contact your MP ( or ).

2. Make or sponsor a dead canary

From the 15th of April, thousands in the UK will be making our way to London to be involved in non violent direct action to pressure the government to change their planet wrecking policies. Many people want to have their voice heard but aren’t able to make it to London … so send a message – send an emissary to represent you, your group, your village. The Irish Prime Minister said ‘If we were miners we would be up to our knees in dead canaries’ … send a beautiful dead canary to represent you: make it yourself, in a group, at school and send it along to the International Rebellion with your local XR group.

If you can’t make a canary yourself, but still want to support the work of XR, you can sponsor a canary: we’ll make your canary and take it with us to the International Rebellion – and we’ll pile them high as a visual manifestation of our predicament. We’d like the whole of the UK to be represented! Start making your canaries now, about hand size is good, make them YELLOW with a string to hang them by, reuse, recycle, use what you have! We need diversity. We need to show the government the damage their policies are doing! Can’t wait to see your amazing Dead Canary Emissaries!

3. Message 50 friends and invite them to join the International Rebellion.

It could be the most important thing you ever do on social media. To be heard by those in power, we need a multitude of people to join us in rebellion from April 15. We can probably offer accommodation to those who need it. Please fill in this form to request or offer accommodation in London and/or email xr.accommodation@gmail.com for queries. We’ve booked coaches from all over the country. Every single one of you counts.

International Highlights

Collaboration in Ghana

27 FEB + 6 MAR

Extinction Rebellion Ghana has joined up with multiple grassroots organisations and informal groups in West Africa under an umbrella group working against humanitarian, social and environmental injustice. They held a meeting in Accra to give a statement to local chiefs and international media calling for a pan-African climate emergency. They want an end to ‘Maangamizi’: the genocide and ecocide inflicted on their continent. Instead they aim for the rise of ‘Ubuntunkonso’: a term used to describe international, progressive movement towards a just and equitable world where humanity and nature are protected.

XR Ghana already has an ongoing, inventive ‘whistling exercise’ to draw attention to the climate emergency. It began in schools as part of the international student strikes, and has proved to be an ear-catching way to make their point. On 6 March, Ghana’s Independence Day, they continued this theme with a ‘whistle blowing for climate emergency’ action at a main square in Accra.

Earth Funeral in South Africa

23 MAR

Four generations of South African rebels, including community and spiritual leaders, held a funeral for the earth in Cape Town. The somber procession, complete with coffin, moved through the community gardens and was followed by speeches, music . . . and bellydancing!

Dutch rebels disrupt financial district

27 MAR

Rebels staged a die-in in the financial district of Amsterdam during evening rush hour. They sought to call attention to the role these companies play in causing climate breakdown by supporting the fossil fuel industry.

Photo credit: Egbert Born

Rise For Climate Belgium

28 + 31 MAR

Continuing last week’s action in Brussels, rebels held a protest titled “Make Noise for an Ethical Choice” outside the parliament building. And make noise they did! They were pressuring politicians to pass a constitutional amendment improving climate legislation. Disappointingly, parliament did not pass the amendment.

A few days later a group of international rebels joined theRise For Climate Belgium march, putting pressure on Belgian and European politicians to make the necessary changes to reverse climate breakdown. On their way to join the main march rebels were escorted by police, for their own safety as there had just been a violent incident (unrelated to XR). This live-stream video shows the police collaboration, some footage of the march, and interviews with rebels from several countries. This one shows rebels taking the stage and speaking after the march.

Letters from Catalonia

21 MAR

Last Thursday afternoon (21st of March 2019), XR Barcelona handed in an open letter in person to the director of Catalunya Ràdio (Catalan public radio channel), Mr. Saul Gordillo. This letter was addressed to the CCMA (Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals/ Audiovisual Media Catalan Corporation), and is intended for the attention of the rest of the media. It requires the media to assume its responsibility in the face of the climate emergency, and demands a coverage in accordance with the scale of the emergency situation.

The letter has been signed individually by relevant people from science, culture, Catalan unions, politics and social movements. People who are part of the main scientific and university institutions of Catalonia and many other sectors of civil society. We have gathered 230 signatures in total, but more and more people continue messaging us asking to join the petition.

You can find a copy of the letter here, and media coverage here.

The letter has also been sent to the deputies of the Catalan Parliament, and will be discussed at the next control session in April, and two deputies have confirmed to XR Barcelona that it will be discussed in an upcoming session.

Announcements

PIEL Environmental Law Conference 2019 – Solidarity Event

12 APR | 9.30 – 5.30pm | Cast Business School, London

A number of leading academics and legal specialists (including XR’s very own Farhana Yamin!) will be speaking next Friday about why environmental law is crucial to solving the climate crisis.

Run by students and hosted by Public Interest Environmental Law UK, this conference will explore the theme “12 years to mitigate, legislate and litigate: How can environmental law adapt in time?”

Whether you’re a legal eagle or just passionate about ending environmental injustice, the event promises to be an inspiring and insightful day of discussion.

Student and adult tickets are available here.

Arrestibles willing to be in the media

Are you new to activism and planning to get arrested for the first time during the International Rebellion? The XR media team is looking for people like you, from around the country, whose stories we can share with the mainstream press. If you’ve recently been inspired to join the movement and to take non-violent direct action for the first time, we would love to hear from you.

Please email zoeblackler@gmail.com asap

Internal newsletter

Want to get the inside track on developments in XR UK? If you’d like to be added to the internal newsletter, please email xr-newsletter@protonmail.com with “Internal subscribe” in the subject line.

XR Blog

News & Recommended Content

1. US Judge Rules Against Trump’s Offshore Drilling Expansion

A coalition of indigenous Alaskans and environmental groups has won a victory against the Trump administration’s offshore drilling policy. In 2017 Trump signed an executive order overturning Obama’s ban on offshore drilling in 500,000 square acres of the continental shelf, including the Arctic and the Atlantic coast, but the court has ruled that only Congress has the authority to reintroduce drilling. Athan Manuel of the Sierra Club described the outcome as “great news for the Arctic Ocean, great news for the planet, great news for the fight against climate change”.

2. Most Americans Now Worry about Climate Change – And Want to Fix It

Two new surveys reveal that recent natural disasters and extreme weather have shifted US public opinion on the reality and seriousness of climate change. The percentage of Americans who say global warming is personally important has risen to 72%, while 60% agreed that it is caused by human activity, and nearly half would support carbon taxes.

3. Evidence for Climate Change Meets Physics’ Gold Standard

A new analysis shows that the evidence for climate changes passes the highest evidentiary bar in the field of physics, known as five sigma, putting “a nail in the coffin” of denier theories.

4. Antarctic Project to Drill for Oldest-Ever Ice Core

An international team of geoscientists funded by the European Commission is planning to sample a 1.5 million-year-old Antarctic ice core this June. Ice cores are a key form of evidence about the Earth’s past climate, but no ice older than 800,000 years has yet been retrieved. The team hopes that finding ice of this age will improve our understanding of the climate oscillations that regularly affected the Earth before the climate stabilised about one million years ago. “This iconic project will help us better understand climate change in the past and to come”, says principal investigator Carlo Brabante of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

5. A Reading List on Women and Climate Change

Yale University’s Climate Connections blog has published a list of twelve must-read books on gender and climate change, writing that “the challenges posed by climate change cannot be met without also addressing gender issues. Because their lives are more vulnerable even under stable conditions, women face greater risks when climate-related impacts – droughts, floods, hurricanes – disrupt their communities. Conversely, giving women more power over their lives typically results in more resilient communities.”

6. China state investment giant drops coal

Not unqualified good news as investments have ‘merely been shifted to another state-run vehicle’ and there has been ‘a surge in new mines at local government level’ but significant because of the precedent it sets for investors shifting from coal to renewables. Meanwhile in Cumbria a 165m undersea coal mine has been ‘unanimously approved’ by conservative, labour and lib-dem councillors, claiming that an increase in jobs and local investment ‘outweighed concerns about climate change’

7. Widespread loss of pollinating insects in Britain

New study comparing samples from 1980 to ones taken in 2013. Typically framed to emphasise their role as providers of ‘ecosystem services’ in support of agriculture but at least they note that ‘Non-crop pollinators are also vital for a healthy countryside rich in biodiversity; not only because of their crucial role in pollinating wildflowers, but as a key food resource for other wildlife’.

8. The Middle East’s Authoritarians Have Come for Conservationists

‘Debilitating droughts, worsening pollution, and soaring temperatures have contributed to severe resource scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa in recent years. And as environment-related unrest has proliferated, with protests in at least a dozen regional countries, people who were previously viewed as largely harmless “tree huggers” have been reappraised as spy-gear-wielding, frontier-traipsing, data-sharing threats.’

9. Why Stopping Wars Is Essential for Stopping Climate Change

Interesting analysis connecting up anti-militarism with environmentalism. She argues that the strategic military goals of securing access to oil fields during the two world wars has carried on into the postwar period, only with more of the resources allocated for machinery in civilian life. Warfare still emits huge amounts of CO2 as well as wrecking ecosystems more directly: ‘It has been estimated that 20% of all environmental degradation around the world is due to military and related activities.’

10. Excellent video by Derrick Jensen ‘Running Into Solid Limits’

I think his point about national parks and nature reserves being a playground or retreat for the wealthy generalises to western countries in general: the horrors of civilisation (wars, famines, slavery, epidemic diseases, totalitarian dictatorships, environmental destruction etc.) have in effect been externalised to the global south while western populations can entertain progressive notions of relative equality, democracy and ecological health, living in a strange kind of ‘green zone’ of relative comfort and safety. What happens when the bubble bursts and all those chickens start coming home to roost? This is further complicated by the reliance on fossil fuels to do the majority of the labour formerly done by people and draught animals, making even more ‘liberation’ possible…

—

Thank you

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 12 rebels.

As we enter this crucial phase in human history, our Rebellion will need money to make sure our message is heard. Anything you can give is appreciated. Please visit our Fundrazr page.

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.

For queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters

Newsletter #17 – Paint the Streets

March 27, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Welcome to the 17th Extinction Rebellion Newsletter!

As we approach the 1st of April, we’re deadly serious about the need for rebellion.

It’s with regret, therefore, that we must first announce a postponement of the planned Dover Blockade action: organisers have decided to focus their resources on the many other actions coming up.

Our main focus right now is International Rebellion. Those rebelling in London can use this new form to either request or offer accommodation (email xr.accommodation@gmail.com for queries), and coming to London just got a whole lot easier with the option of XR coaches. Unless you’d rather walk!

Before then, we’re asking rebels across the globe to join us in Painting the Streets. We’ve painted the town red in London and painted Glasgow blue. Next is covering the world in a green message. And with the Letters to the Earth campaign starting soon after (with the submissions deadline on March 29th), we’ll be spreading this message through airwaves and public spaces.

Elsewhere, XR has seen some exciting international developments. In Belgium, XR and Greenpeace members have joined forces to pressure their government towards legislation on climate. Not far away, French rebels gathered in Paris for a phenomenal declaration of rébellion. There have been yet more actions in Spain, Australia and India. See below for details!

And before the International Rebellion gets going, we need training. See our Announcements for opportunities to get trained in First Aid and in speaking to the media, and check out our events page to find a Non-Violent Direct Action training near you.

If you’d like to get more involved with XR, please check out our volunteers page. To help out in your area, get in touch with your nearest XR group. If you can’t spare time, but can donate money instead, please see our fundraiser page.

Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
Act now
International Highlights
Announcements
News & Recommended Content

Recent Activity

Earth March

ONGOING

Our rebellious Earth Marchers continue to make speedy ground as they make there way progress through the country to arrive in London for International Rebellion Week on 15th April. The Cornwall group recently reached Exeter in Devon, while the Cardiff rebels arrived in Cardiff on Monday. Others are joining the march for different legs of the journey. The recent blog post from Jackie Dash tells us a bit more about how they’re getting on:

“We gradually found ourselves back in narrow winding lanes with sheep held in their enclosures, hedgerows and woodland defining our way. As we took another break, lolling on a roadside embankment next to a small holding, a woman in a pink top leaned from a bedroom window offering support in the form of a tray of tea, Jaffa Cakes and a most welcome ‘gardener’s toilet’…Wonderful. Of course, she was wholeheartedly supportive of our commitment to Rebellion and wished us well.

On towards Moretonhampstead, where some some local people had come out to meet us and guide us into town. At the Parish Hall we were greeted with more tea, before we were provided with an array of curries, cakes and cream teas!! What an amazing community!! Rachel, who has worked as liaison with me around Earth March had brought all of this together with many wonderful people in the town and from what I gather, this endeavour is now steadily progressing towards establishing a local XR Group here.

We were taken home by Kate and John, Quaker Friends, who lavished us with bottles of wine, cheese and biscuits and all the home comforts one needs at the end of a really good day. Thank you Moretonhampstead, One and All!!”

You can read the full post here. If you’re interested in joining the Earth March for part of the journey, please look at their Facebook page and use their search function to find specific legs.

Sheffield XR block traffic

19 MAR

50 ordinary folk from Sheffield’s Extinction Rebellion blocked the inner ring road in this major city for 60 minutes in the morning rush hour. Sheffield station is one of the top 10 most polluted places in the UK. The Sheffield rebels “facilitated pedestrians getting past the cars” to the station – a service to the community! School kids and rail travellers joined in. The Police were marvellous, supportive and protective.

Traffic was backed up right round the ring road and miles out of the city towards the M1. The classic swarming technique worked perfectly. We had wide coverage on local radio, press and TV. On BBC Look North (9 mins 30 secs into clip), two out of three drivers interviewed were positive:

“….I don’t mind being late for work… Brilliant that people are trying to make a difference. So important!”

Our first road blocking action. We feel energised.

Scotland XR painting Glasgow blue

21 MAR

Rebels in Glasgow covered George Square in blue footprints, symbolising the threat of sea-level rise to the city’s streets and squares, and swarmed the streets. The action follows a week of peaceful lunch time sit-ins at the Glasgow Council City Chambers to call on the council to declare a climate emergency and take urgent action after 30 years of delays.

Funeral processions in Brighton & Northampton

24 MAR

Human activity is the cause of the greatest extinction in history of a huge number of species. This week we held funeral processions In Brighton and Northampton to mourn all the life that has been lost because of our inaction. Rebels held silent funeral marches complete with bagpipes, gravestones and flowers. Watch this video of the action in Brighton. Find out more about how global warming will lead to mass extinction of life on earth: read our blog.

Send in your stories

Decentralisation is a key element of XR’s ethos so while high-profile actions will often take place in the big cities, every week we’re eager to celebrate all the amazing actions across the country and the world. If you’re involved in your local XR scene, in whatever part of the world, and if you’ve got a story to share, please email xr-newsletter@protonmail.com with ‘Story Contribution’ in the subject line. For major bonus points, it’d also be really helpful if you could write the story as you’d like it to appear in the newsletter!

Upcoming Activity

Check out what’s on near you with our full list of upcoming events, available to view on our website rebellion.earth/events. Or create your own event by filling in our talks and trainings form.

Dover Blockade

POSTPONED

It is with regret that we are postponing the Dover action until later in the year. In light of logistical concerns about our ability to definitely ensure participants’ safety, and within the context of concerns raised around the timing of the action, we are choosing to focus our energies on the International Rebellion beginning April 15.

Sincere apologies to all those who were looking forward to participating and particularly to anybody who had changed personal plans in order to be there..

Culture Declares Emergency: Letters to the Earth

12 APR – 28 APR | Worldwide

Last week, a group of arts and culture organisations and individuals called ‘Culture Declares Emergency’ officially launched ‘Letters to the Earth’. The campaign is asking for people to write and submit letters in response to the climate and ecological emergency. Some of the UK’s leading art institutions – including the Royal Court and Shakespeare’s Globe – have joined in the callout and will be hosting a day of action on 12th April where the letters will be read/performed in public.

The pieces will then be made rights free and available for anyone to download and present anywhere in the world from 15th – 28th April, coinciding with the International Extinction Rebellion and School Strike For Climate. These pieces can be presented and performed globally when hundreds of thousands of people will be taking to the streets worldwide to demand that governments tell the truth about climate collapse and act accordingly.

Deadline for submissions is on 29th March. Please visit their website at www.letterstotheearth.com to find out more.

Critical Mass

29 MAR | 18:30 – 21:00 | Waterloo Bridge, London

29 MAR | 18:45 – 20:15 | The Forum, Norwich

XR groups are taking over the streets by bicycle. We’ll cycle together as a group, asserting our right to be on the road. This is not illegal. We have the same right to the road as cars. We’re not blocking traffic. We ARE traffic. We’ll go as slow or fast as we want, and won’t leave anyone behind.

29 MAR – XR London will gather at 18:30 on Waterloo Bridge, leaving around 19:00.

29 MAR – XR Norwich will meet at 18:45 in front of The Forum, leaving around 19:00.

This will be an opportunity to practice an action, build existing relationships, and make new ones.

XR Paint the Streets Worldwide

30 MAR | Worldwide

Starting in just a few days’ time, XR groups around the world will take part in Paint the Streets – a week of breaking laws and social norms by using creative artwork and street performance to tell the truth about the environmental and the democratic crisis. It’s a wake-up for fellow citizens and a call to arms for the International Rebellion beginning on April 15th.

Is your affinity group clued up yet? To help groups with planning and preparing for the action, the London team have written an Advice and Guidelines document which we’ll continue to update throughout the week. We hope you’re inspired to get creative and go even further! Be sure to hashtag your social media posts with #ExtinctionRebellion and #PaintTheStreets. We’ll be looking out for your fine work.

In this action, anyone can join at any level of commitment, and everyone can play their part –

From handing out flyers on street corners,
To slapping a few stickers on your way into work every day,
To standing up on the bus and speaking the truth to fellow passengers,
To replacing the adverts on train carriages and bus stops,
To performing in high streets and squares
….and so on!

Please see our Facebook event to find out more.

Sound the Alarm – XRyouth

28 MAR | 10:00 – 16:00 | Bristol, Leeds, Manchester & more

Following the inspiration of Ghanaian students who have been using whistles to disrupt classes during the school strike, students will be sounding the alarm everywhere. Set off alarms in institutions to alert everyone of government inaction on the sixth mass extinction.

Email xryouth.actions@gmail.com if you want to get involved:

Actions are already planned in Bristol, Leeds and Manchester. See facebook page

In the spirit of open, disruptive action- we will be informing the emergency services beforehand.

XR Street Party – Manchester

31 MAR | 11:00 | Oxford Road, Manchester

To celebrate our future and bring together those who are prepared to stand up in its defence, a street party is in order!! We are going to host a family friendly event to reclaim the streets of our city.

We are in open, peaceful rebellion against the UK Government and Manchester City Council must declare a climate emergency and follow this with concrete action.Manchester airport must not expand, doing so is a foolish and dangerous decision. We also demand a full review of the 2038 decarbonisation targets to bring them in line with IPCC and other independent bodies findings to avert the worst of climate breakdown.

This action is to help set the stage for our International Rebellion starting April where thousands will occupy the streets of London. Let us know you’re coming on our Facebook event page

Act Now

1. Ask your MP to sign Caroline Lucas’ climate emergency early day motion. . After the failure of most MPs to attend the climate debate last month, will any more show they will take action in line with the science? Or will we hear yet more excuses? Or a deadly silence? Currently the motion has collected only 37 signatures. Pathetic!

Contact your MP ( or )

2. Contact your local XR branch and ask for a roll of stickers or a bunch of flyers.

Our Paint the Streets guide has some amazing, imaginative and ambitious ideas but there’s loads of room for simple involvement by individuals or groups. On your commute, a few well placed stickers will help to build our message for International Rebellion.

3. Message 50 friends and invite them to join the International Rebellion.

International Highlights

India

15 MAR

Extinction Rebellion is gradually gaining traction in India with rebels using the international student strike as an opportunity to organise their first events. In two major cities, Delhi and Gurugram, XR helped students manage their protests. These events were a huge success, attracting attention from hundreds of enthusiastic students and local and international media. Indian rebels tell us that social and cultural factors, which vary regionally, make rebellion challengingut they are committed to the cause and will keep working. They hope to have their next action in April. We will keep you updated on their progress.

Spain

21 MAR

Rebels gathered in Barcelona, at the headquarters of Radio Catalonia, to hand-deliver an open letter to mainstream media. The letter requests coverage of the climate crisis be given the prominence and consistency it deserves. It points out that this crisis is no longer an inconvenient truth but an unavoidable reality and that to respond appropriately, citizens need accurate information. The letter was signed by over 200 notable people including scientists, economists and representatives of social movements. You can read the full letter (in Spanish) here, and watch a video of the event here.

Australia

22 MAR

Australia’s Declaration of Emergency day saw rebels in four cities deliver their message to government officials in four buildings. In Melbourne, rebels with angel costumes, representing climate guardians, led the march to the Prime Minister’s office where they were shut out and ignored by government officials. Their thoughtful words raised up en masse would undoubtedly have been heard though, and a security guard accepted their written declaration. All of this and some of the preceding action is in this extended video. Rebels in Adelaide sang songs of peace as they delivered their declaration to the State Administration Centre. Similar actions took place in Sydney and Brisbane. And the pressure it working; Adelaide council will vote this week on declaring a climate emergency!

Germany

22 + 23 MAR

In Berlin, rebels held a protest to disrupt a meeting of the of coalition leading party CDU’s Council of Economic Affairs. The following day they staged a die-in at Berlin’s Tegel airport to highlight the extreme climate damage caused by aeroplanes.

France

24 MAR

France declared their rebellion, marking the beginning of non-violent civil disobedience there. The Paris event opened with a concert and included speeches from scientists, authors and activists, and offered creative workshops for all ages. There was extensive media coverage including (in French) here, here, and here. Simultaneously, rebels performed a die-in at the Natural History Museum, Paris. French rebels are now busy planning their next actions.

Belgium

24 – 26 MAR

Extinction Rebellion Belgium and Greenpeace Belgium jointly organised Occupy For Climate in Brussels. Joined by hundreds of people, many of them members of various other environmental groups, they occupied the area in front of the Parliament building in Brussels. After camping there on Sunday night, and after discussions with police, they moved to nearby Troonplein where they spent Monday night. They were pressuring legislators to make constitutional amendments that would allow a law to be passed binding the government to commitments already made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Their persistence paid off The Constitutional Review Committee voted on Tuesday to make the necessary amendment. Now it must be put to a plenary vote on Thursday. Most rebels have left, but a small hardcore team is camping out until then. You can follow their progress on their facebook page.

Announcements

Travelling to the Rebellion

14 APR ONWARDS

International Rebellion is coming. We have Earth Marchers and Rebel Riders coming from across the country to arrive in London in time for the 15th. For those of you unable to join these inspiring pilgrimages, we have organised coaches from multiple cities across the UK.

These will be arriving in London from the 14th April, and throughout the week to accommodate the various needs of Rebels across the UK wanting to join the Rebellion

Please follow this link to see the coach tickets we have available.

After arriving in London, you’ll find a range of accommodation options for the days following April 15th. We recommend requesting a space in good time to ensure that you are placed with a host. Please follow this link to book a place, or offer a space for fellow Rebels.

First Aid Training in London

13 APR | 09:15 – 16:30 First Aid Training | Kings Cross, London

14 APR | 09:30 – 16:30 First Aid Revision | Kings Cross, London

We are pleased to announce our First Aid training session. Everyone partaking will receive a certificate from First Aid for Life. We have limited space available but we are eager to get people trained up with a decent FA provider like First Aid for Life (approved by the HSE).

XR is funding this training, but would appreciate a donation towards this properly accredited certificate, as well as a small commitment to help out during our weeks of International Rebellion starting on the 15th April.

Please bring an ID, some comfy clothes and arrive 15 minutes early.

We will need to confirm the FULL cohort by March 30th by the latest, so please don’t delay!

First Aid Revision will be taught by Jill Bartlett and is happening on the 14th April. There is no certificate for this event but r it may be useful for existing practitioners, or those who have existing training and would like a refresher. If you have a general interest in FA and wish to come, then you are welcome, but those with prior experience or wish to revise their skills will take priority for spaces.

Jill was previously an ambulance IHCD and a trainer for the British Red Cross. She is passionate about empowering people to support one other in emergency situations. The Regen Team are grateful for her valued input.

If either event is something that interests you, then please get in touch!

EMAIL: tomashbylennard@gmail.com

VENUE: 184 – 192 Drummond Street, 4th Floor, Kings Cross, London

Spokespeople Callout

Could you be a spokesperson for the rebellion? Media interest will be high around April 15th and we’re looking for people from all walks of life who are ready to have a voice and make a difference. Everybody welcome – no need to be a climate scientist or a super smooth talker. Ordinary, informed folk are very welcome.. You’ll be representing yourself, not XR as an organisation, and we’re extra keen to hear from people who are trying activism for the first time. Contact Nuala Gathercole Lam at nmgathercolelam@gmail.com, and inckude some details about yourself. Training available on and off-line.

Faith and Extinction: holding the world in our hearts

We live in a secular society where, for the last few hundred years, affairs of the heart and spirit have been firmly kept separate from the “worldly” affairs of power and politics. And yet many are longing for a deeper connection to one another and enlisting in actions of civil disobedience. This demonstrates that the craft of civil disobedience as a powerful force for societal transformation when held from the heart and with the intention of non-violence (see in particular Mark & Paul Engel’s book “This is an Uprising”).

Creating “sacred space” may be no more than just telling people to put a hand on one another’s shoulder as we gather together, a remembrance of touch and togetherness uncommon in our atomised culture, the “sacredness” coming through an alignment of intentions through an action that, in its own small way, opens the heart.

We now have an online “intention field” Facebook group, “Holding the World in our Hearts”, which we invite you to join. Together we hold the intention to move through our planetary crisis with “love in action” and “love in stillness”. We lean into the riches of our imagination and curiosity and through our hearts into leadership. Please join us and dedicate your sacred practices to this vision. We are planning regular ‘virtual meetups’ where we can contribute our love, our intentions and our spiritual and heart-led capacities for creating a more beautiful world. Please join us!

Internal newsletter

XR Blog

News & Recommended Content

1. Good News | David Attenborough to Present New BBC Film on Climate Change

BBC presenter David Attenborough is to host a one-off documentary about climate change, which last year he called “humanity’s greatest threat in thousands of years”. Attenborough says that conditions have changed far faster than he could have imagined only a few decades ago, and the BBC says that the film will offer “an unflinching explanation of what dangerous levels of climate change could mean for human populations”.

2. Good News | US Judge Blocks Hundreds of Drilling Projects on Public Land

In a decision hailed by campaigners as a “triumph for our climate,” a US federal judge has ruled that the Bureau of Land Management must take greenhouse gas emissions into account when making decisions about leasing public lands. As a result, drilling for oil and gas has been halted on more than 300,000 acres of public land in Wyoming with lawsuits to follow in other states.

“With the science mounting that we need to aggressively rein in greenhouse gases, this ruling is monumental,” said Kyle Tisdel, attorney and energy and communities program director for the Western Environmental Law Center. “Every acre of our public land sold to the oil and gas industry is another blow to the climate, making this ruling a powerful reality check on the Trump administration and a potent tool for reining in climate pollution.”

3. Latest News | Global Honours for Two South African Climate Scientists

Two South Africans have been recognised for their behind-the-scenes work mitigating climate change. Dr. Debra Roberts was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people on climate policy by the public servants’ networking group Apolitical, and Dr. Jackie King was awarded the prestigious 2019 Stockholm Water Prize for her research on rivers which “has helped decision-makers understand that healthy river ecosystems are not a luxury, but the basis for sustainable development”.

4. Latest News | Uganda’s Young Climate Activists Go on Strike

As a developing nation, Uganda experiences some of the worst effects of climate change while contributing little to its causes. But Ugandan students are fighting back. One of their leaders is Vanessa Nakate who decided to act after learning about Uganda’s changing rainfall and temperature patterns. Nakate couldn’t find a local group of activists to join, so she started striking as an individual, sharing her story on social media and inspiring other students around the country.

5. Latest News| Top oil firms spending millions lobbying to block climate change policies, says report

A new report details how top fossil fuel firms are paying lip service to low carbon projects while at the same time spending vast sums on lobbying to block climate legislation.

6. Extreme weather | 90% of Mozambican city of Beira destroyed by Cyclone Idai

‘The city was cut off from due to the effect of strong winds and rains that continued across the week according to reports. Most communities were submerged with all communication lines cut off. Deaths have been reported along with massive human displacement and destruction of buildings in Beira.’ This Grist article provides extra context.

7. Extreme weather | Flooding in America’s Midwest and Twin cyclones batter Australia

Farmers in America’s Midwest face decades of recovery from the recent catastrophic flooding. Towns, farms and infrastructure are still under flood water which will take months to fully drain away. The task of restoring the soil imay take decades. And the risk of flooding is still present, with areas along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers facing major flooding through May. Meanwhile, Cyclones Trevor and Veronica hit Northern and Western Australia in quick succession.

8. Recommended Content | Podcast & Video

The XR Podcast Team have released their second episode, XR Podcast Episode 2 – Nonviolent Rebellion looking at one of the Rebellion’s core values and strategies: nonviolence. Featuring interviews with XR members. Be inspired by spoken word poet, Magero’s, beautiful new video about our personal responsibility to fight climate change. Climate Change Need Not Become the Legacy We Leave

9. Recommended content | A view from the Isle of Wight

I loved this compilation of photos and words by photographer, Lucy Boyton. They show a relatively small XR event on the Isle of Wight but the sentiments of not blaming each other, and tackling climate change as an act of love, is particularly moving.

10. Recommended content | Electric cars, vegan food & recycled trolls

Looking back to the dieselgate scandal and forward to electric cars, this long read piece in The Guardian is a sweeping look at the failures of many governments across Europe regarding diesel regulations and a possible future with electric cars with the ominous banner of fossil fuel companies flying overhead.

Fancy trying a new vegan restaurant? This article in The Guardian reviews several restaurants across the UK specialising in vegan chow.

Danish artist, Thomas Dambo, has created over 40 giant troll sculptures across the world with more planned. Thomas believes that these sculptures, all made from locally sourced discarded wood, will help teach people to recycle more of their rubbish and “to think of our trash as something beautiful instead of something disgusting.”

Thank you

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 12 rebels.

As we enter this crucial phase in human history, our Rebellion needs money to make sure our message is heard. Any amount is much appreciated. Please visit our Fundrazr page.

Alternatively, standing orders or money transfers can be made to our Triodos Bank Account (Sort code: 16-58-10 Account No: 20737912) in the name of Compassionate Revolution Ltd – the holding company for Rising Up!.

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user, PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.

For queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters

Newsletter #16 – Beware the Ides of Earth March

March 20, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Welcome to the 16th Extinction Rebellion Newsletter!

This week saw an incredible turnout from the Youth Strike movement, with strikes in over 130 countries! In the UK, strikers received support from the newly-established XR Youth, who threw an afterparty on Westminster Bridge.

Speaking of celebration, this weekend also saw an amazing Spring Uprising event in Bristol.

And at the same time, Earth Marchers in Wales made their first steps on their journey to join in London’s International Rebellion.

Wherever you’re coming from, if you’re joining the International Rebellion you might want to read the new briefing/guide which contains all the latest details. And in case you missed it last week, check out our legal briefing (pdf) – a must-read for anyone considering risking arrest.

Before April 15, there’s plenty else to keep us busy. On the 30th of March we’ll be blockading Dover – there’s also a brand new briefing (pdf) for this action. Shortly after that, we’ll be painting the streets; due to a technical hitch we’ve had to make a new Facebook event where the old one had many hundreds of attendees – so please share this one far and wide to let people know it’s still happening!

And the rebellion will be global: this weekend will see large-scale declarations of rebellion in both France and Australia. We at XR UK wish our fellow rebels abroad the best of luck, and we can’t wait to come together with one voice on April the 15th!

Wherever you are in the world, if you’re looking to take action right now, then look no further: as part of a campaign to get the world of culture telling the truth about our emergency, XR is encouraging anyone to take part in the Letters to the Earth campaign (more details in Announcements).

On top of this, our BBC Campaign group is looking for as many people as possible to submit questions through this easily-accessible form – let’s show the BBC how much appetite there is for truthful climate coverage!

We’ll be bringing easily-accessible actions like the above to your attention every week – but we hope these are seen as part of a deeper, population-wide effort to save our children’s future. If you’d like to get more directly involved with XR, please check out our volunteers page. To help out in your area, get in touch with your nearest XR group. If you can’t spare time, but can donate money instead, please see our fundraiser page.

Check out what’s on near you with our full list of upcoming events, available to view on our website rebellion.earth/events. Or create your own event by filling in our talks and trainings form. If you’re new, or haven’t already seen it, remember to check out our Campaign Overview Document.

Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
International Highlights
Announcements
Extreme Weather
Latest News and Data
Recommended Content
Good News Stories

Recent Activity

Second Worldwide Youth Strikes in over 2200 cities & towns

15 MAR

They did it again, and this time even bigger and better! Last Friday, over 1.6 million young people in 130 countries skipped school and created the biggest global climate march ever. In the UK, over 26,000 students walked out of their classrooms to demand action on climate change for their future. In London thousands of students marched from Parliament to Buckingham palace and occupied Westminster bridge. They are putting politicians globally on the spot with their numbers and creative messages. Feeling inspired? Join the XR Youth Network and check out our Facebook page.

Spring Uprising

16 – 17 MAR

Extinction Rebellion’s Spring Uprising was a storming success with talks and workshops throughout the weekend bookended by a jam packed musical line up including Dizraeli, Nick Mulvey, Sam Lee, and many more.

Thousands of Rebels came together from around the world to learn and grow together. Among the numerous events offered in five spaces, there was opportunity to nourish the mind, body and soul.

There was extended discussion of how to cement the movement in international solidarity, a diversity of action tactics practiced through clowning and flocking workshops, as well as Non-Violent Direct Action trainings done with hundreds of participants. Physical trainings were balanced with workshops on decolonising the movement, as well as developing emotional resilience in a world of uncertainty.

Reboot the Roots, Reclaim the Power, and Occupy all contributed to the array of workshops on offer, with local environmental groups and campaigns showcasing their work in the central “Solution Zone” throughout the weekend.

As each days’ bursting schedule came to an end, an array of musical talent was on offer in to the night to put the regenerative culture of the movement in to practice.

“It was only at the Spring Gathering that I realised how deep this movement goes in to people’s lives. The talks, skill shares and assemblies were amazingly effective but it was the conversations with people from all ages and backgrounds, that really blew me away.”

Jamie

“Fabulously inspiring to see so many people connecting, thinking together, having fun and ready to act.”

Gail

It was a weekend not to be missed and we can’t wait for the next one!

Earth March

As the Cornwall marchers begin their crossing of Dartmoor, and the March gets going in Wales, rebels across the rest of the country are getting ready to join in the journey. The latest entry in the journal, written by Mary Roddick, reads:

Excellent and inspiring day with the XR Cornwall Earth March for Life. I joined them for the single leg to Lostwithiel at St Austell railway station where I was warmly greeted and quickly integrated into the smallish but sturdy group. The weather hadn’t been particularly kind to them and ill health taken a toll, maybe due to the huge amount of work that has gone into the organisation. Today, though windy enough to keep our banners dramatically fluttering, was mostly dry, occasionally brightish and cool enough to feel comfortable on the hills.

Highlights were an unexpected tea break on a farm, spectacular views back down to St Blazey and the sea and a couple of unsolicited donations from a passing motorist and some pedestrians in Lostwithiel. The time and miles passed quickly with easy camaraderie and interesting conversation.

I learnt about and tasted 3 varieties of foraged wild greens as well as getting advice on how to collect and include seaweed in my diet.

I thoroughly recommend joining them for as long as you can manage even if it’s just for a day.

If you’d like to join any part of a march, read our guide and check out the Facebook group to find a route near you. If you’re more into cycling, take a look at the Rebel Riders; and if you’re an intrepid runner, you might be interested in Sue Cooper’s heroic plan to run across England.

Local contributions

Upcoming Activity

XR Critical Mass – Bring your bikes

21 MAR | 13:15 – 14:15 | Parker’s Piece, Cambridge
29 MAR | 18:30 – 21:00 | Waterloo Bridge, London
29 MAR | 18:45 – 20:15 | The Forum, Norwich

Following the lead of the Critical Mass movement – whose 25th Birthday is this month – XR groups are taking over the streets by bicycle. XR Cambridge is gearing up for their 3rd bike ride this week, while XR London and Norwich are joining the monthly cycles in their respective cities for the first time.

Call for more local groups – XR Groups across the country are encouraged to replicate this action in their Towns and Cities. Come together, take over the road, and promote Extinction Rebellion in the build up to No Food on a Dead Planet: Dover Blockade and International Rebellion. Local Groups interested in doing this can email xr-action@protonmail.com with any questions.

We’ll cycle together as a group, asserting our right to be on the road. This is not illegal. We have the same right to the road as cars do. We’re not blocking traffic. We ARE traffic. We’ll go as slow or fast as we want, and won’t leave anyone behind.

XR Cambridge will meet at 13:15 at the Reality Checkpoint in the middle of Parker’s Piece for a briefing, aiming to set off at 13:30.

XR London will gather at 18:30 on Waterloo Bridge, leaving around 19:00.

XR Norwich will meet at 18:45 in front of The Forum, leaving around 19:00.

This will be an opportunity to practice an action, build existing relationships, and make new ones.

Dover blockade

30 MAR | 10:00-15:00 | Dover, Kent

While politicians bury their heads in the sand and get on with business as usual, Extinction Rebellion is planning one of their most turbulent actions to date to highlight the extreme vulnerability of the British people to our food insecurity. On 30th March XR calls on rebels to join them in peacefully and non-violently blocking the roads out of Dover. As much as 50% of the UK’s food is imported through ports like Dover – this food is crucial to feed our nation. While newspapers resound with predictions of empty supermarket shelves as a result of Brexit, this is nothing compared to the misery of climate crisis induced famine and hunger.

We understand this action will be controversial, but don’t worry, this is a symbolic one-day action which will cause major disruption, but not stop medicines or food supplies getting through.

If you are interested in joining please sign up for the action.

We need as many people as possible to join us for this so please check out the Facebook page for more details and get involved! See here for a detailed briefing (pdf).

XR Paint the Streets Worldwide

30 MAR | Worldwide

Rebellion Week is less than a month away so we’re calling on rebels worldwide to join us for a week of non-violent direct action starting 30th March to cover the streets in XR messaging. We need help to spread our message with stickers, posters, banners, music, art and much more to alert people to the climate and ecological emergency we’re sleepwalking into.

The original event was deleted by accident, but we’ve put this one back up.

Every affinity group can take part in their location – stay tuned on the event for updates! Deadline for designs to submit on the GDrive (link in event description) is SUNDAY 24th MARCH at 12:00 noon GMT.

In this action, anyone can join at any level of commitment, and everyone can play their part –

From handing out flyers on street corners,
To slapping a few stickers on your way into work every day,
To standing up on the bus and speaking the truth to fellow passengers,
To replacing the adverts on train carriages and bus stops,
To performing in high streets and squares….and so on!

Please see our Facebook event to find out more.

International Rebellion

15 – 28 APR | Worldwide

That’s right, International Rebellion Week is almost upon us. We hope you’ve booked time off work to join us for this open-ended period of non-violent direct action where we’ll be shutting down our cities and calling for a full-scale Rebellion to demand decisive action from governments on climate change and ecological collapse.

This is the moment we demand we are heard. Further details to come in due time – watch our Facebook page for further updates. You do not need to be arrested to take part. Please tell everyone you know about this event, invite all your friends, and spread the word. There is no greater cause on Earth than Earth itself, and the struggle for a true democracy to protect life on this planet, our only home.

International Highlights

Canada

1 MAR

Rebels interrupted question time at the Nova Scotia legislature on March 1, singing and chanting for three minutes before being escorted out waving Extinction Rebellion banners. This action follows on from XR Canada’s national week of rebellion in February, to put continued pressure on government to declare a climate emergency. Nova Scotia officials have not acknowledged the climate crisis, though Halifax, the capital of the province, has recently declared a climate emergency.

One determined rebel made the same demand when she entered the council chambers during the Charlottetown city council’s monthly public meeting. Other rebels sat in the public gallery but she refused to leave the chambers unless she was allowed to display a banner reading “Declare a climate emergency”. She was arrested and charged with causing a disturbance.

New Zealand

12 MAR

Extinction Rebellion Auckland funeral marched, complete with coffin and bagpipe player, into Auckland city council to deliver a message to the Environment and Communities group. They were pleased with the response, as they were invited to an upcoming Climate Summit. Afterwards, rebels gave heartfelt speeches outside the building, asking that we all “hold grief in one hand and hope in the other” and demand a better world.

France

16 MAR + 24 MAR

Extinction Rebellion France took part in the Marche du Siècle (March of the Century) in Paris, joining the crowd of 100,000 people demanding climate and social justice. Environmental, political and social groups, along with thousands of individuals, united to send a strong message: climate breakdown will affect everybody. Peace, joy and music propelled the marchers; the many musical groups included a full brass band. Similar marches took place in cities around France.

And this Sunday, thousands of French rebels will be gathering in Paris to declare open rebellion.

Finland

16 MAR

To protest logging policies in their country, Extinction Rebellion Finland interrupted the Forest Economy Seminar at the University of Helsinki. Seven rebels performed a hauntingly beautiful dance before being ushered out of the room, while others displayed an XR sign and handed out leaflets.

Declaration Day in Australia

22 MAR | Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide

On Friday Australian rebels in four major cities will simultaneously gather at government buildings, to demand that their government declare a climate emergency. More details, including meeting times and specific locations, are on their facebook page.

Announcements

Letters to the Earth: Deadline for Submissions

Deadline: 29 MAR | Midnight

Submit your written letters of response to the climate and ecological emergency for presentation at theatres and arts venues across the country on 12th April, a day of joint action from the cultural sector. This can be a letter to or from the earth, past or future generations, those in power, other species. The idea is open to interpretation: it can come from a personal place, be dramatic in form, be a call to action. The invitation is open to all – to think beyond the human narrative and to bear witness to the scale and horror of this crisis.

The pieces will be made rights free and available for anyone to download and present anywhere in the world from 15th – 28th April as part of the Rebellion.

Deadline: Friday 29th March | Midnight

Email your submissions to letterstotheearth@gmail.com – subject line ‘Letter’

Find out more:

Zero Hour – Getting to the Roots

We are happy to announce our support of Zero Hour’s new campaign #GettingtoTheRoots. Follow this link to join in their worldwide education campaign, become an ambassador and bring climate justice education to your community.

Affinity Group stories for XR Blog

Are you part of an affinity group that has participated in direct action?

We ask for your stories of courage, struggle, compassion and collaboration, of whatever you have experienced together. This is an offshoot of the #HumansofXR project, to show the world that this movement is their moment too. Creative writing and mixed media all considered. Please email xrblog@protonmail.com with your A.G. name in the subject line.

XR Blog also seeks submissions on an ongoing basis, from rebels from all walks of life. Minimal writing experience is required. If you’re stuck for content we can provide a variety of writing briefs. Please contact us on xrblog@protonmail.com

Extreme Weather

Torrential rain in Papua triggers landslides

At least 50 people have been killed by flash floods in Indonesia’s eastern province of Papua. Flooding is not uncommon in the area — in January 70 people were killed by flooding and landslides in Sulawesi island.

‘Major humanitarian crisis’ after cyclone slams southern Africa

‘Cyclone winds and floods that swept across southeastern Africa have affected more than 2.6 million people and could rank as one of the worst weather-related disasters recorded in the southern hemisphere.’

Drought turns part of Iran into a new dust bowl

‘[T]he dust storm season has expanded, sometimes spanning half the year—and so, as a consequence, has the volume of respiratory problems’. In the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan agriculture is ‘now all but impossible and everyday life a struggle […] the region risks becoming uninhabitable’.

Latest News and Data

Overfishing and climate change blamed for 80% decline in sooty terns on Ascension Island

Climate change creates a new migration crisis for Bangladesh –‘Over the last decade, nearly 700,000 Bangladeshis were displaced on average each year by natural disasters’ – in-depth article for National Geographic

UK failing on 14 out of 19 global targets for the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity

Climate change denier invited to comment on school strikes for BBC Nine

Dahr Jamail: ‘We’re Living in the Warmest Decade Since Record-Keeping Began’

Some of the above stories and lots more in his latest ‘Climate Disruption Dispatch’

Regenerative Culture / Good News Stories

Antonio Guterres organises climate action summit

The international student strikes last Friday caused many people to take note, and question how they could do more. Luckily, one of those people was António Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations. In this opinion piece, he acknowledges that the response to the climate crisis so far has been insufficient. In response, he has organised a climate action summit in New York in September. He is asking world leaders from governments and the private sector to arrive with ambitious, concrete plans in key areas: emissions reductions, renewable energy, withstanding climate impacts, investing in the green economy, sustainable infrastructure, sustainable agriculture and management of forestry and oceans.

‘While climate action is essential to combat an existential threat, it also comes with costs. So action plans must not create winners and losers or add to economic inequality: they must be fair and create new opportunities for those negatively impacted, in the context of a just transition.’

Emissions reductions policies can work

A recent study has suggested that policies to reduce carbon emissions in 18 countries with developed economies may be starting to work. The countries, including the UK, France, Germany and the US, saw emissions decline significantly between 2005 and 2015. The changes were mostly due to replacing fossil fuels with renewables and an overall decrease in energy use.

‘”New scientific research on climate change tends to ring the alarm bells ever more loudly,” said co-author Charlie Wilson . . . “Our findings add a thin sliver of hope.”’

Geothermal power could become more accessible

Geothermal power is very low emission, like wind and solar, but more flexible as it can provide energy whenever needed. Until now it’s application has been limited to regions with very hot water caused by volcanic activity. However, a Swedish company has developed technology to harness power from low temperature heat, and a recent boost in funding means they are about to scale up their work.

Thank you

Thank you for reading this, our 16th newsletter. There’s so much exciting stuff going on that we barely have time to write this sign-off. Keep up the good work! If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 12 rebels.

As we enter this crucial phase in human history, our Rebellion will need money to make sure our message is heard. Anything you can give is appreciated. Please visit our Fundrazr page.

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.

For queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters

Newsletter #15 – The British Isles Rebel!

March 13, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Welcome to the 15th Extinction Rebellion Newsletter!

As we near the equinox and Ides of March, change is in the air.

This week saw significant actions in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin, while on Monday the first Earth March set off from Land’s End, ready to spread rebellion across the breadth of Britain. Further afield, actions have continued all over Europe, from Spain to Finland.

With so many actions happening and coming up, it’s perfect timing for the XR legal team to unveil their nigh-comprehensive guide to arrest. Even if you’re not personally planning to risk arrest, please read this and pass it on – the more people who know their rights the better!

XR’s next high-profile UK action will be a symbolic blockade of Dover – click here or read below to see how you can help. The online briefing is at 7pm on March 14th, so don’t delay!

In the meantime, don’t miss the chance to join a weekend of celebration and preparation at the XR Spring Uprising on the 16th-17th of March.

Wherever you are in the world, we hope you’ll be able to join or support the next Youth Strike 4 Climate on this Friday, the 15th of March, when the kids can once again show everyone else how it’s done!

And if you can’t wait until Friday to help in the fight against climate change, then please take four minutes to fill in our newsletter survey and help us inform you even(?) better than we already do!

We’re entering a pivotal moment in history, and we really need help if we’re to be as effective as the situation requires – if you’d like to get involved, please check out our volunteers page. To help out in your area, get in touch with your nearest XR group. If you can’t spare time, but can donate money instead, please see our fundraiser page.

If you’d like to look back through the newsletter archive, you can find it here.

Important: Legal Briefing
Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
International Highlights
Announcements
Extreme Weather
Latest News and Data
Recommended Content
Regenerative Culture / Good News Stories

Important Legal Briefing

The Legal Support team are thrilled to announce that we have completed a handy infographic/briefing combo for every single Rebel to read before hitting the streets. Equip yourself and your communities with this easy-to-read gateway into preparing for taking action from a legal perspective – learn about consequences and what the risk of arrest might mean for you.

How to use the briefing document:

As stand-alone quick overview of the most important things to remember to prepare for an action.
Click on page numbers to read the legal briefings that apply to you.
Click on underlined links to reach external info online
Go to links throughout the briefing to reference everything from common charges to documents on legal strategy used by XR defendants.

Recent Activity

Blood of our Children – 9th March

On Saturday 9th March, black-clad Extinction Rebellion activists, many with children, amassed outside Downing Street with buckets of fake blood to carry out a dramatic act of civil disobedience. As the crowds gathered, Rebels emptied more than 200 litres of red liquid on the road to draw attention to the violent future today’s children face unless there is radical action to save the environment.

There were many moving speeches from speakers including an eight-year-old girl and a heavily pregnant woman who risked arrest by taking part in the action, which gained widespread publicity, and made the front page of the Sunday Times.

Edinburgh – 8th March

When the Scottish Oil Club, an exclusive body representing the international oil and gas industry, held its annual dinner on March 8th at the National Museum of Scotland, XR Edinburgh Rebels turned up in force and held a peaceful assembly inside the building, refusing to leave when the police arrived. An XR banner was hung from the Museum balcony and thirteen Rebels were arrested. More here.

Cardiff City Centre Protests – 9th March

On 9th March Extinction Rebellion activists in Cardiff blocked a major road in the city when over 300 marched from the City Hall to Cardiff Central Library where they staged a sit-down protest, closing St Mary Street to vehicles, before moving on to Castle Street and bringing traffic to a grinding halt.

They then moved on to target a branch of Barclays Bank, staging a sit-down outside to block the entrance. Sian from Brecon said they were protesting against Barclays because “they are investing in lots of planet-destroying activity like fracking and fossil fuels”.

Earth March begins – 11th March

Abridged account from Jackie Dash; read the full version – and future entries – here.

The weather was perfect; a wide, late winter-blue sky with scudding clouds overhead and the blue Atlantic stretching away to the West. Around seventy people turned out to give Earth March a strong and powerful send-off on our March to Westminster. Local radio and TV crews were there to interview and record this momentous gathering and the start of our pilgrimage across these Sacred Lands to the heart of government and the financial centre in the capital.

Two or three marchers asked if we could make a slight detour and walk down past one of the local primary schools, this lies midway between Land’s End and St Buryan. The headteacher had brought the entire school, all 25/30 children out to see us. We arrived to heartfelt cheers and then sang for them…something relatively cheery as XR songs go!! It was moving for us all, especially since it is their future and those who come after them that we are fighting.

In Penzance we were greeted with welcoming cheers, mugs of tea and chocolate, and good Cornish ale: we felt a deep appreciation of what we had already achieved and the hard work that lies ahead of us. An auspicious start to what promises to touch the hearts and minds of the nation.

Derbyshire – 2nd March

Peak Extinction Rebellion in Derbyshire had a stall at the monthly Farmers’ Market on Saturday 2 March, celebrating the Wirksworth Town Council’s Declaration of Emergency the previous week, and discussing with shoppers what actions they can take to respond to the crisis. They were a bit surprised at a Monster arriving at the market and declaring “Your Planet is Dying. There is No Planet B. Act Now.” but were informed that an XR member was underneath.

There was lively debate on social media about whether the monster was too scary for children, or a fitting expression of the scary situation we all face. In the half hour the controversial Monster was at the market it provoked far more discussion than four hours on the stall – but the Rebels concluded that both had a valid part to play.

Solidarity at the Heathrow third runway hearing – 11th March

On Monday 11th March, rebels stood in solidarity with Friends of the Earth and Plan B Earth who are responsible for two of the four legal challenges to the Government’s plans to build another runway at Heathrow Airport. Aviation is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions. An expansion at Heathrow would see seven hundred extra planes emitting millions of carbon emissions a day. These plans clearly don’t fit with our climate targets under the Climate Change Act, the Paris Agreement or any serious commitment to cut emissions.

Local contributions

Upcoming Activity

Second UK-Wide Youth Strike – 15th March

This Friday thousands of young people in over 40 countries across the world will take to the streets to demand climate action. Last month thousands of young people across the UK joined the global movement and blocked roads, occupied bridges and squares and danced the day away. Let’s make this strike even bigger and better: join your local strike next Friday! You can find out more here.

Spring Uprising – 16th/17th March

Our Spring Uprising Event is THIS WEEKEND!

In Bristol on 16/17 March Extinction Rebellion launches the Spring Uprising, its first ever festival of rebellion, activism, music and art. Over the weekend, up to 1,000 people at a time will be trained in peaceful non-violent civil disobedience at Bristol’s Motion venue (74-78 Avon Street, Bristol, BS2 0PX).

The event is supported by music industry and festival organisers such as Boomtown Festival, Buddhafield, Ninja Tune Records, Alfresco Disco, The Green Gathering, Woman Fest and Burn Punk, and more than a dozen musical acts have been confirmed.

Bringing together an unprecedented gathering of people from different backgrounds, the Spring Uprising is part of Extinction Rebellion’s build-up to the launch of International Rebellion on April 15th. April’s global uprising promises to be one of the largest non-violent civil disobedience actions in decades.

Don’t miss it!

See the websitefor details – and bookings!

Facebook event-page here

No Food on a Dead Planet: Dover Blockade – 30th March

On 30th March, Extinction Rebellion is calling for hundreds of brave people, regardless of age or background, to do their duty: for our children, for our communities and for this great nation. Together we will peacefully and non-violently block the motorway out of Dover.

As much as 50% of the UK’s food is imported through ports like Dover – this food is crucial to feed our nation. While newspapers resound with predictions of empty supermarket shelves as a result of Brexit, this is nothing compared to the misery of climate crisis induced famine and hunger. The Dover road block will highlight the extreme vulnerability of the British people to food insecurity and underline the need for the Government to take emergency action on the climate and ecological crisis.

There is no doubt that this will be a controversial action but rest assured, the Dover Blockade will NOT stop medicine and food supplies getting through. This is a symbolic one-day blockage. It will cause major delays, but nothing critical. Its purpose is to tell to the British public and the Government to WAKE UP; very soon we could have food supply collapse and medicine scarcity because of climate breakdown.

There will be no food on a dead planet, only dead people.

We need as many people as possible to participate in this action. Calling all legal observers, arrestee support, welfare and first aiders – we need you! We’ll also need musicians, other creatives, speakers and mass participants to help with road blocking, crowd building and crowd entertaining.

If you are interested in joining please:

1. Read the full background here, then attend our online briefing meeting at 7pm on 14th March:

2. Sign up for the action here:

XR: The Silence Ends – A chorus of voices – 15th April

Add your voice to the call for climate action!

In protest against the resounding silence of the government on the climate emergency, The Silence Ends event in London on 15th April plans to create the biggest chorus of voices ever heard. XR has prepared a dramatic spoken-word chorus with music, which Rebels will perform in central London as part ofInternational Rebellion. The action lasts about eight minutes. Lend your voice to help this gigantic chorus of protest and affirmation attract planetary attention!

Check out the Facebook event here.

Petition for Parliament to declare Climate Emergency

More and more communities across the country are pushing their councils to declare a climate emergency.

But last week’s dismally-attended debate on climate change in Parliament shows that hundreds of our MPs still don’t get it. Young people are showing more leadership than our politicians.

Will you tell Parliament that it’s time to declare a climate emergency? Sign the petition now.

We know we only have until 2030 to take positive action which limits climate catastrophe. Yet over the last ten years, we’ve seen the Government recklessly gamble with the future. Zero Carbon Homes targets scrapped. Onshore wind effectively banned. Solar power shafted. The Green Investment Bank flogged off. Fracking forced on local communities.

This simply isn’t good enough.

These are extraordinary times and they call for extraordinary measures. We need nothing less than total economic transformation – starting with a Green New Deal for the UK.

It’s time for Parliament to declare a climate emergency.

Over the last few months we’ve seen an inspiring resurgence of climate activism, from the civil disobedience of Extinction Rebellion, to the incredible courage of school children striking for the climate.

We all know this is an emergency. Now it’s time to make our politicians wake up too.

Sign the petition now.

International Highlights

Denmark – February 24

The small Scandinavian country is among the world’s top polluters, according to the Living Planet Report list. In Copenhagen Rebels marched through the city centre and protested in front of parliament, with posters and chants demanding that politicians acknowledge the truth of climate breakdown. The action attracted wide media coverage; a few examples are here and here (in Danish).

On the same day there was a similar action in Århus, at the City Council, with banners and singing. Rebels then proceeded to the oil depot at the harbour to make their voices heard there, and draw media attention. Together, the protests ensured that XR Denmark launched in style and made its mark.

Ireland – March 3

Dublin and Galway held Funeral for Humanity marches, mourning the many species already lost and demanding change, an appropriate message on World Wildlife Day. They got a good turnout despite the freezing rain, heard inspiring speeches and music, and shared great energy. More information including the extensive media coverage is on their Facebook page.

Spain – March 5

Rebels took to the streets on the main avenue in Madrid, whistling, juggling and banging pots beneath an Extinction Rebellion banner to create an entertaining disruption. The action, to draw attention to the ecological crisis and demand action from regional and national governments, can be seen here.

Netherlands – March 5 and 10

On March 10, in Amsterdam, 40,000 people participated in the biggest climate march in Dutch history, demanding stronger action on climate change. Extinction Rebellion NL were there and dropped a banner reading ‘Rise Up’, to applause from the crowd.

The previous week, Extinction Rebellion NL performed die-ins in Utrecht and Groningen, where Rebels dressed in animal costumes to acknowledge World Wildlife Day and draw attention to the current mass extinction. The action in Groningen happened to coincide with a visit to the area by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was campaigning in the upcoming elections. In a region where fracking has left homes vulnerable to earthquake damage, Rutte’s visit drew many protesting against the exploitation of gas. Rebels joined with them to demand climate justice, and performed spontaneous die-ins in front of the Prime Minister, who was forced to step over the bodies of some Rebels. When confronted about government policies, he expressed concern over anything that might threaten jobs and drive residents to seek work in neighbouring countries – thus confirming the status quo. The action in Utrecht had a more upbeat atmosphere, sparking lots of interaction from shoppers and conversations with children.

Finland – March 6

Rebels gathered on the steps of the parliament in Helsinki to demand that the climate emergency is given prominence in upcoming elections. As Finland will take over the EU presidency in June, now is an especially crucial time to hold its government to account. Around 250 protestors from several environmental groups including XR took part, and eight Greenpeace protestors were arrested for climbing the pillars of the parliament house.

Italy – March 6 and 13

ARebel dressed as a scuba-diver rode the subway in Rome to highlight the future submersion of parts of the Italian coastline by 2100, including outlying areas of Rome. The threat, highlighted in a study two years ago, has been in the news again – not because of climate but due to concerns about tourism and commercial routes. The scuba-diver’s protest provided a striking reproach about priorities. More photos and a video of this action can be found on the XR Rome facebook page.

In other Italian news, the call to action, signed by notable figures and published internationally in December, will now also be published in Italy. Many Italian academics and notable people have added their signatures and the letter will be released in simultaneous press releases in Rome and Milan, on Wednesday March 13 at noon.

Announcements

Regen – Growing Resilience Workshop, March 23/24

UK and London Regen Present: Growing Resilience for the Rebellion

At this time of existential crisis it is urgent and essential to get out on the streets to make our voices heard.

But how do we ensure that we are equipped for the task ahead?

How do we stay resilient, energised and connected as we engage in the vital work of activism? How do we avoid getting lost in despair, anger, numbness or burnout?

Informed by Joanna Macy’s powerful and influential ‘Work That Reconnects’ this workshop will be an opportunity to explore our responses to the climate crisis, and to experience how this can leave us strengthened and more alive. Speaker, activist and author of ‘Coming Back to Life’ and ‘Active Hope’, Joanna Macy’s ‘Work That Reconnects’ practices have made a pivotal contribution to inspiring and sustaining activists and to growing community over the years.

We will be learning how to build resilience, personally and in our groups, so that we can remain engaged and effective for the long term. The weekend is planned to be the first of a series of workshops on developing Regenerative Culture.

The workshop will be of help to all those involved in the environmental and climate justice movement including:

Action co-ordinators
Affinity group members
Regen/Well-being co-ordinators

You are welcome to attend one or both days: each day will cover similar ground from a different perspective.

PLEASE BOOK A FREE TICKET SO THE ORGANISERS KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING!

The days are free to all, but donations to XR are very welcome. Please bring your own lunch, and food to share if you can.

We look forward to welcoming you to these days of connection and discovery.

Details: 10.30am to 4.30pm March 23 Saturday and 24 Sunday

Venue: go to Eventbrite page to find venue address in London

Considering Imprisonable Actions – Webinar

As a movement we can potentially gain a lot of media attention when people are sent to prison for non-violent civil disobedience and taking direct action. This can be helpful to escalate political drama, increasing the pressure on the system, and so helping us to achieve the XR demands and realise our visions.

However, risking imprisonment comes with its own complexities. Although some RisingUp activists went to prison-on-remand for one week in 2017 (by doing the same action day-after-day 4 times), no one was imprisoned around Rebellion Day 1 last Nov – despite the best efforts of many! Another possible pathway to prison could be to put yourself in contempt of court by talking over the judge about the threat to the planet and its ecosystems and the negligence of the government and legal system to respond adequately.

If you’re considering pushing the boundaries of activism in this way, you’ll likely have to come up with your own action plans and carry them out. Before you do, be sure to check out the XR webinar that explores the topic of imprisonable actions:

Talks and Trainings

Have you ever asked yourself what the XR Talks & Trainings working group does all day? What are all the fabulous trainings that XR offers and where can you find them?

You’ll be happy to hear that you can find the answer to all your questions in this visually intriguing and yet informative slide show.

A lot of our projects are work in progress and so this is a living document and will be updated from time to time. Hopefully, this will help your local groups to flourish! If you have any questions about this beautiful piece of art, please email xr.talks.trainings@gmail.com.

Legal – briefing and training

Arrest Watch training has been postponed to the 24th March in order to enable rebels to attend the Put It To The People march if they wish to do so. Please make sure to send at least one representative of your local group to it and email luerkenfm@cardiff.ac.uk if you need help to find accommodation so you can attend this training.

And in case you missed it above, the legal team has released its master-guide to arrestibility – a must read for anyone planning to be out on the streets in April.

Drumming for the Rebellion

A group of XR Rebels are organising a huge samba drumming action as part of the International Rebellion in London from 15th April. We are collectively known as Music for Rebellion (facebook.com/MusicForRebellion/).

Every day, we plan to alternate between teaching samba drumming and roaming the streets of London, disrupting traffic.

We currently have about 50 drums but we need lots more – can you help?

– Donate unwanted drums to Music for Rebellion

– Bring your own drums to the International Rebellion.

– Buy a drum kit for £50 – this will give you 5 drums (a bass, a floor tom, two rack toms and a snare). We can show you how to rope these up so you can easily carry them around town

– Start your own samba band. There is loads of demand for samba bands at XR actions – why not start your own? Buy 2 drumkits, 2 cowbells, 2 agogo bells, a good whistle and some blue rope (all for about £150) and you have everything you need to start a 14-piece samba band! We can teach you how to play and how to lead a samba band in London!

If you can help us by bringing drums, please get in touch with xrsouthsomerset@riseup.net and let us know how many drums you will be bringing. You can also donate to and share our crowdfunder to buy drums – www.gofundme.com/drums-for-international-rebellion.

If you are interested in joining us for the drumming, please join www.facebook.com/MusicForRebellion/ and sign up for our International Rebellion Samba Drumming event – all skill levels welcome. There is a Basecamp group “XR Drummers” for those who want to help us organise and spread the word. See you in London!

XR Blog

Extreme Weather

More than eight million people need food aid in Ethiopia

‘The impacts of the climate change-induced droughts of 2016 and before have persisted. Moreover, violence in many parts of the country have added to the burden’ and ‘dry conditions are once again creeping into the country’s southern and southwestern regions, crippling crops and vegetation.’

Non-survivable humid heatwaves for over 500 million people

‘Researchers at MIT warn that if climate change remains unchecked […] over half a billion people will, from 2070 onwards, experience humid heat waves that will kill even healthy people in the shade within 6 hours.’

Ocean heatwaves devastate wildlife

‘The number of marine heatwave days has increased by more than 50 percent since the mid-20th century […] Just as atmospheric heatwaves can destroy crops, forests and animal populations, marine heatwaves can devastate ocean ecosystems’

Latest News and Data

How the Tobacco and Fossil Fuel Industries Fund Disinformation Campaigns Around the World

‘Fossil fuel companies have a long history of adopting public relations strategies straight from the tobacco industry’s playbook. But a new analysis shows the two industries’ relationship goes much deeper — right down to funding the same organisations to do their dirty work.’

Dearth of worms blamed for dramatic decline in UK songbird population

‘Britain’s first farmland worm survey reveals nearly half of English fields lack key types of earthworm and may help explain a 50 per cent fall in song thrush numbers’

Climate Change plays major role in top 10 underreported humanitarian crises of 2018

New report from CARE: ‘Climate change plays an increasing and often exacerbating role in humanitarian crises that have been neglected by the global public, such as in Madagascar, Ethiopia and Haiti.’

The US Air Force is gearing up for a bird massacre in the English countryside

‘The US Air Force, which has thousands of personnel at British Royal Air Force bases at Lakenheath and Mildenhall, seeks to “reduce the attraction of wildlife to the airbase” and “deny the use of airspace to birds there.” ‘ Meanwhile Natural England and Natural Resources Wales have ‘given the go-ahead for Red-listed species such as Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Skylark and House Sparrow to be shot.’

WWF Knew locals opposed its flagship park – but hid this from funders

Rangers employed by the WWF have been brutally attacking the Baka people, who live in the Messok Dja rainforest in the Congo, to make way for a national park. Background report and petition.

Regenerative Culture / Good News Stories

Wild carnivores stage a comeback in Britain

‘Once-endangered carnivorous mammals such as otters, polecats and pine martens have staged a remarkable comeback in Britain in recent decades. [W]ith the exception of wildcats the status of Britain’s native mammalian carnivores (badger, fox, otter, pine marten, polecat, stoat and weasel) has “markedly improved” since the 1960s. The species have largely “done it for themselves” – recovering once harmful human activities had been stopped or reduced’

Video from the Devon Wildlife Trust: beaver completing her lodge after seven hours’ work

In related good news beavers have been granted protected status by the government of Scotland.

Thank you

Thank you for reading this, our 15th newsletter. There’s so much exciting stuff going on that we barely have time to write this sign-off. Keep up the good work! If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 12 rebels.

As we enter this crucial and potentially final phase in human history, our Rebellion will need money to make sure our message is heard. Anything you can give is appreciated. Please visit our Fundrazr page.

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.

For queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters Uncategorized

Newsletter #14 – Going Global

March 5, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Welcome to the 14th Extinction Rebellion Newsletter!

In the global north, spring is almost here – but Extinction Rebellion is blooming in both hemispheres, bringing our ideas and energy to minds and streets around the world.

In time for the new season, we’ve publicly released our strategy for the coming months – you can read it here. Branching out from the main strategy is a specific actions overview, from which in turn has branched an actions how-to guide which will help empower people all over the world to organise their own rebellions against our criminally complacent systems.

Speaking of guidance, the snowballing Earth March has also released a guide to help rebels everywhere in joining or establishing a March near them.

And in case that isn’t enough preparation, the Spring Uprising festival, coming up on the 16th of March, will welcome rebels from across the UK (or even beyond!) to take part in a weekend of training, celebration and community. You can book tickets here.

But it’s not all preparation – in fact there’s been so much going on over the past few weeks that it’s been hard to keep up. Actions include XR launching in many new countries and cities, rebel teachers marchingon the Department of Education in London, XR members blocking coal ports in Australia, and a week of rebellion across Canada.

More and more citizens across the globe are joining our movement and standing up to rebel for life; in celebration of this global solidarity, this week we’re giving special prominence to the actions of our fellow rebels all over the world.

We’re entering a pivotal moment in history – if you’d like to get involved, our volunteers page has just published an exciting new round of available roles which we’d really love to fill. To help out in your area, get in touch with your nearest XR group. If you can’t spare time, but can donate money instead, please see our fundraiser page.

If you’d like to look back through the newsletter archive, you can find it here.

Please help us improve the newsletter by telling us what you think about its current content, format and what are the most important things we should be including. Take the 4 minute survey.

International Highlights
Recent UK Activity
Upcoming Activity
Announcements
Extreme Weather
Latest News and Data
Recommended Content
Regenerative Culture / Good News Stories

International Highlights

South Africa – February 7, March 15 and 23

Rebels used South Africa’s recent state-of-the-nation address to raise awareness of Extinction Rebellion’s demands, by holding a mock parliament and making their own address to the nation. There’s an ongoing, dynamic discussion about how XR can best tackle South Africa’s unique challenges, and help people affected by climate breakdown.

As well as participating in the upcoming international actions, Extinction Rebellion South Africa has two upcoming events:

March 15 Co-hosting the Cape Town Climate Strike, in solidarity with school students.

March 23 Funeral for the earth events in Cape Town, Jo’burg, Durban and more.

Italy – February 10

Rebels performed a die-in at a Mall in Milan. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon so the mall was busy, and the protest garnered a lot of attention. You can watch Extinction Rebellion Italy’s beautifully produced video here.

Canada – February 10-17

An Extinction Rebellion week in Canada saw a variety of creative actions across the country. As well as road-blocks and die-ins, XR attempted to deliver 4180 dumpster-dived candy canes to a politician to highlight the problem of food waste, and used the occasion of Valentine’s day to invite people to write love letters to trees.

Switzerland – February 12 and 23

Lausanne saw its first Extinction Rebellion action on February 12, when Rebels enacted a silent grieving in front of the city hall. This powerful demonstration asked arriving councillors to vote yes on a resolution that would declare a climate emergency, and prioritise measures to combat climate breakdown. The resolution was postponed but the Swiss rebels remain undeterred, declaring “the pressure on the government is only the beginning”.

Meanwhile, in Zurich, on February 23, Rebels performed a series of die-ins in the city’s main shopping area. More than 25 participants simultaneously dropped to the ground and remained motionless for five minutes, while others spoke to people in the crowd. Despite some negative (though comical) comments such as “you should be at home making babies!”, the response was generally positive.

Belgium – February 19

In a spectacular first action for their country, Rebels protested outside a high-level international climate conference in Brussels. Rebels challenged the attending world leaders to set more ambitious targets on the oceans and climate change; they also managed to infiltrate the conference and interrupt the opening speech by Prime Minister Charles Michel (you can see a video of that here and more coverage on their facebook page). Their protest received significant media coverage: see here, here, here, and here for a few examples (not in English).

Sweden – February 22

Teachers in Stockholm demonstrated in front of their Department of Education in solidarity with protesting UK teachers and pupils, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency and the prioritization of the climate crisis in education. Students must be taught the truth about the ongoing catastrophe, they insisted, and all student climate strikes must be permitted.

Ireland – February 10

Extinction Rebellion Ireland, in coalition with other groups, held a die-in in Dublin on February 10, to protest a proposed gas terminal. This was covered in the media, including on page two of the Irish Independent, a prominent newspaper (picture shown here).

The Irish Rebels have also been busy holding various meetings and community talks.

Germany – February 23

In Hamburg, Rebels held a ‘funeral’ march in memory of all of the species that have gone extinct due to human activity. It was the first action in Hamburg; Rebels found it to be a good chance to meet each other and plan for the future. This video gives good coverage of the event.

Czech Republic – February 26

Extinction Rebellion CZ had a high visibility action when they dropped a banner in Prague old town square, calling upon the City of Prague to declare a climate emergency. Bravo!

Australia

Recently, having blocked a coal terminal in Australia for several days, protesters were greeted by a row of police at the gates to Abbot point, Adani. One protester had suspended himself on a giant tripod above the railway line that feeds key Adani infrastructures.

Spain – March 1 and 5

Extinction Rebellion Spain University group, along with FridaysForFuture and Youth4Climate, held a sit-in at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid.

Now, Rebels are inviting climate and ecocide protesters to join them on the March 5th at 7.30pm in Madrid. They plan to hold a ‘jam’ in the city centre and are inviting everyone to share their creative skills. This could involve music, dance, circus skills and art on the streets. For more information click here.

France – March 24

French working groups are busy preparing for the “Jour de Declaration de Rebellion” (JDR) on 24 March, which will mark the start of Extinction Rebellion action there. It will take place at 2pm at the Place de la Bourse, in Paris, and will urge the government to meet Extinction Rebellion’s demands. A declaration statement will go out as a press release on March 20. The event page is here.

Planning is already underway for follow-up civil disobedience locally and nationally, and Rebels are conducting training in non-violent direct action and discussing how best to respond to the questions of the media and individuals.

Recent Activity

London Rebels Disrupt International Petroleum Week

On Wednesday 27th February, Extinction Rebels disrupted International Petroleum Week by blocking access to the hotel hosting an international gathering of fossil fuel companies, meeting to network and form new partnerships. Global finance’s cynical continuation of the status quo at the cost of life on this planet cannot continue unchecked, and we are supremely grateful to the brave Rebels who took action to disrupt the event and draw attention to the crimes of Big Oil. And despite the ideological clash, some delegates expressed support for Extinction Rebellion and took up the chanting inside.

Filmmaker Jack Harries was among nine arrested at the peaceful action, where activists glued themselves to the glass front doors of the hotel.

The Blue Wave, Glasgow

On March 2nd people flooded into Glasgow dressed in blue and green to draw attention to the rising sea-levels and flooding caused by the changing climate. They came together to demand that Glasgow City Council join local authorities across the country in making a Declaration of Climate Emergency.

XR Media Briefing

On 25th February, Extinction Rebellion held its first mass press briefing at its new London offices. Attended by media from across the world, the briefing shared Extinction Rebellion’s plans for the months ahead in order to ensure maximum coverage of our upcoming actions. Please keep an eye on our Upcoming Activity section and the press section of the website to keep up to date with these developments.

Teachers March on Department of Education

Friday 22nd of February teachers and students of all ages, supported by Extinction Rebellion, marched on the Department of Education in London to demand that climate and ecological emergency is made an educational priority. The protest came in the wake of a letter signed by more than 200 academics in support of the Youth Strike 4 Climate. As it stands a student can go through the state education system and only hear climate change mentioned up to 10 out of approximately 10,000 lessons.

After some inspiring speeches from activists of all ages, teacher and Extinction Rebellion member Tim Jones spray-painted “Tell the Truth” outside the door of the Department. The peaceful act of protest was followed by a children’s sit-in outside the building, where they sang protest songs.

Speakers at the event included Professor David Humphreys (Open University), Dr Anne Andrews (Cambridge University) and Dr Alison Green, who recently stepped down from her Pro Vice-Chancellor role to focus on full-time climate activism and who authored the academic letter published last week.

Fashion Designer Clare Farrell Banned from London Fashion Week

During the opening of London Fashion Week on Sunday 17th February, Extinction Rebellion began a day of disruption by swarming outside Victoria Beckham’s show at the Tate Britain.

Following the protest, Extinction Rebellion member, organiser and fashion designer, Clare Farrell was barred from entering London Fashion Week, even though she was a Product Developer for the event. A police officer approached Farrell in the queue for the show, addressing her by name and informing her that she would not be allowed to enter as they did not want anyone from Extinction Rebellion to attend.

Local contributions

XR Canterbury

Extinction Rebellion campaigners held a mock funeral parade through Canterbury to raise awareness about climate change. At the end of the procession, the traffic was blocked near Westgate Towers, drawing praise as well as anger from drivers.

XR Shrewsbury

XR Shrewsbury organised a climate march through the town centre on February the 16th, and it was so much better attended than we were expecting. It was a fabulous day!

Marlborough

Rebels in Marlborough have been spreading the message of emergency with leaflets, letters in bottles, and a banner right outside the town hall.

Halifax

On the 17th of February 150 rebels in Halifax, Canada, shut down multiple intersections – and then went on radio to talk about it. They’ve since disrupted a local legislature meeting.

Upcoming Activity

The Blood of our Children: an Act of Civil Disobedience, March 9th

Join our bloody but non-violent civil disobedience at a central London government location. The science is done. We are in a climate and ecological emergency. We’re sending our children into a future likely to involve mental breakdown, starvation, war and early death. There are no words to describe the horrors we risk if we do not make governments act immediately. So we all have a responsibility and duty to take action. Even if that means breaking the law.

So whatever your age, beliefs, or background, Extinction Rebellion is calling for you to come and pour (artificial) blood on the ground outside a key government location. We’ll make the gravity of the crisis viscerally clear and show that we’re prepared to make the sacrifice of our own freedom by being arrested. This is now what’s required. We also wish to apologise to the next generation for our complicity in bequeathing them the toxic legacy of climate and ecological breakdown.

The event page is here. Say you are “going” or “interested” on this page and we will message you with a full briefing. Please share and spread the word. If you have any questions, email us at boocxr@gmail.com.

Wales Rising Up: Carnival of Animals, March 9th

Extinction Rebellion Wales will be taking over some central streets in Cardiff with a colourful eclectic carnival of insects, animals, and plant life. People across Wales will come together to openly declare rebellion and to call on the Welsh Government to declare a Climate Emergency. There will be music, costumes, performance and more. Check out their Facebook page for more info.

XR Rig Rebellion – Edinburgh, March 8th

On Friday 8th of March, the Scottish Oil Club, an exclusive body representing the international oil and gas industry, will hold their annual celebratory dinner at the National Museum of Scotland.

A major driver of the climate emergency, the fossil fuel industry should not be celebrated, and definitely not on International Women’s Day! Women across the globe are on the front line of facing climate chaos, while rarely being the drivers of it.

Extinction Rebellion Scotland will protest this event through a dance-demonstration, driven by love, music and compassion. We’ll be dancing, singing, speaking and sharing – bring music, instruments, and your dancing feet!

Facebook event here.

Second UK-Wide Youth Strike – March 15th

Last month saw 10,000 young people across the UK rising up and demanding change, as part of the Global Youth Strike. Their voices caught national media and political attention. Unfortunately, the Government hasn’t received the message yet, as No.10 tweeted that it was a “waste of lesson time”. Together, we can show that that the inaction of political leaders for the past 30 years is much worse, as Greta rightfully pointed out. Join your local strike next Friday, found out more here.

Spring Uprising – Festival – March 16th

WINTER IS OVER, WAKE UP – THERE’S A REBELLION ON

LET’S GET TOGETHER, CELEBRATE XR, GET TRAINED, GET ORGANISED

AND HAVE A DAMN GOOD TIME DOING IT

The weekend of 16/17 March in Bristol, Extinction Rebellion will put on its first ever festival of rebellion, activism and music – dubbed ‘Spring Uprising’ – at which up to 1,000 people at a time will be trained in peaceful non-violent civil disobedience.

Bringing together an unprecedented gathering of people from different backgrounds for nonviolent direct action workshops, music and art, the festival to be held in Bristol’s Motion venue (74-78 Avon Street, Bristol, BS2 0PX) is part of Extinction Rebellion’s planning for what is expected to be one of the largest non-violent civil disobedience acts in decades – International Rebellion beginning 15 April 2019.

The event is supported by music industry and festival organisers such as Boomtown Festival, Buddhafield, Ninja Tune Records, Alfresco Disco, The Green Gathering, Woman Fest and Burn Punk, and over a dozen musical acts have so far been confirmed.

Don’t miss it!

See the websitefor details – and bookings!

Facebook event-page here.

Announcements

Legal – Arrest Watch

Extinction Rebels are getting arrested all over the country at a speed that makes it impossible to train up new legal observers fast enough. So what to do?

The XR Legal working group has designed a training to skill up a new team for your local group: The Arrest Watch! Those who do an arrest watch training are not fully trained legal observers. Instead, they know of the whole arrestee support system, from pre-action day preparation to solidarity at the court, and make sure that no arrest goes unwatched.

The Arrest Watch training is intended to prepare you to support fellow rebels by:

– watching and reporting arrests at the time of the action

– answering the arrest phone in a back office

– making sure that no rebel has to go to court on their own

– setting up a legal team in your local XR group

We want to enable every local XR group to set up their own Arrest Watch Team for their actions. So even if you can’t get hold of a legal observer, you still have a system in place to support your arrestees as best as you can.

Please send 1-2 representative(s) from your local XR group down to the arrest watch training on Saturday, 23rd March, from 10am-3pm.

Affinity Groups

NVDA trainings are steaming ahead and Affinity Groups are popping up all over. Our network is growing so fast! If there are any Affinity Groups out there, who haven’t had a call from a member of the Affinity Group Support Team, please do get in touch with us at xrgroupsnetwork@gmail.com

Culture Group

‘Bringing Extinction Rebellion to Arts and Culture’ is a group that will mobilise the power of art and artists for International Rebellion

This group is calling together artists – music, theatre, dance, circus and every other imaginable art – to raise the Rebellion and engage people in a way that protest and actions alone cannot. Ideas are snowballing. Guerrilla arts events to generate a buzz in the weeks up to 15th April – musical flashmobs, poetry slams, and more. Here’s just some of the projects bursting into life…. if you are an artist/arts worker and would like to join this group, get in touch via email to lola@lolaperr.in We meet on Thursday evenings in the XR London office.

The Silence Ends – an emotive mass spoken chorus with music taken up by multiple groups.

Street Explosion – an explosion of pop-up and street theatre across London featuring new works by famous writers.

Play Piano for International Rebellion – Pianists outdoors in a prominent London street; watch the film.

Sound the rebellion!!! – Flashmobs gather to make a lot of noise and fill the air with sound and fury in the days running up to the 15th.

Sounding Twelve Years – Groups of hand-bell ringers and metal clangers sound the warning knell in locations all over London, ringing out the 12 years we have left.

Moments of power and beauty. Poets and musicians drift into numerous place and engage people with their own personal brief moments of power and beauty to remind people what a precious world we may lose.

And there’s plenty more… Come and join us and help us make the Rebellion a creative force!

Earth March

The idea of the Earth March is spreading fast, with over 700 people already involved in planning marches from all over the UK. To make things easier, we’ve written a guide which we’ll be progressively filling with tips and advice – organisation, logistics, press, and plenty more. The first march leaves from Land’s End on the 11th of March – once this has started, we’ll be able to write up the lessons we learn onto this guide.

If you’d like to get involved in Earth March but don’t know if it’s feasible, don’t worry! For those already in living in London, and for those a long way a way, we’ll be encouraging all XR UK members to join the last leg of the March as Earth Marchers enter London in time for the International Rebellion. Stay tuned for details on when and where as we get closer to April and London.

If you’re outside the UK and are interested in setting up an Earth March in your own country, please email earthmarch@protonmail.com for support.

Flyposting in London

See what fly-posting and leafleting is on in London over the coming days here. Any questions email xrflyeringlondon@gmail.com

If you’re not in London but would like advice on starting up your own fly-posting scene, please contact the same address.

Zero Hour – Young People’s Brief

Zero Hour is a US-based movement aiming to give greater prominence to young voices in the conversation on climate change; we’re filing an Amicus Brief for the Juliana v. United States Lawsuit and we are hoping to get 100,000 young people to sign their names onto it showing their support.

In 2015, 21 young people became plaintiffs in a case against the U.S. government. They filed the Constitutional climate lawsuit called Juliana v. United States. These 21 young men and women sued the government demanding action against climate change.

Zero Hour will file the Young People’s Brief with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals so that the Juliana Plaintiffs will be heard.

The Juliana Plaintiffs want to hold the US government accountable. The young people believe that the government’s affirmative action has violated the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, while also failing to protect essential public trust resources.

We are launching a planetwide drive to get thousands of young people to add their names to a Young People’s Brief in support of the Juliana Plaintiffs. Over 25,000 people have signed their name so far.

Add your name to the brief here to be a part of history!

XR Seniors

A new group has been launched for XR seniors – for more information, please contact xr.seniors@gmail.com.

XR Blog

Extreme Weather

According to a new report commissioned by Care International, the majority of humanitarian crises in the last year were caused by extreme weather. During 2018, as a result of extreme weather conditions, worldwide 5000 lives were lost and 29 million people were left in need of humanitarian aid and emergency assistance.

Areas of the UK experienced the hottest February day. The Met Office recorded temperatures of 20.8°C at Porthmadog in Wales, 21.2°C at Kew Gardens in England and 18.3°C at Aboyne in Scotland. The new figures are the warmest on record for the UK at this time of year.

Australia’s summer smashes seasonal heat records – ‘Australia has posted its hottest summer and the first season in which temperatures exceeded two degrees above the long-term averages, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’ (no mention of climate change by the Sydney Morning Herald)

Apocalyptic scenes as Saddleworth Moor burns.

Latest News and Data

Cuadrilla loses planning appeal for second UK site

The Government has recently refused Cuadrilla’s application to open a second fracking site in Lancashire. This follows the company’s admission that commercial fracking is impossible in the UK unless rules on minor earthquakes are relaxed. The government has shown no interest in changing the regulations previously agreed upon by the fracking industry. We are extremely grateful to all those on the frontline of anti-fracking campaigns all over the country that have banjaxed the possibility of active fracking in the UK.

‘We need more bullets’

Shocking losses to wildlife and livestock in Queensland, Australia after seven years of drought are interrupted by freezing winds and ‘three years worth of rain in 10 days’. News.com report with upsetting images and no mention of climate change here.

“Disaster” as Indian Supreme Court orders eviction of “8 million” tribespeople

Survival International Director Stephen Corry: ‘This judgement is a death sentence for millions of tribal people in India, land theft on an epic scale, and a monumental injustice […] it will do nothing to save the forests which these tribespeople have protected for generations.’

Drax Can’t Grow Trees Fast Enough — Biomass is Not a Climate Solution

‘Drax often makes the misleading claim that they save over 80 percent of carbon emissions compared to coal. This is far from the truth, because it is not counting the emissions from combustion, which are 3 percent higher than burning coal’

New evidence linking mass strandings of beaked whales to military sonar

‘Scientists have long known that some beaked whales beach themselves and die in agony after exposure to naval sonar, and now they know why: the giant sea mammals suffer decompression sickness, just like scuba divers.’

One of the wildest parts of Britain is under threat

Coul Links dunes, heath and wetlands on the Sutherland coast at risk from ‘high impact’ golf course development, compromising its ecological integrity.

Record-level earthquake in Newdigate, Surrey – calls for reopening of inquiry into links to oil industry

First debate about global warming in the houses of parliament for two years. Heartwarming to see how much our elected representatives care about our future and that of the living world! h/t Andrew Harmer

Regenerative Culture / Good News Stories

Following a speech by Greta Thunberg at the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker has pledged that a quarter of the EU’s budget will now go towards tackling Climate Change.

Wild Justice is a new organisation set up to take legal cases on behalf of wildlife against public bodies where they are failing to protect species and/or habitats. Wild Justice is working with legal teams in England and Scotland. Legal action will be funded by public donations and crowdfunding appeals. One of the founders, broadcaster and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham said ‘Wild. Justice. Because the wild needs justice more than ever before.’

Clothing firm Patagonia has made an additional $10 million in profits since President Trump slashed corporate tax rates in the US from 35% to 21% last year. But instead of ploughing these profits back into the business, the company has just announced it will be giving the money away to grassroots campaigns to fight against climate change.

Thank you for reading this, our 14th newsletter. There’s so much exciting stuff going on that we barely have time to write this sign-off. Keep up the good work! If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 12 rebels.

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.

For queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters Uncategorized

Newsletter #13 – Back in Action

February 19, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Welcome to the 13th Extinction Rebellion newsletter!

Extinction Rebellion is back on the streets. Months of preparations are now bearing fruit, with actions in Britain’s major cities and all over the world.

But April’s International Rebellion takes us into the countryside too. On April 15th, our March For Life will see rebels walking across the fields and the hills to take a stand against climate inaction, while before that we’ll be re-connecting with nature and each other at the Spring Uprising festival on March the 16th. But we’re also mobilising in cyberspace: this new Facebook group gives us a collective voice – one that can’t be ignored – to demand that the BBC gives the ecological crisis every moment of attention it deserves. And the design for a new window-poster (best printed on coloured paper) means our rebellion will be brewing not just on the streets, but above them!

There’s a lot more to come, and not just from us: on Friday the 15th, the globe-spanning Youth Strike made a phenomenal start in the UK, with 10,000 children across 60 towns showing adults how it’s done. With growing momentum for an American Green New Deal, and major NGOs shifting to support civil disobedience, it’s clear that we’re part of a rapidly rising tide of protest.

It’s time for a turning-point. The next few months could be a crucial moment in human and ecological history. To join the momentum, please see our volunteers page for available roles or get in touch with your nearest XR group. If you can’t spare time, but can donate money instead, please see our fundraiser page.

If you’d like to look back through the newsletter archive, you can find it here.

Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
International Highlights
Announcements
Extreme Weather
Latest News and Data
Recommended Content
Regenerative Culture / Good News Stories

Recent Activity

First National Youth Strike for Climate – February 15th

On Friday 15th over 15,000 children left school to take part in the UK’s first Youth Strike for Climate. In more than 60 towns and cities, children gathered with teachers and parents to demand that the government take action on the ecological emergency.

In London, the turnout far exceeded organisers’ expectations with thousands of children gathering to block traffic in Parliament Square, on Westminster Bridge and outside Downing Street. The deployment of police horses did nothing to dampen the jubilant spirits. And nor could the helicopters drown out the children’s calls for justice.

Bing Jones, a member of XR, was in Sheffield: “300 to 400 kids turned up. We provided a PA system and a focus and I spent 2 and a half hours doing nothing but guiding kids to come forward and speak: say your name and school and off they went. They spent an average of about a minute each. They were articulate and informed and electric. It was one of the best days of my life. We had more than 100 speakers, cheered every time. Only a handful of adults spoke. Electric.”

Given the day’s success, it’s likely that the next strike on the 15th of March – planned as both national and global – will be many times bigger. In the meantime, XR and Youth Strike will be co-hosting an event outside London’s Department of Education (see below for more.)

See here for a debate on the strikes with XR spokesperson Clare Farrell; see here for Youth Strike organiser Anna Taylor on BBC Newsnight

Day of Regional Rebellion – February 16th

On Saturday, hundreds of rebels across the UK united to let those in power know that our numbers are growing, as is our willingness to act. In Bristol, hundreds united in shutting down the city centre with a street party, using dance and song to pressure the local council into greater action on the ecological emergency. In Cardiff, over a hundred rebels gathered to sing and speak to the public, gathering signatures to provide a big boost to their petition to the Welsh government. Over a hundred rebels in Cornwall blocked roads and marched in a funeral procession through the streets of Looe in honour of coastal communities. There was an eleven-minute silence, as well as speeches, poems and songs. Even more actions took place in Nottingham, Brighton and Gloucester.

Swarming Fashion Week – February 17th

The fashion industry is unquestionably one of the world’s most powerful and polluting industries. So on Sunday 17th February rebels disrupted the opening of London Fashion Week’s by swarming the streets outside key venues and calling on fashion to wake up to the climate and ecological crisis, and to use its influence to help create a just and sustainable world.

In mourning for the daily extinction of hundreds of species and the human lives lost as a result of the natural world’s collapse, rebels dressed as though for a glamorous funeral. We were joined by some of the catwalk models who posed in front of our banners, and the disruption was filmed by international TV channels and featured in the national press – including the fashion industry’s flagship magazine, Vogue.

Local Actions

Hackney Street Party

On Saturday 9th February, XR London rebels held a peaceful street party and blocked the road outside Dalston Kingsland station in Hackney. This was the first of a number of creative roadblocks planned in the build up to International Rebellion Week starting 15th April. Activists enjoyed a sunny day filled with great speakers, friendly discussion, delicious vegan food – provided by the Turkish Gözleme stall in Ridley Road Market – and a jam-packed schedule of music and spoken word poetry. The event was MC’d by Marv Radio and saw spoken word from Dizreali and Earthman Bob, live music from All Things Mata and Zantagola and Samba provided throughout by the Baque de Axé Drummers. Hackney local DJ Dgo opened and closed the event with Reggae, Roots, and Dub.

Amongst all the music was an array of amazing speakers promoting local causes. Sam Smithson from Sustainable Hackney brought their campaign for Hackney city council to declare a climate emergency to the crowd’s attention. Only 200 signatures are needed for this to be discussed in an official forum so please sign here. Other speakers included Janie Mac from the Refugee Community Kitchen, Bettina Maidment for Plastic Free Hackney and Katie Hodgetts from the UK Youth Climate Coalition. Pastor Dave from Victory Outreach also spoke for his campaign, ‘Stop the Violence London’ to bring people out of a life involving gun and knife crime, and promote Non-Violence.

The aim of the day was to create an open and positive atmosphere of light hearted, non-violent action, with discussion centred around environmental issues. The community-building action saw activists interacting with passersby throughout the day, discussing the movement and the growing threat from climate change locally and across the globe.

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make this day a success.

See video coverage here

Norwich

Monday 11th February XR Norwich shut down the Norfolk County Council budget meeting for 4 hours. The local XR group had previously asked both Norwich City and Norfolk County councils to declare a #ClimateEmergency. They also demanded the council drop its plans to spend £200m on building a carbon-guzzling road through a special area of conservation (SAC) with SSSIs and wildlife sites. The group had been juxtaposing and linking the two issues – you can’t declare a Climate Emergency and continue high-carbon, economic growth system, vanity projects.

Twenty-five Rebels entered the Council Chamber and stayed there until the police intervened: four were arrested for refusing to leave the chamber. The action was covered by both regional BBCand ITV, with Rupert Read appearing for a face to face interview on the late evening BBC news.

This powerful action testifies to the continuing evolution of the movement around the country at a grassroots, local level.

Glue-ons in Stroud

Stroud Rebels followed Norwich’s lead on the 13th February, disrupting a Gloucestershire County Council budget meeting with singing and chanting in the public gallery: two Rebels glued themselves to their seats, demanding “the council’s budget acknowledges climate change.”

While the Rebels continued to call out the Council’s criminal negligence for failing to take any action in the face of impending climate and ecological collapse, the meeting was adjourned and the police called in.

The more we in XR are willing to take such actions holding local leaders to account, the more powerfully our message will hit home, forcing those in power to re-assess their priorities and put the climate where it belongs: at the top of the agenda.

Article here

Oxford Roadblock

Rebels in Oxford blocked a road earlier this month – then eloquently explained why with this article in the Oxford Times

Local contributions

Decentralisation is a central part of XR’s ethos, and this applies geographically too. So while high-profile actions will often take place in the big cities, we’re eager to celebrate all the amazing actions across the country and the world every week. If you’re involved in your local XR scene, whatever the country, and if you’ve got a story to share, please email xr-newsletter@protonmail.com with ‘Story Contribution’ in the headline.

Upcoming Activity

Climate Truth for Schools – DfE, February 22nd

The National Curriculum is failing to inform young people about Climate Change, yet it is today’s schoolchildren who will be left holding the can. For this reason XR will be following up on the Youth Strike of 15 February by protesting at the Department for Education on Friday 22nd February. Please print and sign a copy of the letter with our demands, and if you have young children, stamp it with their hand prints and post it to Department for Education, 20 Great Smith St, Westminster, London, SW1P 3BT. Please share as widely as possible and tell your friends to share too. And join us on Friday 22nd (12pm at Old Palace Yard by Westminster Abbey and then on to the Dept for Education). Thank you. For more details and updates see our FB page:

The Blood of our Children: an Act of Civil Disobedience, March 9th

Join our bloody but non-violent civil disobedience at a central London government location. The science is done. We are in a climate and ecological emergency. We’re on course to send our children to an early death likely to involve mental breakdown, starvation and war. There are no words to describe the horrors we risk if we do not make governments act immediately. Every parent, every adult, everyone has a responsibility and duty to take action. Even if that means breaking the law.

So whatever your age, beliefs, or background, Extinction Rebellion is calling for you to come and pour (artificial) blood on the ground outside a key government location. We’ll make the gravity of the crisis viscerally clear and show that we’re prepared to make the sacrifice of our own freedom by being arrested. This is now what’s required. We also wish to apologise to the next generation for our complicity in this the greatest of all crimes – to leave a legacy of hell. A future defined by the climate and ecological breakdown.

Spring Uprising – Festival – March 16th

WINTER IS OVER, WAKE UP – THERE’S A REBELLION ON

LET’S GET TOGETHER, CELEBRATE XR, GET TRAINED, GET ORGANISED

AND HAVE A DAMN GOOD TIME DOING IT

So we are throwing a 3000-person Indoor XR festival!

Set to feature music, talks, political discussions, art workshops, trainings, and much much more – the Spring Uprising will be the perfect preparation for our coming Rebellion

See the website for details – and bookings!

Facebook event-page here

International Highlights

France

Not only was the weekend of 24th/25th January an important one for action in the US (see newsletter 12) but in France, in a day of action organised by various French environmental groups, more than 140,000 people took to the streets in no less than 120 cities. In Perpignan there were marches, assemblies, human chains, flashmobs, die-ins and non-violent actions.

In the Place de la République, Paris, 8500 people gathered for an ‘agora’ (public political meeting). Brest was the scene of a human chain, and Orleans of a die-in. In Lyon, 5000 people mobilized to denounce air pollution. In Dijon, 1200 people found themselves in front of the town hall hands painted in red to symbolize the climate emergency. Read more (in French) here.

Canada

XR Canada are organising a Rebellion Week, to run from February 10 to 17, from Vancouver to New Brunswick. Organisers are urging rebels to join their local groups and organise their own actions (following, of course, the spirit of XR). There will be a die-in followed by road blockages in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Saturday 16th, and the Forest Protectors are on stand-by in Lockeporte for snap action against clear-cutting of the forest. Rebels can also join the women’s rally for missing and murdered women which traditionally takes place across Canada on Valentine’s Day, but are asked to carry out any actions at a different time to these rallies. For more details see

Australia

There will be a Melbourne Central Extinction Rebellion ‘Die In’ on 04 March, 2019 at 12:00 PM.This will be a peaceful demonstration at the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre. We will assemble at the State Library for a briefing on the action, before proceeding across the road to carry out the action. The action will involve people symbolically ‘dying’ in the shopping centre. RSVP: Share with your friends on Facebook:

Announcements

March for Life

Still thinking of travel plans for April 15? How about walking?

The Extinction Rebellion March For Life will see XR branches setting off from all across the UK, joining up with other groups on the way, and arriving in London with minds full of the nature we seek to protect. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: a chance to spend time outside, to get to know your fellow rebels before shutting down London together, and to receive extra training en route. It’ll also save money – and emissions – on coaches!

If you aren’t up to walking all the way to London, there are still loads of ways you can help: offering accommodation/facilities, food and drink, publicity, or logistical support, at your location or in London.

Land Respite

The Land and Respite Working Group seeks more Open Homes hosts from around the country. We especially seek hosts along the routes of the planned marches to London beginning in March, and also clustered within a 30 mile radius of London, as more hosts will be required when more citizens join the marches towards London. Additionally we are building a ‘city support belt’ of land-based projects circling London which initially will serve the function of gathering, grounding and respite. These could include land squats as well as privately owned projects. Please get in touch if you know of such projects, especially to the north and west of the city. For Open Homes hosts and city support belt write to xr-landandrespite@protonmail.com

Talks and Trainings in your area

Looking to bring the Rebellion to your local area? Fill in this form, and we’ll provide you with all the resources you need!

XR Blog

Arts – print your own window posters!

Beautify your window and get your neighbours to rebel in April with this new window-poster! For best results, print on coloured paper.

Legal – expenses

Dear Local and Affinity Groups,

Ahead of actions please make sure that Rebels who might get arrested have enough personal finances to cover travel to court in the event that they are charged. You may wish to ensure these financial resources by fundraising as a group so that the ones who are putting themselves on the line can feel safe that their court travel costs are covered and will be able to defend themselves in court. Also, please keep in mind that if your Rebels are arrested away from your local area they will need to travel to where they were arrested at least 2-3 times to attend hearings and court dates.

Central XR Finances don’t pay for court travel costs. XR Legal Support has a small hardship fund for court travel costs. Please contact xr-legal@riseup.net.

Finance – correction

We need to correct an item in our last newsletter: XR at a UK national level does not make a commitment to pay for arrestee support because: a) local fundraising is a way to share our information and garner support, b) we are concerned that this cost could grow beyond what we can cope with, c) there are currently insufficient funds. We are investigating the possibility of a hardship fund. We can offer support to help groups get crowd fundraisers off the ground locally- they were written about here some time ago. In exceptional cases of financial hardship, XR Legal supports rebels to pay for their travel to court (xr-legal@riseup.net).

Extreme Weather

Bushfires in Tasmania

At least 173 hectares, or 2.5% of Tasmania’s world heritage forests have burnt in a crisis which has overwhelmed Tasmania’s firefighting capacity. Matthew Newtown travelled into the exclusion zone alongside the Tasmanian fire service. View his photographs here. (Tasmanian Richard Flanagan has written a moving piece about these fires “Tasmania is burning. The climate disaster future has arrived while those in power laugh at us”.)

Thousands of homes flooded in Queensland

Yet another “one in one hundred years” event, as days of torrential rain has saturated Townsville and parts of north Queensland and over a thousand residents were evacuated. See the early reports from ABC here and the Guardian here. In the aftermath, hundreds of thousands of cows and other livestock have been found dead.

World’s Driest Desert Floods as Extreme Weather Hits Chile

‘Rains high up in the Andes mountains have led to torrents of water pouring into the Atacama desert below, sweeping away houses and roads. […] heavy rains devastated the country’s El Loa province. Flooding caused six deaths and destroyed nearly 100 homes […] The disasters are part of a pattern of increasingly extreme weather in the country’ – Bloomberg report

Latest News and Data

Plants and soil absorb less carbon dioxide under a warming climate

We all have an image of the Earth becoming more lush as carbon dioxide levels rise. However, worryingly, a study recently published in ‘Nature’ suggests the opposite. Researchers found that under a warming climate, rather than absorbing more greenhouse gas emissions, plants and soil may start absorbing less, accelerating the rate of change.

Cause of the ‘Little Ice Age’

A study by UCL scientists just published in Quaternary Science Reviews presents the case that the ‘Little Ice Age’ of the 16th century was in part caused by the mass killing (mostly by disease) of native Americans, leading to substantial forest regrowth and absorption of CO2. CO2 in the atmosphere declined by about 7-10ppm over the century, lowering temperatures globally around 0.15C. The article is “Earth system impacts of the European arrival and Great Dying in the Americas after 1492” by Koch, et al. (forthcoming in March, 2019); a popular (and free) rendition of the content is available via CNN.

Another remarkable example of this effect was the forest regrowth after the Mongol invasions of Asia and Eastern Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries which ‘stockpiled nearly 700 million tons of carbon absorbed from the atmosphere. This is equivalent to the world’s total annual demand for gasoline today.’

Insect Apocalypse

In case anyone has missed it, a recent study in Biological Conservation suggests insect populations are collapsing around the world. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles, and could lead to an insect-free world within 100 years, leading to a nearly complete ecosystem collapse. The Guardian’s reportgives a good overview. (On a tangential, but important, point, a new study has found evidence that an organic diet will quickly and substantially reduce the amount of pesticides in your body.)

Pressure on fast-food chains

Agricultural emissions, including those from meat and dairy, are on track to contribute around 70% of the total allowable greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 that would the keep rise in the world’s temperature under 2C this century.

In a letter to major fast-food chains, a coalition of investors are calling on the firms, which include McDonalds and KFC, to put in place clear requirements for suppliers of animal proteins to report and reduce their greenhouse gases and their freshwater impacts.

Will this lawsuit bring down ExxonMobil’s culture of climate deception?

This article written by the Union of Concerned Scientists highlights how for many years ExxonMobil has lied about its support for climate change denier groups. Not only that, but the company has been deceiving its investors, falsely assuring them that its oil and gas reserves would not become unusable for economic reasons. The New York Attorney General has now filed an important fraud lawsuit against the company.

A third of Himalayan icecap doomed

Campaigners call for transport overhaul to tackle pollution

In this article in The Guardian the campaign group Friends of the Earth has called for an increase in public transport investment in the UK to combat emissions from cars.

Gigantic Cavity in Antarctica Glacier Is a Product of Rapid Melting, Study Finds

‘The cavity is about two-thirds the area of Manhattan and nearly 1,000 feet tall, according to a study released Wednesday by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The hulking chamber is large enough to have contained about 14 billion tons of ice — most of which the researchers say melted in three years.’

Thousands of birds at risk as wetland is threatened by overexploitation

‘Doñana National Park, in Spain, is a crucial stopover point for thousands of migrating birds. However, over-intensive irrigation is threatening these valuable wetlands.’

Lemurs in Crisis: 105 Species Now Threatened with Extinction

‘At least 95 percent of Madagascar’s beloved primates are now at risk, conservationists warn.’

Campaigners accuse Redbridge Council of breaking promise to protect wildlife from lorry through road

‘Redbridge Council has backtracked on its pledge to save birds, badgers and other protected species from a road that threatens to tear through a woodland strip of Fairlop Waters Country Park, campaigners say.’

Endangered sharks being served up in British fish and chip shops, study reveals

‘Hammerhead sharks and dogfish were among the vulnerable varieties on offer in British outlets. Scientists found 90 per cent of products sold as huss, rock salmon and rock eel at chip shops were in fact the globally threatened spiny dogfish.’

Dozens of hungry polar bears have found their way to a remote Russian island in search of food. The polar bears have been feeding off rubbish in a local dump and even walking in to houses, causing a state of emergency to be declared. Experts have been deployed to sedate and remove the bears. Shooting them is prohibited by law. Officials warn, however, that a cull may be necessary to ensure the safety of the local population, if attempts to remove the animals fail.

Regenerative Culture / Good News Stories

Baby tortoises spotted

After more than a century without a single baby tortoise sighting on the Galapagos island of Pinzón, a small group has been spotted. It is hoped that these youngsters may help to pull the critically endangered species back from the brink of extinction. More details here.

New Rewilding Project in Australia

Inspired by rewilding projects around the world, especially in the Yellowstone National Park, an ambitious project on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia will attempt to restore a small pocket of Australia to its former ecological glory.

In total, about 27 of 29 mammal species are believed to have disappeared from the peninsula, including keystone species which help shape the ecosystem.

In Australia, the rewilding movement is steadily gaining momentum with groups like Rewilding Australia advocating for the reintroduction of Tasmanian devils to the mainland. Research suggests that introducing devils to the mainland could help knock cats and foxes off the top-predator pedestal in places where dingoes are culled or are in low numbers.

It is hoped that re-establishing ecosystem structures will be key to curbing Australia’s alarming extinction rate.

Pope Francis offered $1m charity donation to go vegan for Lent

This article in The Guardian details how the vegan campaign ‘Million Dollar Vegan’ has offered to donate money to charity if Pope Francis goes vegan for lent, the 40 day period leading up to Easter in which many christians practice fasting or abstain from types of food such as meat or sweets. The pope is known for his stance on climate change through statements such as:

“Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic [and] political,” he said in his 2015 encyclical. He also told the UN in the same year: “The ecological crisis, and the large-scale destruction of biodiversity, can threaten the very existence of the human species.”

“Now is not the time for speaking politely, or focusing on what we can or cannot say: now is the time to speak clearly… You say nothing in life is black or white, but that is a lie – a very dangerous lie. Either we prevent 1.5° of warming, or we don’t.”

Greta Thunberg, speaking at Davos

Thank you for reading this, our 13th newsletter. We’re super excited about the coming months and what they might hold. We’re also excited to welcome a whole host of new members into the newsletter team. We’re looking forward to our new writers bringing with them some fresh changes in style, tone and format – keep an eye out for changes and improvements in the coming issues!

That said, the team is still far from full-capacity – if you’d like to get involved in helping put together future editions, join the newsletter hivemind by emailing xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

Get in touch with the same address if you have any questions or queries.

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 12 rebels.

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.

For queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters Uncategorized

Newsletter #12 – Spring is Coming!

January 31, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Web version here

Welcome to the 12th Extinction Rebellion newsletter!

January, and with it the process of root-growth and foundation-laying, is coming to an end. As we move into February we’re getting ready to start an exciting new chapter for XR which will see a return to high-profile public actions in the build-up to our International Rebellion in April.

The meta-strategy review process is set to conclude in the next few days and will inform plans for national weeks of action set to take place in late February and late March. In the meantime, rebels won’t be short of things to do. Street parties, event-swarming, and much more are coming up in February (see Upcoming Activity below), not to mention the many regional and solidarity actions which we haven’t even had the time to keep up with!

If you’d like to get involved with making it all happen please see our newly refurbished volunteers page for available roles or get in touch with your nearest XR group.

Check out what’s on near you with our full list of upcoming events, available to view on our website, rebellion.earth/events. If you’re new, or have not already seen it, remember to check out our Campaign Overview Document.

If you’d like to look back through the newsletter archive, you can find it here.

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Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
International Highlights
Announcements
Extreme Weather
Latest News and Data
Recommended Content
Regenerative Culture/ Good News Stories

Recent Activity

Strategy and Structure

After many meetings, a weekend-long feedback session in Stroud, more meetings, a national feedback-session in London, and plenty of online feedback, the Strategy Team is now just a few days away from announcing the overall XR Spring Strategy. Major action in April is guaranteed, but the final strategy document will address questions of what, how, when, and where, along with finer points of tone and nuance.

For more details on the strategy process please see the latest internal newsletter.

If you’re struggling to keep up with internal developments in XR you might be pleased to see that the Mandates Team has drawn a beautiful map of the various Working Groups and sub-groups.

Edinburgh Rebellion Day

XR Scotland kicked off the Rebellion with a creative action on January 25th, otherwise known as Burns Day. Forty Rebels posed as tourists taking a tour of Holyrood, the devolved Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, before occupying the debating Chamber for over an hour. Holding a symbolic Citizens Assembly in the Chamber, the group discussed the climate and ecological emergency and drew attention to the urgent need for a response from the Scottish Government which would be commensurate with the scale of the problem.

No arrests were made, instead the Rebels were peacefully escorted from the Chamber by police through a side entrance to the building where they were greeted by hundreds of supporters cheering and applauding the action.

The Scottish Rebellion has now been organising for several weeks and the occupation of the chamber in Holyrood was an excellent kickoff to future peaceful and impactful action.

Earthstrike

On January 15th Extinction Rebellion joined fellow campaigners in Parliament Square for the launch of Earth Strike, a new movement aligned with XR’s motives and methods. Earth Strike is calling for a globally coordinated international general strike to protest against every national government’s criminal failure on climate action. This also happened to be the day that the Members of Parliament were voting on Theresa May’s Brexit deal, so the square was already crowded with Brexiters and pro-E.U. supporters.

Extinction Rebellion members led an impromptu march of civil disobedience around Parliament Square, marching past parliament and blocking traffic. They chanted the words: “No Brexit on a dead planet! No E.U. on a dead planet!”, underscoring the irrelevance of the media-consuming Brexit saga in the face of the global climate emergency.

Reactions ranged from the completely bewildered to the highly supportive and proceedings concluded with spontaneous singing and dancing in Parliament Square.

See here for footage.

NVDA Training of Trainers – Germany

Three XR UK NVDA Trainers recently instructed fourteen budding Rebels in Germany. Having only started at the end of November in the wake of the London actions, XR Germany already has an impressive twenty-one groups set up across the country.

The three-day training, co-hosted by Skills4Action, an organization which has trained activists in direct action for over ten years, hosted attendees from cities across Germany. Actions are already taking place on the February 3rd with plans being made for April 15th – International Rebellion Day.

We’re looking forward to working increasingly with XR groups in Germany and across the world. Sharing skills and building communities is how we will win.

Korean Coal Protest

On January 24th XR joined Korean civil society groups alongside other UK activists outside the Korean embassy in a show of solidarity against an expanding coal industry in East Asia.

The South Korean Government is one of the top coal power financiers in the world. Financial institutions controlled by the Korean Government are funding huge new coal plants in Vietnam and Indonesia. Despite the Paris Agreement, the objections made by local communities, and President Moon Jae-In’s promises, coal is thriving in Korea.

The protest lasted several hours, and gained coverage from various Korean news networks.

Other Actions:

Stroud:

A community group, including members from XR Stroud, are taking Gloucestershire County Council to court over the award of a £600m incinerator contract.

XR Rebels blocked access to the incinerator early in the morning on January 11th. They also recently spoke up in a Stroud District Council budget meeting.

Cambridge:

Extinction Rebellion Cambridge confronted Cambridge University stating that it is time the University stops investing in and working with fossil fuel companies as well as the banks that fund them.

XR Groups around the country are continuing to hold weekly meetings, climate cafés, and talks on such subjects as ‘Heading for Extinction and What To Do About It.’ Find your local group and see how you can get involved!

Upcoming Activity

First Saturday Street Party – London, February 9th

Saturday, February 9th 2019

Time 11: 30am – 2.30pm

Gather at Dalston Kingsland Station at 11:30am

Extinction Rebellion is throwing a street party in Hackney on Saturday, February 9th, and we would love any Londoners to join us. It will be the first in a series of Saturday Street Parties which will give a platform to local groups to discuss environmental causes that affect their area.

Extinction Rebellion exists to directly address the government’s inaction in the face of global climate and ecological collapse. The day will be centred around addressing local issues within this broader narrative.

The week after the action we will hold one of our ‘Heading for Extinction and What To Do About It’ talks (Monday February 11th, at SET, Dalston Lane, London E8 3DF, time TBD) and will discuss the realities of climate breakdown and the impending sixth mass extinction event.

The Street Party itself will serve as a community-building exercise. We want to bring people together in an act of lighthearted, low-level civil disobedience, with a variety of musical performances interspersed with brief discussion of environmental issues.

Building strong and sustainable community groups will be the basis of this movement. Reaching out to local London communities is the priority of the Street Party and we will emulate the positive change we want to see through our actions.

Come join us in Hackney and help inspire the area to stand up for the environment.

See event page for details.

Bristol Saturday Street Party – February 14th

The week after the first of these Saturday Street Parties is slated to get going in London, XR Bristol will be hosting their first event to reclaim the streets of Bristol in a family-friendly atmosphere. The event will take place on Saturday, February 14th, starting at 1pm, and will be part of a wider day of action.

See the event page for details.

These actions will help set the stage for our International Rebellion in April, where thousands will occupy the streets. We hope to see many more participants in the build-up to the big day!

Disrupting Fashion Week – February 17th

The fashion industry is one of the most culturally influential industries in the world. It is also one of the most polluting and is deeply reliant on agriculture and petrochemical products. It applauds our unsustainable lifestyles and the toxic pace of our waste culture; we should no longer be impressed or enthralled by this.

Is fashion out of fashion? This “business-as-usual” industry is stuck in a tired routine. Couldn’t it be done better, with something other than consumption at its heart?

All cultures need to collectively wrap their heads around the crisis we are in and end business-as-usual. It is time to use the public influence of the fashion industry to build momentum towards this movement of civil disobedience and our International Week of Rebellion in April.

With service and love in our hearts we will disrupt Fashion Week. We will swarm the streets, slow down those racing between shows, and spread the message of Extinction Rebellion. Join us.

Youth Strike for Climate – February 15th

Youth engagement with the climate and ecological emergency is taking off around the world. In the last week we’ve seen 30,000 students across Europe protest by skipping school following the lead set by Greta Thunberg. In Berlin alone, 35,000 took to the streets to demand agricultural revolution.

Children and parents from across the UK will be joining this wave of protest on the February 15th with fourteen locations listed so far and more still to come. This is not an official XR event but we encourage anyone who cares about the future of our children to participate.

International Week of Rebellion – April 15th

You know it’s coming – but do you know if you are? The International Rebellion beginning on April 15th has the potential to be a pivotal moment in world history – we’ll need as many people as possible to be present on the streets and helping to organise. Book time off work – ideally the whole week from the 15th – and share the event on Facebook to make sure that we can bring as many people as possible to participate in what could be humanity’s last and best chance to avert catastrophic damage to the planet.

International Highlights

Without a doubt one of the biggest highlights from around the world this week was the beginning of the Rebellion in the United States.

On Saturday, January 26th, a large black banner emblazoned with the words ‘Climate Change = Mass Murder, Rebel for Life’ was draped over the famous golden statue of Prometheus at the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink. As dozens of people held signs aloft the rink was taken over with several Rebels staging a die-in in the shape of the Extinction Rebellion symbol.

Police had followed hundreds of protesters as they marched from Columbus Circle in New York to Rockefeller Plaza where Fifth Avenue was shut down for a period of at least twenty minutes. Nine were arrested and released five hours later.

This was a critical day of civil disobedience for this movement held with the aim of changing United States government policy on climate change. Leah Francis, an XR organiser in Portland, Oregon, told Rolling Stone, “We are all going to die, and we need to shout it from the rooftops.”

The message was indeed shouted from the rooftops of many American cities on Saturday. A banner with the same message as that in Rockefeller Center was lowered from a bridge in Los Angeles and demonstrations also took place in Washington D.C., Seattle, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay area, the Twin Cities, Philadelphia, Austin, Kentucky, and Denver.

For further coverage of the action see the article inRolling Stone Magazine.

See more photos of actions across the USA here.

Announcements

Fundraising

The fundraising team is thrilled to present our new crowdfunder for the International Week of Rebellion commencing April 15th.

We would also like to share this introduction to fundraising as a local group.

The fundraising team has ambitious targets to support the forthcoming rebellious events and activities. We need any helpers who can seek out and contact potential donors and can manage our ongoing relationships and partnerships. Please contact xr.fundraising@gmail.com if you can spare some time and tenacity!

How to show your support for XR defendants at their trials

Central to XR non-violent direct action campaigns is the willingness shown by some of those involved to face arrest, criminal charges, court hearings, fines, and possible imprisonment.

The legal process is therefore very much a part of XR’s campaigning and many of our defendants are willing to use their hearings in court as a way of publicising the reasons why they decided to act as they did. They may, for instance, issue a ‘defence statement’ for publication, give interviews, etc.

Other XR activists can get involved. Court hearings often start at 9:30 am but may continue for the entirety of a day. One way of demonstrating support for our defendants on the day of their trial is to be outside of the courthouse together between 9:00 and 9:30 am. It is also sometimes possible for supporters to attend the public gallery during the trial proceedings.

We will soon be publishing lists of those trial dates and the times during which the defendants have given their consent for this to happen.

At present we have, that we know of, defendants in Bristol, London, and Manchester. Any defendants with trial dates in other parts of the country, please get in touch. If you are a defendant and would like us to help organise support and publicity on the day of your trial, please contact: xr-legal@riseup.net

XR Blog

XR Blog is always looking for more content. We would love to hear from you, including, but not limited to, diaries from XR actions, science-based pieces on ecological breakdown, political pieces on citizens’ assemblies, or analyses of the toxic mainstream media. XR Blog is a democratic platform for all ‘voices of the rebellion’ – and that means you! We are happy to receive submissions from experienced and inexperienced writers alike.

Additionally we are excited to announce some regular features, new for 2019. Firstly, we have ‘Affinity Group Stories‘ – we would like to hear about the journeys of affinity groups, beginning with their formation, through training and action, all the way to arrest, detention, and trial. We would love accounts from people of diverse backgrounds within AG’s. Please write in with your AG Stories.

Secondly, there is the ‘Children of XR‘ feature – we are already in touch with some great young people who have spoken at XR events and have engaged in campaigns related to XR. This feature will be a regular bundle of news from young people around the world who are based in XR and related movements, particularly the Strike on Fridays movement associated with Greta Thunberg.

Our third feature is ‘The Rise of the Right‘, tracking the relationship between ecological breakdown and resource scarcity with the rise of right-wing populist governments around the world.

Fourth, we are thrilled to announce our ‘XR Write-A-Long‘ feature, which will be an ongoing fiction piece written by all of you! Details to follow soon.

Finally, we have listened to many people in XR who would like to explore and strengthen the ten principles and values which have led us so well already. In response, we will soon be running a regular feature around the P&V, starting with Number One, which is: ‘We have a shared vision of change‘. Send all submissions and enquiries to xrblog@protonmail.com (mailto:xrblog@protonmail.com)

International support team – volunteers needed

The more localised the Rebellion is the more powerful it will become. In the International Support Team there is a focus on supporting national groups and their rebellious activities in order to be as effective as possible. At this stage of the Rebellion there is a lot of work to be done in assisting with the formation of new groups and supporting the national initiators as they recruit more group members and establish themselves as a viable national group. Please contact vejde@riseup.net if you think you can help.

XR Festivals

Thank you all so much for the enthusiastic response to our call for festival contacts. We requested these contacts to enable the XR Festivals Team to maximise our impact at festivals over the summer. We are still trying to open doors at a few key festivals and are again requesting your help. If any Rebel has contacts within the following festivals then we’d love to hear from you so that we can start the dialogue:

Wood, Love Saves the Day, Field Day, OceanFest, BeatHerder, Blue Dot, WOMAD, Boardmasters, Beautiful Days & Vegan Camp-out

Please email us at XR Festivals at xrfestivals@gmail.com – many thanks in advance.

A little further down the line we will also be looking for Rebels to help us deliver our movement-building work at these and several other festivals. More information to come soon.

Local declarations of climate emergency

Across the globe Extinction Rebellion groups are persuading civic authorities to declare a State of Climate Emergency. Visit to find resources which will inspire you to get your local town or county council involved in this action. A critical mass of declared councils will put irresistible pressure on central governments.

Extreme Weather

Extreme weather hit 60 million people in 2018, no part of the world spared (UN News).

Melting Arctic ice is now pouring 14,000 tons of water per second into the ocean, scientists find

Heavy snow brings chaos and death to Austria and Germany

Greenland’s ice melting faster than scientists previously thought – study

Cuba: Three dead, 174 injured in Havana tornado

It could be warmer above the Arctic Circle than in Chicago by Wednesday this week. [And: How frigid polar vortex blasts are connected to global warming.]

‘Code Red’ – Australia is experiencing such high temperatures that bats are dropping from the trees.

Menindee fish kill: another mass death on Darling River ‘worse than last time’: Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young calls for a Royal Commission over water management in the Murray-Darling basin, as the mass fish kills pile up (twitter: ). Hanson-Young claims that the mass deaths are the result of water mismanagement and global warming-induced drought.

2018 was ‘the 4th warmest year on record,’ according to the World Meteorological Office’s report, ‘State of the Global Climate in 2018’. Furthermore, ‘the past four years – 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 – are also the four warmest years in the series.’

Latest News and Data

Greenpeace and Amnesty International unite in push for greater civil disobedience. This is a landmark conference in which two of the world’s largest non-governmental organizations have joined together in the fight against climate and ecological collapse. Also significantly, Extinction Rebellion is cited as one of the motivators for these two organisations to call for an increase in civil disobedience to push for the systemic change we need.

Founders of plastic waste alliance ‘investing billions in new plants’

Nottingham aims to be first carbon neutral city in the UK

Scotland could be net-zero for greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, according to a new report.

Gina Hanrahan, of WWF Scotland said, “It’s crucial MSPs, who are about to start debating the new Climate Change Bill, confront the challenge head on and join the growing number of progressive nations by setting an iconic net-zero target and speeding up the policy action needed to end our climate change emissions once and for all.”

California’s most famous butterfly nearing death spiral

The debate is over: The oceans are in hot, hot water – ‘the oceans are warming 40 percent faster than many scientists had previously estimated.’

Is this a farewell for the Indus dolphin? – ‘The Sindh government [in Pakistan] is planning a pre-feasibility study regarding straightening 180km of the Indus riverbed, falling between Guddu barrage downstream and Sukkur barrage upstream.’

Dahr Jamail’s latest Climate Disruption Dispatch: ‘We Are Destroying Our Life Support System’ – all of the latest horror stories plus an unexpectedly beautiful correspondence with Stan Rushworth near the bottom.

Regenerative Culture/ Good News Stories

Bonding and bridging in London’s poorest borough – George Monbiot writes on how the foundation Every One Every Day has improved the social life for residents in Barking and Dagenham by opening shops on the high streets for people to use as social hubs and “maker spaces”. From working kitchens and sharing tools to creches and chicken schools these spaces give locals hope for future generations.

With the help of 200 volunteers St. Nick’s has been transformed from a landfill site into a nature reserve in the centre of York. The site is now used as a base from which projects and services are run to help the residents of York move towards a sustainable future. The project is now looking to recruit more volunteers.

A court in the Hague has upheld a historic ruling, ordering the Dutch government to accelerate carbon emissions cuts. This ruling will “put the wind in the sails of a raft of similar cases being planned around the world.”

Above and below the Great Australian Bight – a photo essay

Stephen Moss writes in The Guardian about the organisation A Focus on Nature (AFoN), whose mission is: “to connect, support and inspire young people across the UK with an interest in nature and conservation, and provide a voice for the youth conservation movement.”

Investors urge KFC, McDonald’s and Burger King to cut emissionsGermany is set to close all 84 coal-fired power plants and will rely primarily on renewable energy! Coal plants account for 40% of Germany’s electricity; over the next 19 years, Germany will be switching to renewable energy, which will provide between 65% and 80% of the country’s power by 2040.

“Each of my 3 middle school years were the 3 hottest years ever recorded on our planet.” – Jeremy Clark

Thank you for reading this, our 12th newsletter. We’re super excited about the coming months and what they might hold. We’re also excited to welcome a whole host of new members into the newsletter team. We’re looking forward to our new writers bringing with them some fresh changes in style, tone and format – keep an eye out for changes and improvements in the coming issues!

That said, the team is still far from full-capacity – if you’d like to get involved in helping put together future editions, join the newsletter hivemind by emailing xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

Get in touch with the same address if you have any questions or queries.

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 9 rebels.

As our eagle-eyed readers will have noticed in Announcements, we’re now raising funds with a brand new Fundrazr. The mechanism may be new but the facts remains the same; if we’re going to achieve our aims in April, we’ll need money to pay for arrestee support, transport and accommodation for protests, art materials, banners, fliers, personal expenses, etc. The scale of the Rebellion could be limited by the amount of money available.

If you would like to support the Rebellion though other channels, a regular standing order would be perfect (as would one off donations). Standing orders or money transfers should be made to our Triodos Bank Account (Sort code: 16-58-10 Account No: 20737912) in the name of Compassionate Revolution Ltd (the holding company for Rising Up!).

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk.

Any queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com).

Archived XR Newsletters

XR Newsletter Archive #11: Get ready for a green 2019!

January 1, 2019 Published by: Filiberto Heidenreich

Happy 2019, and welcome to the 11th Extinction Rebellion Newsletter!

We’re hitting the new year running, with an incredible number of events happening all over the country. The main theme for January will be the laying of foundations and preparing for the coming Eco Spring, as reflected in the many planning meetings happening regionally and nationally (see Upcoming Activity for more), together with a bumper crop of socials, training events and talks.

That said, things won’t be too quiet on the actions front either: we’ve already seen several solidarity actions over the festive period (see Recent Activity), and are expecting many more between now and mid-February when we’ll be returning to the streets in (non-violent!) force. We’re also looking forward to rebellions in several major US cities at the end of this month – stay tuned!

If you’d like to get involved in making it all happen, please see our newly refurbished volunteers page for available roles.

Check out what’s on near you with our full list of upcoming events, available to view on our website, rebellion.earth/events. If you’re new, or haven’t already seen it, remember to check out our Campaign Overview Document.

If you’d like to look back through the newsletter archive, you can find it here.

Let’s make 2019 go down in history as the year we, the people, changed the game on climate change!

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Contents

Recent Activity
Upcoming Activity
Announcements
Extreme Weather
Latest News and Data
Recommended Content

Recent Activity

Action at Global Coal Resources Annual General Meeting

(Note: Group of men huddled together to the right of the picture are shareholders locked out of the meeting)

On the 28th of December, Extinction Rebellion joined Reclaim The Power to support the Phulbari Solidarity Group and disrupt the Annual General Meeting of Global Coal Mining Resources. The company has been trying since 2005 to begin work on an open pit coal mine in the Phulbari region of North West Bangladesh. By the company’s own admission, the project would immediately displace 40,000 people. Detailed reports of the project have shown that as many as, “220,000 people could be displaced over time as mining operations drain the water from wells and irrigation canals in the area.”FOOTNOTE: Footnote The project could pose a huge threat to some of the world’s largest Mangrove forests, the Sundarbans, listed as a Unesco world heritage site.

“If the mine is built, it would lead to the forced displacement of up to 230,000 people over the 36 year life cycle of the project. It will increase poverty, water pollution and will plunder 14,600 hectares of Bangladesh’s most fertile and productive agricultural land in the region, causing a crisis of food production. It will have a devastating impact on the people and the environment. In return Bangladesh’s government would gain nothing but economic exploitation”, stated Dr Rumana Hashem of Phulbari Solidarity Group.

The three Extinction Rebels who blocked the entrance to the building inside the lobby successfully stopped major shareholders, including GCM’s Head of Corporate Affairs Brian Mooney, from attending the AGM. After standing outside for over three hours with the rest of the Phulbari supporters chanting and singing, the shareholders gave up and decided to leave.

The three arrestees were later removed by police, arrested for aggravated trespass, and charged with £4000 worth of damages. The Rebels were proud to have joined and supported the Phulbari people and will fight the charges with the support of all groups involved.

For more info on the day please read the Phulbari Blog summary, or a personal account from XR’s Tim Jones.

Rebel starts the Year as we mean to go on

On January the 2nd a Rebel in Exeter started the year with a bang, spray painting a Barclays Bank with black powder paint, reading, “Frack Off! #XR”. He was arrested for criminal damage, with a court date to follow in January.

Barclays Bank is notorious for its continued investments in a number of fossil fuels. In the UK, a subsidiary of Barclays Bank is the majority shareholder of Third Energy, a company pursuing multiple fracking operations in Lancashire. Every action we take helps this movement grow stronger, and draws further attention to the climate emergency. We are grateful to Matt, the Exeter Rebel, who was arrested for taking a stand against this twisted system that seeks financial reward in the destruction of our planet.

With Love and Rage, the fight goes on.

Man arrested in Exeter after anti-fracking slogan scrawled on Barclays Bank

First Court dates for November arrestees

Last week, Extinction Rebels attended their first court dates in London and Manchester for actions they took as part of the November 2018 Rebellion. These preliminary hearings were the start of a process that will see the UK legal system seek to punish those brave people for actions they took to draw attention to the climate emergency, and force our government out of its inertia in the face of the sixth mass extinction that is underway. All of us here at XR cannot express enough our gratitude to these people who are dedicated to preserving this planet as it is. Thank you to all of those who have stood up and continue to stand up for climate justice!

The vast majority of those arrested in November, including all those arrested on the bridges, are yet to hear anything about their arrests. We will keep you updated with any news on those who have been charged, and those still waiting to be.

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Upcoming Activity

Preparing for 2019 – XR UK Strategy Meet Up

19th – 20th January

In 2018 Extinction Rebellion went from a handful of people planning in a room to some of the biggest acts civil disobedience in decades. It’s clear why – the climate and ecological crisis is beyond dire – and rebellion is now both necessary and justified.

Thousands of people are now involved and we’re inviting all of you to come to the first UK meet up in London on the weekend of the 19-20th January. The weekend will consist of three things:

1. Take the time to meet each other, and share our stories, hopes and fears. Understand what has brought us all to this point of action. Learn what we are all contributing around the country – this movement requires a lot of work, but we will get there by doing it together.

2. Inputting into the Strategy Process for how we are going to win in April this year. Core teams of XR have been working overtime to develop new ways of working, and coordinating our plans to bring together a dramatic series of mass civil disobedience events during the International Rebellion, starting from 15th April. You can ask any questions and feed ideas into the strategy process via small group discussions.

3. On Sunday we will hit the ground running with training on how to build our movement and learn the many skills which will make us both effective and humane in our plan for system change.

More details will be posted on the event page in the coming days.

Places may be limited so please book soon and bring new people from your local group or affinity group. Everyone is very welcome, whatever your background and relationship with Extinction Rebellion. If you need accommodation in London let us know at info@risingup.org.uk or xrtravel2018@gmail.com. We hope to have places to sleep – but if you can stay with friends then please do so!

In 2019 we have to go from national movement to world transformation – our children’s future depends on it. This is our intention, and are planning for it. We look forward to seeing you on the 19th.

Conscientious Protectors: skilling up for the courtroom, Sat 19th Jan

Legal training session 2:30-5pm, Central London

Polly Higgins & Jojo Mehta of Mission LifeForce will be running this session for XR and other environmental activists wishing to represent themselves in a criminal court using the Freedom of Conscience argument (as a means to ensure the court hears why direct action has been taken). Entry is free; more info HERE. Venue to be confirmed once we have an idea of numbers, so please indicate your interest on the Facebook event page.

First UK-Wide Youth Strike 4 Climate #FFF (Fridays For Future) – Friday 15th February

Supported by XR

The World’s Youth are waking up. Millions of young people are realising it’s now or never and are taking direct action in the face of the climate crisis and ecological catastrophe. Greta Thunberg’s pioneering school strikes in the lead-up to the Swedish elections last year, and every Friday since, have gained worldwide attention. Thousands of students have been doing the same in Australia.

Whether you are at school, college or university, go on strike on Friday 15th February. For some this falls on half term; join the protest anyway, with youth from across the world.

Come down to Parliament Square in London or, if you don’t live in London and would like to organise a similar event in your own city or town, please contact us at: youthstrike4climate@gmail.com

– Register your event here:

Tell the Government you’re prepared to break the rules to make change happen.

If you can help promote this event and the 15th February strike email us. Time is short – take the initiative

For updates, see the event here

International Rebellion Week – April 2019

In November we planted the seeds of our Rebellion; over winter we’ve been spreading roots internationally and across the UK. As spring comes, these seeds will grow into a forest. On April 15th we are calling for a global week of Rebellion, with independent local XR groups taking to streets all over the country to demand decisive action on climate change and ecological collapse.

In the meantime, we’ll be building up with weeks of action in mid-February and mid-March, and a Spring Gathering among many other events around the country. For now, we’re asking people to prepare by booking time off work for the week (or more!) following April the 15th.

More details to come in due course. Please share this with everyone you know. We’ll see you on the streets then, rebels.

We will not disappear.

We will not die off.

We will not give in.

Stay tuned for more information

See Event Page here

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Announcements

Volunteering, Land Support, Festivals and Space

As our movement grows, so too does the number of ways in which people can get involved and help us to achieve our vision of a sustainable future. For this reason, we’re excited to share this new section of the newsletter, where you’ll find requests and opportunities from people across XR.

The most important thing to look at, if you haven’t already, is the volunteering page on our website. Here you’ll find a whole range of positions and roles with descriptions and the means of applying. It’s worth mentioning that the applications deadline for some of these is Friday 11th of January – so if you think you might be interested, go ahead and apply!

Beyond this page, you’ll also find various requests and announcements below.

The Newsletter needs you!

Following the departure of a deeply valued member, and anticipating a much bigger and busier new year, the Newsletter team is currently looking for new members. We’re especially looking for people with experience in writing, editing/proofing, content-sourcing, and html-based design; though enthusiasm for any of these definitely counts!

Time commitment can be as little as a few hours a week, and working remotely is very feasible.

Please email xr-newsletter@protonmail.com if you’re interested.

Regen announcement: Land Support Base and Open Homes

Hello all you lovely XR folk. We have just launched a subgroup of the core XR Regenerative Culture group for the UK under the title ‘Land Support Base and Open Homes’. In Regen we are grateful for all the positive and constructive feedback from the well-being support we have provided on actions. However, we are not resting on our organic laurels!

It’s now time to start looking at a deeper embedded support for our activists and organisers in UK society, especially land-based society, as biodiversity, and connection to the land, are essential for human physical and mental health.

We have lots of plans and intentions long-term, which everyone in XR is welcome to contribute to. For now, the practical focus is on building a spreadsheet of both land-based projects and ‘open homes’ (private homes) across the UK who are happy to provide respite, on a non-commercial basis, to those in XR who need it, be they organisers or front-line activists. Some basic respite training for hosts is in development and will be made available online.

Arrangements with land-based projects may involve some XR members doing a little therapeutic physical work in return for board and food. (A bit like wwoofing, but with more emphasis on recuperation for the activists / less working hours). We are also seeking any land-based projects that can host events or trainings on a non-commercial or bartering / work exchange basis.

Decentralisation of this strategy out to regional and local groups will happen ASAP.

How you can help:

* Maybe you are already sorting out something like this for your local group or area? If you want to get in touch to coordinate with this wider strategy, please do.

* The priority right now is to find people across the UK who are happy to be entered into our spreadsheet of land-based projects and open homes, so that in the lead-up to international rebellion April 15th, we already have a grounded UK network of hosts ready to accept people for rest and psychological prep before April actions. We are especially keen to facilitate city dwellers getting a break in the countryside.

* We are also seeking committed XR folk to join this working subgroup in the capacity of contacting land-based projects and asking if they might be able to help. Significant time on data entry will then be required. If you can spare a few hours per week on an ongoing committed basis, let us know.

If you have any questions, would like to learn more, or contribute to this new Regenerative Culture subgroup, please write to us at xr-landandrespite@protonmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

XR Festivals

Extinction Rebellion Festivals is operational! XR will be a big presence across the UK’s Festivals in 2019, and the Working Group are currently building strands that will match the variety of scales, genres and “feels” of different festivals. The creativity, passion, expression and connection to the land that festivals provide are brilliant spaces for us to train, grow, inform, support and dance together! If you are involved as a key organiser of a festival, or have a contact who is, we’d really like to hear from you. Please, can you email XR Festivals at xrfestivals@gmail.com. We also know there are lots of XR people who have experience & skills from working at festivals who we can work with to massive effect, and we’ll asking about those very soon. Right now though, so that we can manage the right part at the right time, please just contact us with festival organisers and/or those who have contacts for them please ?

XR SPACE SEARCH

We’re looking for an XR community space!

It would be used in a variety of ways; for office and storage space, meeting and training rooms, socials/regen events and growing food (if there’s an outdoor area). Ideally, it will be in zone 1 or 2 and it should be easily accessible on public transport from central London.

If you know of an empty building or one which is available to rent please send the details (address, owner, photos etc.) to xr-spaces@protonmail.com or perhaps you could organise an empty building search with some other XR members and let us know what you find!

Please drop us an email if you want to get more involved in the project.

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Latest News and Data

Save Colne Valley protesters appear at Uxbridge court (January 9th)
The world takes stock of one of history’s worst years of extreme weather
Arctic Reindeer numbers Crash by Half
East Antarctica’s glaciers are stirring
Global warming of oceans equivalent to an atomic bomb per second
Caroline Lucas urges parliament to ‘seriously consider’ tax on meat
UK growers warn of shortages of onions, potatoes and other vegetables after extreme weather decimates crops

Extreme Weather

Indonesia landslide on New Year’s Eve leaves 15 dead and 20 missing
Tropical Storm Pabuk batters Thailand coast
Two drivers killed as west coast battles dangerous weather conditions
The coasts and tidal rivers of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex have several flood warnings in force
Wildlife struggle to cope with extreme weather

Recommended Content

This civilisation is finished, so what is to be done? (and as video)

A lecture/paper presented by Rupert Read, asking what might come after the collapse of our present civilization

Douglas: The first section is a brilliantly clear and incredibly worrying summary of the current climate crisis – the best such analysis I’ve read to date. This is followed by a consideration of what might happen in the very real possibility (now probability, in Read’s view) that we fail to face up to the challenge. Such speculation is certainly bleak, but instead of despair I found that Read’s framing provides all the more reason to fight even harder to save as much as we can of the world we love.

Are we heading for Another Mass Extinction

A BBC radio piece on our understanding of past mass extinctions – and how the current one compares

Painted As The Activist Elite: XR and Elitism

A short, sincere piece in the XR blog contemplating media portrayals of XR from a class perspective

“Everything can be explained to the people, on the single condition that you want them to understand.” – Frantz Fanon

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Thanks for reading this, our 11th newsletter. We’ve got a really exciting few months ahead of us, and we’re looking forward to documenting as much as we can in future issues. Whether at a meeting room, on a street or in the cybersphere, we look forward to sharing with you our fight to save the planet!

If you’d like to get involved in helping put together future editions, join the newsletter hivemind by emailing xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

This newsletter was written collaboratively by a hivemind of 5 rebels.

Can you give financial support to the Extinction Rebellion/RisingUp?

RisingUp! and the Extinction Rebellion will have many costs over the coming months including arrestee support, transport and accommodation for protests, art materials, banners, fliers, personal expenses etc. The Rebellion needs a lot of funding to start in several places across the UK at the same time and to continue into 2019. Indeed, the scale of the Rebellion could be limited by the amount of money available.

If you would like to support the Rebellion financially, a regular standing order would be perfect (as would one off donations). Standing orders or money transfers should be made to our Triodos Bank Account (Sort code: 16-58-10 Account No: 20737912) in the name of Compassionate Revolution Ltd (the holding company for Rising Up!).

Alternatively, if you’re a PayPal user (or more comfortable with PayPal), PayPal payments can be made to info@risingup.org.uk

Any queries contact Dave Nicks (dave.nicks@btinternet.com)