It’s Summer 2021. Floods, fires, famine and droughts are happening everywhere we look - from China and Germany, to North America, Madagascar, and India. We’re at breaking point, and world leaders aren’t coming to save us. The change we need will only come from ordinary people - lots of us - taking action.
Join us on the streets of London on August 23rd and make the impossible inevitable.
When: 23rd August 10.00am
Where: Trafalgar Square, London
Can you imagine a different world? A world where people come together to solve the problems we face, that prioritises the wellbeing of all people and the planet over profit?
This rebellion period must engage, mobilise and bring people together to face multiple crises. Mobilisation and outreach will be embedded in everything that happens at this Rebellion, for a creative rebellion that starts big and gets bigger.
Everyone will be invited to the table for our very own Crisis Talks. If our leaders consider holding emergency talks so impossible, we’ll bring people together and do it ourselves. We will occupy spaces to listen and discuss the hard truths: what does crisis mean to you? How is it affecting your community? What can we do?
Tables will be a creative symbol of this Rebellion, embodying the power of Citizens’ Assemblies. They’ll represent the need to come together, talk to each other, and share (whether that’s food or ideas). We want tables to pop up everywhere: in shopping centres, on street corners, in parks, and in every playful and safe way possible.
By focusing on the City of London, the Rebellion will target the root cause of crisis: the biggest financial institutions funding toxic systems that oppress marginalised communities at home and around the world. We’ll bring attention to our new Immediate Demand: Stop all new fossil fuel investment immediately, supporting a just transition. This is a key demand ahead of COP26 this autumn: we demand that our leaders treat the current situation like an emergency.
We’re not building back better - the richest countries have spent $40 billion more on fossil fuels than clean energy since the Covid-19 pandemic.
As we build up to the Rebellion we need help to organise with us at a regional, national or UK level. You can apply for available roles or set up an online CV via the Volunteer website. Contribute your skills and help drive our movement. You can find out about volunteer roles here.
We have a Foundation Programme for new volunteers which aims to give you a thorough grounding in who we are and how we work. You'll receive support, personal connections, a solid understanding of our work and all the tools you need for a flying start!
We will be starting the next Foundation Programme on the 26th July. Also from that date we will be running in parallel a Foundation Programme light for people with just 1-2hrs/week spare, offering essential basics. You don’t need any experience of XR for either programme.
XR UK is working to become a more diverse and inclusive space and we welcome applications from everyone.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for the foundation programme now!
Helping under-represented voices in XR
Do you need funds to help amplify unheard, marginalised or under-represented voices in XR? If you have, or are planning a project to do this, then the Justice Steering Group (JSG) has funding available. Application form with links to further information can be found here. You can select the application date that best meets your project's needs and purpose. These include dedicated rounds for the August Rebellion and COP26 actions.
Donate to defend the Tufton Three
Three rebels now known as the Tufton 3 - Clare Farrell, an XR Co-founder, Prof. Rupert Read, author of ‘Parents for a Future’, and Jessica Townsend, co-founder of Writers Rebel - were arrested for criminal damage at an action outside 55 Tufton Street and will go to court in October 2021.
Their action on 20 September 2020 drew attention to the opaque practices of the right wing think tanks based at 55 Tufton Street and featured speeches from George Monbiot, Mark Rylance and Zadie Smith. Tufton Street is home to the Global Warming Policy Foundation, an institution that has worked tirelessly to undermine public confidence in climate science, and to delay and dilute meaningful policy changes. The notorious climate denial organisation founded by Nigel Lawson actively spreads anxiety about the cost of Net Zero Carbon policies.
Actor Mark Rylance at the Tufton Street Protest [Credit: Kelly Hill]
We’re appealing for donations to cover legal fees, and any excess will be donated to XRUK and Writers Rebel. Clare Farrell said: 'We are so grateful for any support folks can offer, see you on the streets again soon!' The link to donate is here.
Read Jessica Townsend’s blog on the Tufton case here. And for updates subscribe to the Writers Rebel newsletter here.
Camino to COP26: People's walk for the planet
XR Faith Bridge is organising an amazing long distance walk from the heart of our government to the gathering of nations in Glasgow. XR Faith Bridge is an interfaith alliance across a broad spectrum from established religions to those who are spiritual but not religious. A pilgrimage from the centre of UK government in Westminster to the gathering of nations in Glasgow is one that fits naturally within its declared intention of being “united for our sacred Earth”. A vigil will be held in Glasgow for the duration of COP26, when the eyes of the world will be on its leaders.
The route is provisionally scheduled to start on Sunday 5 September in London and end in Glasgow 48 days later. Each daily section is approximately ten miles. You can join for the whole thing or any section. More details here.
Keep up with our campaigns and regions...
Cut the Crap - Free The Press
It’s Summer 2021: Extinction Rebellion is back on the streets. Successful actions at the G7 Summit in St Ives were followed early on June 27 by a headline grabbing dump of 7 tons of horse manure outside the Daily Mail offices in London. The protest initiated a day of action in our Free the Press (FTP) campaign to demand an end to media corruption that supresses the truth from the public for profit. In the afternoon we marched from Parliament Square along the South Bank to News UK offices.
The march had a serious purpose but there was the usual carnival atmosphere with banners, amazing costumes, music and dance as many rebels celebrated the opportunity to meet up again.
XR Fashion Action North's Toxic System Rave on June 27, London
The Truth Trail – Stop HS2 (North) / HS2 Rebellion
From Saturday 26th June to Saturday 3rd July, a diverse group of people from across the country walked the 120 mile Truth Trail - following the north- western section of HS2 Phase 2, from Lichfield to Wigan. The Truth Trail was planned and organised by Stop HS2 (North) with the support of the wider anti- HS2 movement, including HS2 Rebellion and Stop HS2. The Trail was a great success, spreading awareness about the true impacts of HS2 along its proposed route, uniting those who have already witnessed HS2's impacts in the South with those soon to be affected in the Midlands and North of England.
Alan from Wigan, who was part of the Truth Trail, said, “HS2 fails on its own terms. There is nothing sustainable about cutting down woodlands to construct a glorified airport shuttle service, which only the rich will be able to afford a ticket to use.
“HS2 does nothing to help the communities that it will devastate as it races to the next big city. An investment in high speed internet, local transport links, and re-wilding projects would achieve much of what HS2 claims to, and at a fraction of the cost.”
To get involved contact @HS2Rebellion or @Stop_HS2_North on social media.
Insectageddon
On May 24th XR Writers Rebel held their second On the Brink event. This one, called Insectageddon, was about our rapidly vanishing insect kingdom. For those who missed it, here is a link. Watch writers and activists speaking up on behalf of these remarkable creatures without whom life on earth would be impossible. Hosted by novelist Laline Paull, author of The Bees, other participants include Terry Tempest Williams, Jay Griffiths, Simon Bramwell, Dave Goulson, Erica McAlister, Isabella Rossellini, Chloe and Eva Aridjis, Kim Stallwood, and Daisy Lafarge. No insects, no future.
Transport is the largest emitting carbon sector in the UK (27%); much of this is from road transport (91%). The Government, despite its Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP), is intent on bulldozing through its devastating new road building plans - over 4000 miles by 2035, at a cost of £95 billion. By comparison Wales, taking its climate goals seriously, has paused new roads projects. XR Roads Rebellion are a new group and are hosting this webinar on road building and climate chaos.
Just how bad is new road building for nature and the climate?
Why is the government so fixated on EVs while public transport, walking and cycling remain low priority - historically and critically underfunded?
Where is the vision? Where is the comprehensive transport policy, fit for the future?
Where are the regional Citizen’s Assemblies on transport?
Join us on Thursday, 7.0-8.30pm. Bring questions, bring ideas. All welcome. Sign up here.
Cut carbon, not forests
Biofuelwatch, an environmental organisation, is working to protect forests around the world in the Southern USA, Canada, Estonia and Latvia which are being clear-felled to burn in UK power stations as biomass energy, especially in Drax Power Station in Yorkshire. Drax is the UK’s single largest carbon emitter and the world's biggest tree burner. It currently receives over £2million per day in UK renewable subsidies. Biofeulwatch along with the Cut Carbon Not Forests coalition have a launched a new petition calling on the UK Government to stop subsidising the burning of trees in UK power stations.You can sign the petition here. To find out more go to @biofuelwatch and @CCNFUK.
XR Families letter writing project
Here’s something you can do to fight the climate crisis that is quick, free and you don’t have to leave home. Write a letter to the trustees of the Science Museum asking them to pressure the museum to drop Shell as a sponsor. Ask your child to write a letter too, or draw a picture. The trustees, who are elected to govern the museum, are all trusted scientists. Let’s ask them to speak up for our kids' future by speaking out against the Shell sponsorship. Their head, Mary Archer, is a mother and grandmother. Surely she wants her grandchildren to have a livable future? Let’s ask her to take action to protect all children from climate breakdown. Tweet her @MaryDArcher. Email the trustees and share your letters on social media: #ShellOut.
Letters to the Earth
And while we’re on the subject of writing, Letters to the Earth will be taking children’s letters to the Palace of Westminster on 8th September. They plan to have them exhibited, read aloud and printed in the press so as to put pressure on those in power to act for the future of our young. Letters for the Earth began in February 2019 in collaboration with Culture Declares Emergency, when the British public were invited to put pen to paper and write a creative response to the climate and ecological emergency. Since then thousands of letters have poured in from all over the world - from 4 year olds to great grandparents, artists, scientists, nurses. If you want your Letter to be part of this story or know someone else who does, go here for inspiration and more details on how to submit. Deadline 31 August 2021. Find out more here.
Website news
XR UK is now posting its own news bulletins on the website. We often get sensational coverage in the media -- indeed that is part of our success -- but the billionaire press has a habit of misrepresenting or skewing what we are doing and why we’re doing it. So from now on we’re going to do it for ourselves. So to keep current check out the website: https://extinctionrebellion.uk/news/
Finally...
The UK newsletter needs you!
As the UK newsletter ramps back up again, we're in search of new people to help us put together news items and stories around the movement. If you have writing, editing or web design skills, we'd love to hear from you.
Our regular UK Newsletter aims to be representative of the whole movement and its local and regional groups. So, please send in your news items, feedback and comments. You can email us, or join our channel on Mattermost: UK Emails and Newsletter Requests. We're flexible about style and content, but generally a news item should be about 150 words, have a heading of under 8 words, a link/hashtags, and an optional photo or graphic. Go for it!
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![Actor Mark Rylance at the Tufton Street Protest [Credit: Kelly Hill]](https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/565/329/original/MarkRylance02-1024x731.jpg "Actor Mark Rylance at the Tufton Street Protest [Credit: Kelly Hill]")
