REBEL REBEL
What is Extinction Rebellion and what are XR’s demands?
EXTINCTION Rebellion has returned to the streets to London to demand action on climate change.
Following last year's disruptive protests across the capital, the group have returned to stage more peaceful protests following the easing of Covid-19 lockdown.
What is Extinction Rebellion?
Extinction Rebellion describes itself as a non-violent direct action and civil disobedience group.
Its eco-warriors have demanded that the Government declares a climate emergency.
They want politicians to take urgent action on climate change and wildlife declines.
In particular, the activists want the UK to reduce its carbon emissions to "zero by 2025" and do more to "remove the excess of atmospheric greenhouse gases".
On April 15, the environment "rebels" launched a range of attention-grabbing tactics to gain headlines, and prompt politicians into taking action to "avoid irreversible climate change and ecological collapse".
The activists brought parts of busy London to a standstill with widespread demonstrations.
They blocked busy routes around Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Parliament Square and Waterloo Bridge.
The group has warned that 400 activists could sue the Metropolitan Police after they won a legal challenge over a London-wide protest ban.
Police imposed a ban across the capital last month after the eco-warrior's Autumn Uprising action saw more than 1,800 climate change activists get arrested over a fortnight.
The ban was implemented under made under Section 14 of the Public Order Act at 9pm on October 14 and it and lasted until 6pm on October 18.
During that time more than 400 activists were arrested.
Two senior High Court judges ruled the decision to impose the ban, which prohibited any assembly of more than two people, made, was "unlawful".
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What are they aiming to achieve?
On October 7 last year the group launched their plan to "shut down" Westminster with fortnight-long central London protests.
The protests are part of "international rebellion" which aims to cause nonviolent disruption in 60 cities across the world.
On their they write: "The International Rebellion is intended to pressure governments to meet Extinction Rebellion’s demands.
"These actions vary from country to country, but at their core include the same fundamental demands, these are: that governments and other institutions must tell the truth and declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency, must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and must create and be led by the decisions of Citizens’ Assemblies on climate and ecological justice.
"These are the key principles that unite activists across the planet."
MORE ON EXTINCTION REBELLION
What are their three main demands?
The international apolitical network is using non-violent action to persuade governments worldwide to act on climate and ecological emergency.
Here's their three demands in the UK according to their :
- Tell the truth - Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change
- Act now - Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
- Beyond Politics - Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice
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