Extinction Rebellion

Last week I went to an Extinction Rebellion (XR) meeting for the first time! It was a last-minute, spontaneous, "why not?" thing. I'd just got off the train on my way back from work when a friend I was chatting to on Messenger suggested I come along to an XR meeting, at a coffee shop in town at 6pm. I had just got to town and 6pm was only 40 minutes away, and I was only going to go home and watch a film or something, so I thought I might as well - I'd been planning on going to a public meeting on August 13th to find out more anyway. So I went and got a sandwich from Pret's (too hot and not enough time for a hot meal) and went to find the coffee shop.

(For anyone who isn't really sure what/who Extinction Rebellion is, it's a socio-political grassroots movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to protest against climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of societal and ecological collapse, and wants to rally worldwide support around a common sense of urgency to tackle these issues.)

The meeting was easy to spot from the Extinction Rebellion sign on an outdoor table. I was the first person there and checked with the two XR people - a woman in her 20s and a man in his 70s - that it was okay for me to join in as a non-member. They were happy to welcome me, saying it was just an informal thing. My friend arrived a minute later and soon more people came along. There were about 11 people in the end, and everyone seemed really nice and friendly, it was great to be around other like-minded people who cared about the things XR stands for. I've always loved nature and the environment and I hate what we're doing to this planet, but I haven't really met anyone before with whom I can talk about that kind of thing, who also share my concern and passion for it. It was a calm environment, just people chatting normally, but for me it was so energising, and within a very short space of time I knew I definitely wanted to be a member and do what I can to contribute, and I went home and signed up online. They have several working groups people can join if they wish - something like 'Action, Logistics, & Arts', 'Regenerative Culture', 'Media & Messaging', 'Outreach, Community & Training', 'Lobbying & Advocacy', 'Science & Research', and 'Fundraising & Finance'. I liked the sound of the Regenerative Culture one, which is a sort of wellbeing support group, making sure everyone is taking care of themselves.

In case anyone is concerned, I have no intention of doing anything that may lead to my being arrested. People can get involved to whatever extent they wish, so not everyone goes to the actions, and the protesters who do get arrested are all volunteers, they are willing to be "arrestable". XR always let the police know in advance what they plan to do, where and when, and the police warn protesters before they start making arrests so that anyone who doesn't want to be arrested can leave. Also, few XR arrests have led to charges. In the experience of the XR members at the meeting, the police generally have goodwill towards them, don't want to arrest them, and are there more to protect XR from the general public than to stop XR causing trouble. They said they've felt perfectly safe when surrounded by police, but the most difficult thing about protesting is dealing with the emotion of some members of the general public, i.e. people getting annoyed or angry at them. Some people don't agree with what they're doing, that they shouldn't break the law and cause disruption for people just going about their daily business, and take up police time.

I understand that, and protesters aren't indifferent to the fact that they're causing inconvenience or upset; they're doing this because they care about people, about humanity, so it's tough for them knowing that their actions may disrupt people's lives in one way or another. But scientists and environmentalists have been trying for decades to make people listen to their warnings about climate change, and have been mostly ignored, and now it's very nearly too late. My friend summed it up perfectly: "You can't achieve anything if people aren't willing to look at what's going on. That's a large part of what XR is, it's making people aware. If they won't pay attention without insistence, then insistence is justified." XR aren't violent, just disruptive.

If we look back to the big movements of the past, and their leaders who we now regard as heroes, they generally weren't liked at the time either, they were often hated and persecuted, and it's only later that we realised that what they were fighting for was a good thing: the slave trade abolitionists, the Suffragettes, Ghandi, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, etc.

This time, it's about the future of the entire human race, all the other species we share the Earth with, and this one planet that is our only home. Everyone, every single person, is going to have to do things they don't feel like doing and give up things they'd rather not give up. Not in five or ten years time, but now. Or humanity faces extinction. That is not an exaggeration. Animals and biodiversity and environments and fellow humans are already suffering, and unfortunately it's going to get worse before it gets better. People need to look outside of the comfort zones of their daily life and look at the bigger picture, and take action for the greater good, even if it's inconvenient. Direct action (non-violent) and civil disobedience - rebellion and revolution - is needed. The people in power, governments and big businesses, will have no choice but to take notice if enough people demand it.

I could spend more time on this and think of more things I want to say, but I need to practice writing shorter posts (not that this is exactly a short one) and just getting down what's on my mind at the time. I can write other things at other times.

I've had strong views about these sorts of things for a long time, but I haven't been brave enough to voice them or do much about them. I haven't even done things like share posts I see on Facebook. It's high time I start, and I'm glad to have finally found a group of people who feel the same as I do, and I can get involved. #RebelForLife