Extinction Rebellion Causes Mass Disruption in London

An Extinction Rebellion protest in November 2018 (Flickr)

Members of Extinction Rebellion in London gathered on October 10 at the London City Airport to protest the government’s inaction regarding climate change, specifically against the government’s target to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Protesters engaged in a sit-in where individuals glued themselves to highly trafficked walkways at the airport, blocking major passageways and halls. The London Metropolitan Police has already arrested 842 people and have started to take drastic measures such as “dragging protesters away from the hall” as they are considered to be a public nuisance. 

Extinction Rebellion is a group of environmental activists who joined together in 2018 in the United Kingdom. The primary purpose of the group is to cause disruption in public spaces in order to pressure their respective governments to act more intensely regarding the question of climate change, specifically biodiversity loss and ecological collapse. 

The overarching mission of Extinction Rebellion is to pressure the government to declare a state of “climate and ecological emergency” and consequently take immediate action to mitigate the climate problem. The group has three main demands of the government: declare a climate emergency, reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2025, and form a citizens’ accountability council to oversee the whole process. In the span of just a year, Extinction Rebellion has spread their influence to more than 72 countries. Many members of Extinction Rebellion said that they are “prepared to risk their liberty to stand up for the planet.” The recent events in London are meant to kick-start a two-week series of civil disobedience protests called “autumn rebellion.”

This “rebellion” also included a large gathering of protesters outside Trafalgar Square in London on October 11, which blocked the entrance to BBC headquarters. Another demonstration that occurred on October 10 was headed by a Paralympic medallist who climbed on top of a British Airways plane, keeping the flight from taking off. In a similar manner, another man, refusing to sit in his seat, delayed a flight by two hours. 

One protester said that “the government is full of empty words, and we need action. And we’re showing what actions looks like”. Another protester remarked, “we have two generations of human civilization left if we carry on doing what we’re doing.” 

Extinction Rebellion and its strong rhetoric against government inaction on climate change marks a significant shift in the public’s engagement with the issue of climate change. The commitment that these protesters display goes to show how central the issue of climate change has become to young people around the world.