Extinction Rebellion newsletter

View web version (Recommended) The Declaration has been made - countdown to action begins RESPECT EXISTENCE OR EXPECT RESISTANCE Welcome to the 7th Edition of the Extinction Rebellion Newsletter. If you’ve just found us, take a look at what we’ve been up to so far by visiting the Newsletter archive here.   Joining us from outside the UK? Sign up to our international website Contents Declaration of Rebellion  Rebellion Day Prepare for the Rebellion Whitelist our emails Appreciation piece - Ende Gelande Latest News and Data Extreme Weather Suggested Reading and Viewing DECLARATION OF REBELLION The Extinction Rebellion has officially begun   Wednesday 31st October saw over one thousand people come together for the Declaration of Rebellion. We stood in the face of all that we see wrong with our current system. The day was an uplifting gathering of hearts, minds and faiths. We amassed in Parliament Square beneath the statues of great practitioners of civil disobedience, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Millicent Faucett. Powerful speeches that addressed our collective dismay at the state of environmental destruction, and willingness to rebel in these conditions, were heard from an array of speakers. Mainstream political support was seen with MP and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, Green MEP Molly Scott Cato, and prominent Labour MP Clive Lewis speaking up for the Rebellion’s demands and against the continuing institutional failures to tackle climate breakdown. Campaigner Donnachadh McCarthy and journalist George Monbiot raised their voices in anger and grief at the devastation of the natural world within their lifetimes – Humanity having recently been shown to have wiped out 60% of animal populations since 1970. The response to these appalling consequences was made clear by the words of 15-year-old environmentalist Greta Thunberg, “To me almost everything is black and white. There are no grey areas when it comes to survival.” While tears were shed, with Extinction Rebellion wreaths laid on the ground to commemorate those who have already died because of environmental destruction, the overwhelming sense of the day was one of solidarity and purpose. With everyone engaged in the need for civil disobedience, Dr Gail Bradbrook, a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, then invited those in attendance to join her on the road outside Parliament. With a consensus among all those at the rally, the peaceful Declaration continued in the form of an occupation of the road for over two hours; made up of speeches, songs, and chants shaming the UK government’s inertia in the face of the climate emergency. Fifteen arrests took place in the process, including ex-serviceman Steve Masters and speaker Donnachadh McCarthy when they refused to break their peaceful protest outside Parliament. The message was clear: WE’VE HAD ENOUGH. The resolve among the crowd was determined, and the events of a day for which no permission was sought, demonstrated the power we have in numbers. This was a strong marker from which we will continue to build. Another 15 Affinity Groups have been formed since Declaration Day, with talks and workshops continuing around the country. The numbers attending the upcoming actions are growing with each passing day, and we hope you join us between the 12th and 25th November for the Rebellion. The time is here. If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN? People from all backgrounds and walks of life standing side by side and declaring rebellion in unison was a powerful and inspiring thing to behold. This rebellion will be fuelled by respect and love and the fear that our civilisation is teetering on the edge of an abyss - Narj, Conscientious Protector Watch George Monbiot's Speech in the middle of the road Join our London Office team! Rebellion Day 17th November 2018 This is going to be big. We are organising a day of mass public civil disobedience in London. We will have briefing stations where first time attendee rebels will be given necessary information for the day and some information on nonviolent discipline. These groups of attendees will then be taken to an affinity group who will have an assigned spot in London to block. This means that we can rapidly integrate new people into the disruption and that we can spread all across town in a tactic known as swarming. The benefit of this is that the police cannot kettle (encircle and arrest) people that are dispersed and moving. We will maximise the levels of disruption. Affinity group co-ordinators will be contacted with more information soon. Organise travel from your area to be in London the night before and ready to be at Parliament square early on Saturday 17th November so that others in your area can get involved even if they haven't had the Non Violent Direct Action training. If you need accomodation please fill out this form. Groups are encouraged to do actions in their own towns and cities if they cannot attend. Time to shutdown London and focus on the issue of our time. Please contact us via any one of our online outlets to join us on this journey - extinctionrebellion@risingup.org.uk - Website - Blog - Twitter   Join our social media amplification on Whatsapp to help get the word out! REBELLION ON WHEELS - HAVE YOU GOT A VEHICLE TO SUPPORT IN LONDON? SIGN UP HERE TO BE A STEWARD ON 17th  Prepare for the Rebellion With only a week to go until actions kick off in London, we have some key new information to share with affinity groups. We have a new document containing the information you need to 'Prepare for the Rebellion' - PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR AFFINITY GROUP MEMBERS The key points are 1) To sign up for accommodation 2) To contact xr-nvda@protonmail.com if your affinity group coordinator has not received the action templates (or with any queries you have) 3) To let us know when you are coming for the actions 4) Contact your local media 5) Sign up for art materials Key Docs Reminder  Wellbeing Bundle Affinity Group Pack Having a criminal record XR Handbook Legal Briefing Likely Charges More info available at: https://www.risingup.org.uk/nvda-handouts   KEY INFO FOR AFFINITY GROUPS - CLICK HERE PLEDGE TO REBEL Whitelist our Emails Make sure our emails don’t get marked as spam: For some reason, email services such as Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, and Gmail - and other smaller services - occasionally decide that all email sent from risingup.org.uk is spam. We suspect it has to do with errant users marking their order emails as spam - please people, don’t do that. To ensure you get emails from us, please set up a filter for the word “risingup” or put *@risingup.org.uk in your address book or whitelist — whatever you need to do to ensure they don’t get marked as spam. Can you help with financial support? Appreciation piece The growth of the Extinction Rebellion has only been possible because of the multifaceted years of work that have been done in the name of protecting the earth. We are appreciative of every person who has made this rallying cry, and each week we will show our appreciation for campaigns and actions in the history of environmentalism that we are building on. Without these moments before us, it would not have been possible to have grown at the rate we have. This week, we begin our narrative with this year’s Ende Gelände action from the 25th - 29th October 2018. A movement that in a matter of years has grown from 12 to 6,500 people. The level of organisation that categorised the action was a marker that we are now all working to achieve and surpass. With over 2,500 people successfully blocking the tracks that supply RWE’s power plant with lignite or brown coal, the action was an overwhelming success. This was in spite of concerted efforts by the Polizei to sabotage the action by closing down the initial sight of the Ende Gelände camp and churning up the soil on Tuesday night to make any return impossible. Within two days, a back-up site was found, and the camp rapidly prepared for the thousands who were coming to attend training on Thursday and Friday before the action on Saturday. People from all over Europe eager to engage in non-violent direct action came to the camp. A train was organised from Prague, coaches came from Copenhagen, with others making their own way from France, Spain, the UK, Poland and many more. The comprehensive training that prepared everyone to overcome the police presence and occupy the train tracks for over 24hrs was awe inspiring. Despite the Polizei diverting the legally approved route of the Ende Gelände march, the action was a storming success. RWE is Germany’s second largest energy provider, owning Germany’s largest opencast coal mine, that has destroyed 90% of the historical Hambacher forest in the last 40 years. Shutting down the operation of such a powerful company, that was supported by a well prepared Polizei presence, spoke unequivocally of the power that we have when coming together, knowing what we want, and preparing to achieve it. We can achieve remarkable things together, click hereto see how it’s done. Working with XR! Latest News and Data:    15 Extinction Rebels arrested at civil disobedience campaign in London   Five countries hold 70% of world's last wildernesses, map reveals   1.2 million UK homes at risk of flooding as sea levels rise