Extinction Rebellion protesters in London. (Photo: Jess Nyman, Twitter)
Apr 15, 2019
Activists across Europe blocked off major streets and public areas Monday as they called for immediate action from world leaders to deal with the climate crisis.
The movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), is holding protests across the world from April 15 to 22 for an "International Rebellion" against a climate crisis that is escalating rapidly.
Importantly, XR stresses that it "doesn't rely on false positivity or hope."
A London protester bemoaned the fact that she found it unlikely she'd have children due to the climate crisis.
"One day I want to have kids," said the woman protester. "But I don't think I can. I don't see a future that's livable at the moment."
\u201c"Climate fears stopping me from having children."\n\nA woman at the Extinction Rebellion protest in London says she doesn't think she will have children because she worries the planet won't be "liveable".\n\nActivists block parts of London, latest here: https://t.co/KltZLRbmyd\u201d— Sky News (@Sky News) 1555335155
"XR communicates precisely about the climate emergency we face and then asks people to act accordingly," said the group in a statement announcing the week's action. "It's working."
The protest movement was endorsed by writer and activist George Monbiot in a Guardian column Monday.
"The time for excuses is over," wrote Monbiot. "The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun."
\u201c\u201cNo one is coming to save us. Mass civil disobedience is essential to force a political response.\n\n The time for excuses is over. The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun.\u201d -\n@GeorgeMonbiot\n#ExtinctionRebellion #schoolstrike4climate \n https://t.co/UDaCut9FBE\u201d— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1555327864
That militant posture is leading to real actions with real consequences.
In London, protesters shut down the Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus with marchers and floats.
\u201c#ClimateChange protesters from #ExtinctionRebellion block London\u2019s Oxford Circus with boat as part of city wide protest. Protesters attaching themselves to boat. Protests at marble arch, Waterloo Bridge, parliament square as well.\u201d— Michael Holmes (@Michael Holmes) 1555323124
\u201c#ExtinctionRebellion have just blocked Waterloo Bridge to traffic. Still open to pedestrians and cyclists [ro]\u201d— BBC Radio London Travel (@BBC Radio London Travel) 1555319894
Swedish protesters held a die-in to occupy the country's Parliament.
\u201cSwedish Parliament right now #InternationalRebellion\u201d— Extinction Rebellion Sverige (@Extinction Rebellion Sverige) 1555323038
The Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin was shut down by protesters as well.
\u201cThe Oberbaum Bridge, an important connection across the Spree river in central Berlin, is completely blocked by about 200 activists of #ExtinctionRebellion\u201d— Malte Kreutzfeldt (@Malte Kreutzfeldt) 1555338821
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Activists across Europe blocked off major streets and public areas Monday as they called for immediate action from world leaders to deal with the climate crisis.
The movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), is holding protests across the world from April 15 to 22 for an "International Rebellion" against a climate crisis that is escalating rapidly.
Importantly, XR stresses that it "doesn't rely on false positivity or hope."
A London protester bemoaned the fact that she found it unlikely she'd have children due to the climate crisis.
"One day I want to have kids," said the woman protester. "But I don't think I can. I don't see a future that's livable at the moment."
\u201c"Climate fears stopping me from having children."\n\nA woman at the Extinction Rebellion protest in London says she doesn't think she will have children because she worries the planet won't be "liveable".\n\nActivists block parts of London, latest here: https://t.co/KltZLRbmyd\u201d— Sky News (@Sky News) 1555335155
"XR communicates precisely about the climate emergency we face and then asks people to act accordingly," said the group in a statement announcing the week's action. "It's working."
The protest movement was endorsed by writer and activist George Monbiot in a Guardian column Monday.
"The time for excuses is over," wrote Monbiot. "The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun."
\u201c\u201cNo one is coming to save us. Mass civil disobedience is essential to force a political response.\n\n The time for excuses is over. The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun.\u201d -\n@GeorgeMonbiot\n#ExtinctionRebellion #schoolstrike4climate \n https://t.co/UDaCut9FBE\u201d— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1555327864
That militant posture is leading to real actions with real consequences.
In London, protesters shut down the Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus with marchers and floats.
\u201c#ClimateChange protesters from #ExtinctionRebellion block London\u2019s Oxford Circus with boat as part of city wide protest. Protesters attaching themselves to boat. Protests at marble arch, Waterloo Bridge, parliament square as well.\u201d— Michael Holmes (@Michael Holmes) 1555323124
\u201c#ExtinctionRebellion have just blocked Waterloo Bridge to traffic. Still open to pedestrians and cyclists [ro]\u201d— BBC Radio London Travel (@BBC Radio London Travel) 1555319894
Swedish protesters held a die-in to occupy the country's Parliament.
\u201cSwedish Parliament right now #InternationalRebellion\u201d— Extinction Rebellion Sverige (@Extinction Rebellion Sverige) 1555323038
The Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin was shut down by protesters as well.
\u201cThe Oberbaum Bridge, an important connection across the Spree river in central Berlin, is completely blocked by about 200 activists of #ExtinctionRebellion\u201d— Malte Kreutzfeldt (@Malte Kreutzfeldt) 1555338821
Activists across Europe blocked off major streets and public areas Monday as they called for immediate action from world leaders to deal with the climate crisis.
The movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), is holding protests across the world from April 15 to 22 for an "International Rebellion" against a climate crisis that is escalating rapidly.
Importantly, XR stresses that it "doesn't rely on false positivity or hope."
A London protester bemoaned the fact that she found it unlikely she'd have children due to the climate crisis.
"One day I want to have kids," said the woman protester. "But I don't think I can. I don't see a future that's livable at the moment."
\u201c"Climate fears stopping me from having children."\n\nA woman at the Extinction Rebellion protest in London says she doesn't think she will have children because she worries the planet won't be "liveable".\n\nActivists block parts of London, latest here: https://t.co/KltZLRbmyd\u201d— Sky News (@Sky News) 1555335155
"XR communicates precisely about the climate emergency we face and then asks people to act accordingly," said the group in a statement announcing the week's action. "It's working."
The protest movement was endorsed by writer and activist George Monbiot in a Guardian column Monday.
"The time for excuses is over," wrote Monbiot. "The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun."
\u201c\u201cNo one is coming to save us. Mass civil disobedience is essential to force a political response.\n\n The time for excuses is over. The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun.\u201d -\n@GeorgeMonbiot\n#ExtinctionRebellion #schoolstrike4climate \n https://t.co/UDaCut9FBE\u201d— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1555327864
That militant posture is leading to real actions with real consequences.
In London, protesters shut down the Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus with marchers and floats.
\u201c#ClimateChange protesters from #ExtinctionRebellion block London\u2019s Oxford Circus with boat as part of city wide protest. Protesters attaching themselves to boat. Protests at marble arch, Waterloo Bridge, parliament square as well.\u201d— Michael Holmes (@Michael Holmes) 1555323124
\u201c#ExtinctionRebellion have just blocked Waterloo Bridge to traffic. Still open to pedestrians and cyclists [ro]\u201d— BBC Radio London Travel (@BBC Radio London Travel) 1555319894
Swedish protesters held a die-in to occupy the country's Parliament.
\u201cSwedish Parliament right now #InternationalRebellion\u201d— Extinction Rebellion Sverige (@Extinction Rebellion Sverige) 1555323038
The Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin was shut down by protesters as well.
\u201cThe Oberbaum Bridge, an important connection across the Spree river in central Berlin, is completely blocked by about 200 activists of #ExtinctionRebellion\u201d— Malte Kreutzfeldt (@Malte Kreutzfeldt) 1555338821
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.