London has witnessed another grand protest, on Monday, against climate change demanding government to take action. This is after the recent protest this month when a group of activists stripped down to their underpants in British parliament and glued their hands to the glass of the House of Commons’ public gallery.
These activists belong to Extinction Rebellion, a UK based grassroots environmental group. This group’s aim is to draw attention of the masses as well as the authorities towards the climate crisis which is an urgent matter by breaking the law and causing disruption with a ‘willingness to get arrested. Till now, 290 people have already been arrested.
Extinction Rebellion claims their actions are based on research into how to use “non-violent civil disobedience to achieve radical change.” They believe that in order for government to pay attention and act on their demands, a significant number of people have to get arrested.
The group claimed that 10,000 people worldwide signed up as “willing to get arrested” on April 8, 2019. Of those people, over 80% are also “willing to go to prison.” The group holds prison workshops and training sessions to prepare people for what to do if they end up at a police station.
According to the group, research shows that non-violent uprisings involving 3.5% of the public participating in acts of civil disobedience force a political response because they cannot be ignored.
The demands include the UK government to declare a climate change emergency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and starting a citizen’s assembly.
Thousands of activists participated in the protest and blocked many areas of commute as well as in many iconic locations in the country. They held the signs reading “There is no Planet B” and “Extinction is forever”.
The protest can last at least a week. Extinction Rebellion reported that the demonstrations will be held in 33 countries worldwide over the coming days.
At the Shell building near the River Thames, two protesters scaled up scaffolding writing ‘Shell Knows!’ in red paint on the front of the building and three protesters glued their hands to the revolving doors at the entrance.
The protest group also wrote to the British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday addressing their demands and asking for a direct talk. They threatened that their actions will escalate over time if government fails to react.
Last month in March, the protesters from the same group went a step further to demonstrate their concern for climate change. They threw 200 litres of fake blood outside Downing Street.
The climate change protests are a regular phenomenon these days. A month ago, 16 year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg stirred up a mass movement driven by school children. Students skipped their school and came out in streets demanding action against climate change. The movement has spanned more than 100 countries and 1,500 cities.
Image Credits- KTVZ