{"id":14955,"date":"2020-09-04T15:02:25","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T14:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wilsonjames.co.uk\/riskadvisoryservices\/?p=4525"},"modified":"2021-02-01T12:51:34","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T12:51:34","slug":"the-return-of-extinction-rebellion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wilsonjames.co.uk\/the-return-of-extinction-rebellion","title":{"rendered":"The Return of Extinction Rebellion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cXR\u2019s Back \u2013 Sound the Alarm!\u201d [1]<\/sup><\/a> Environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion (XR) have announced a return to protesting against climate change after months of lockdown.<\/strong> The group gained international recognition \u2013 or notoriety, to some – in 2019 as the group organised several small-scale and large-scale demonstrations in cities across the world, attracting crowds of thousands of protesters and causing major disruption to businesses and transport. London was particularly affected as activists occupied locations across the capital for ten days during April and again during two weeks of global action in October.<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 pandemic may have put a stop to XR events earlier this year, but the activist group say campaigning against climate change is as important as ever. The group has planned two weeks of civil disobedience for \u201cSeptember Rebellion\u201d, with events planned in London, Manchester, and Cardiff. [2]<\/sup><\/a> With the pandemic still ongoing, can their tactics be as effective as last year?<\/p>\n

More than 1700 demonstrators in the UK were arrested during last year\u2019s \u201cInternational Rebellion\u201d and already it seems the pandemic has not dampened the response to this year\u2019s events. The first 48 hours of XR\u2019s September Rebellion campaign has already seen over 200 people arrested in London alone. Hundreds of supporters gathered around Parliament Square on Wednesday 2nd<\/sup> September in the hopes of getting Prime Minister Boris Johnson\u2019s attention as he arrived at the House of Commons. The specific aim of the September Rebellion is to \u201cpeacefully disrupt the UK Parliament\u201d to try to pressure MPs into backing the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.<\/p>\n

The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, or CEE Bill, was launched last month by the CEE Bill Alliance, a group including members of XR as well as members of the Big Ask campaign which successfully led to the Climate Change Act 2008. As outlined on XR\u2019s website, the Bill calls for:<\/p>\n