Extinction Rebellion activists and dozens of other environmental groups have vowed to “step up campaigns in new and inventive ways” unless the government agrees to enter talks on two new demands.
During a joint news conference today, Extinction Rebellion, Global Justice Now, Don’t Pay UK and PCS Union issued two new demands.
They want ministers to end all licences, funding and approval for new fossil fuel projects and to create “emergency citizens assemblies” to tackle the climate crisis.
They said they are bringing together over 200 organisations and additional community groups for a mass gathering in London this weekend.
“We must unite to survive,” said Marjin van der Geer from Extinction Rebellion.
If the government does not respond to their demands by 5pm Monday 24th April, they said they would have “no choice” but to call on all those attending over the weekend to step up their protests.
The escalated protests would take three forms, they said, which include joining picket lines “in solidarity” with strikers and organising locally. They also threatened “to disobey”, keeping any further details on how they would do this under wraps.
The threat has raised fears for the London Marathon, which takes place this Sunday, following a string of high-profile event disruptions by environmental campaigners.
In just the last week the Grand National was disrupted by Animal Rising activists, protesting the “gamble” with horses’ lives, and a Just Stop Oil campaigner covered a snooker table with orange dye at the world championships.
At the start of the year Extinction Rebellion announced they would change their tactics to “prioritise attendance over arrest and relationships over roadblocks”, shifting away from disruptive tactics such as gluing themselves to trains.
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