Extinction Rebellion has planned another climate protest, with the latest action scheduled during London Marathon Week. This four-day-long protest is predicted to be the largest ever UK climate protest, with up to 30,000 protestors.
The protest, nicknamed "The Big One," is scheduled to take place between Friday 21st of April, and Monday 24th of April 2023. During the fourth week of April 2023, this protest is expected to take place in the Capital, Parliament Square. Further, this protest has been organised by Extinction Rebellion and will involve nearly 200 environmental and social justice groups. These additional groups will be supporting the cause alongside Extinction Rebellion.
The scheduled mass climate protest is a reactionary response to over forty green groups (including Greenpeace) demanding that the UK government stop supporting the fossil fuel industry. These multiple environmental groups are calling for ministers to stop approving oil, gas, and coal projects, as well as terminating the issuing of new licenses. The environmental groups also rallied for the government to set up emergency citizen assemblies so that the electorate can decide how to finalise the "Fossil Fuel Era" in the fairest and most efficient manner.
Moreover, concerns have been raised over Rishi Sunak’s climate policy and actions since becoming Prime Minister in October 2022. The distress expressed by these climate activists serves to question the UK’s commitment to resolving climate change.
In March 2023, the UK government admitted that its net zero strategy would not cut greenhouse gas emissions enough to reach its targets, and therefore the policy would fail.
If environmental policy isn’t altered for climate conservation and protection, activist groups such as Extinction Rebellion have promised further action. The action mentioned by environmental activists refers to joining workers' strikes to protest for fairer wages and working conditions.
This protest is scheduled to cause "logical disruptions" for London citizens, visitors, or those attending the marathon over the next four days. However, Extinction Rebellion has clarified that this protest is designed to be peaceful and shouldn’t interfere with those running in the marathon on Sunday. Regardless, the marathon’s organisers have recommended that spectators avoid the Capitol.
In 2019, Extinction Rebellion held a climate protest in the UK that brought London to a standstill. Although the 2019 protest had large effects on the city of London, the upcoming protest is scheduled to be much bigger, with more protestors, more organisational groups, and a larger timeframe.
Extinction Rebellion engages in civil disobedience with the hope of receiving political or social justice. The group has threatened the government with this "unprecedented" amount of chaos if it doesn’t end its relationship with the fossil fuel industry.
At the end of 2022, Extinction Rebellion claimed that they would no longer be engaging in protests through civil disruption. Instead, the global environmental movement wanted to focus on building alliances with other organisations, hoping to unite the masses as much as possible.
Marjin van der Geer has been working with Extinction Rebellion since October 2018 and is currently working as an external coordinator for Extinction Rebellion. When questioned about the upcoming protest occurring in London, she claimed that "we must unite to survive."
I want to thank my editor for all his counsel and assistance with my writing and editing. I am very appreciative of all the help that he has provided, which has allowed my articles to come to life. His account on ‘The Social Talks’ is linked below:
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