Rebels young and old join the world’s biggest march for the environment in London.
This issue: Finland’s Storm Warning | UK’s Restore Nature Now | XR Argentina |
Dear rebel,
If people stage a protest but the media isn’t around to record it, can it have an impact? The Restore Nature Now march in London was the world’s largest-ever eco-march, an incredible collaboration between 100,000 activists drawn from 300 organisations, yet media coverage was light, and the BBC ignored it.
Is this the price of prioritising accessibility over disruption? You can find out more about the record-breaking day, and what XR UK will try next, in Action Highlights.
Finnish rebels withstand police violence during street blockades in Helsinki.
There, you can also read about how Finnish rebels staged the biggest disobedience campaign in their nation’s history. Thousands attended multiple street blockades to end ecocidal subsidies. But while the disruption brought precious media attention, it also brought so much police violence that one blockade had to be suspended.
Finally, in Humans of XR we hear from an inspiring rebel in Argentina, a country where dead marine life is washing up on beaches because of seismic testing for offshore oil, and the right to protest against it is being eroded with terrifying speed.
Foxes protest outside the UK parliament during the Restore Nature Now march.
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Contents
- Action Highlights: Finland’s Storm Warning, UK’s Restore Nature Now.
- Action Round Up: Argentina, Colombia, France, South Korea, Mexico, Italy, DRC, Denmark, USA, Australia, Uganda.
- Humans of XR: Clarisa, Argentina
- Must Reads: Post-Capitalism, Climate Homicide, Protest is Cost-Effective.
Action Highlights
Storm Warning Issued
7, 11, 25, 28, 30 JUNE | Helsinki, Finland
Rebels blockade a street in Helsinki. The sign: Rise Up in Rebellion.
Finnish rebels issued their right-wing government with a ‘Storm Warning’ in the form of the biggest act of collective civil disobedience in the country’s history.
Elokapina (XR Finland) hoped to see a thousand rebels turn up, but instead saw around 3000 take to the streets of Helsinki and call for urgent government action on subsidies that are exacerbating the climate emergency.
On five distinct days, protesters turned out to march, set up camp outside the national parliament, and block traffic on some of the city’s busiest roads. They included families, students, and elderly people, city dwellers and rural folk, experienced activists and first-timers, and global icons like Greta Thunberg, who spoke on the parliament’s steps before being arrested for joining a traffic blockade.
100 rebels spend the night outside parliament after police confiscate their tents.
The Storm Warning came with four clear demands of the Finnish government: report all subsidies given out each year; abolish all subsidies damaging the climate and environment; establish a Citizens’ Forum to decide eco-policies; and ensure a just transition prioritising those most affected by climate and ecological destruction.
Finland is not itself a fossil fuel-producing nation, but it continues to grant huge subsidies to fossil-fuel companies, even as it imposes austerity on its population.
The police response was more aggressive than with previous campaigns. On the opening day, rebels slept in front of the Supreme Court with only their sleeping bags to warm them after the police confiscated their tents.
Officers sank to outright violence to clear a traffic blockade on the penultimate day of action. They dragged protesters along the tarmac, pinned them with their knees, put a legal observer in a chokehold, and struck one rebel over the head without provocation. Around 100 rebels were arrested and will be issued with court fines.
Rebels mass outside Helsinki’s Parliament House during the Storm Warning.
The campaign has attracted a lot of media attention, and strong public backing. Filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki sent Elokapina an open letter pledging to cover any fines that might have to be paid after the actions.
Inspired by their Dutch counterparts, Elokapina have been forging stronger links with global XR groups, as well as the international struggle for Palestinian liberation.
Energised by Storm Warning’s large turnout, undeterred by the police crackdown, and determined to make their government take action, Elokapina are now ready to turn up the heat. Their next protest, ‘Boiling Point’, will take place in early September when the national budget is announced.
Follow Elokapina on their website, X, Instagram or Facebook.
Restore Nature Now!
22 JUNE | London, UK
A blue tit soars over the world’s biggest ever march for nature in London.
It was the largest march for nature ever seen! Over 100,000 rebels and other eco-activists marched through central London, delivering a clear message to politicians as they campaigned for a General Election to Restore Nature Now!
The march was not just bigger than The Big One, the 3-day London rebellion in 2023 where attendance was prioritised over disruption. It brought together the world’s largest ever collection of community and environmental groups. Over 300 took part, from the more radical Just Stop Oil to the well-established National Trust.
The march featured Hollywood stars and Amazonian leaders.
Years of preparation by XR UK has made this march a reality. A special highlight of the day was the speech given by Nemonte Nenquimo, an Indigenous activist who won a historic legal battle to protect 2000 square kilometres of Amazon rainforest.
Despite its monumental size, the march was not covered at all by the BBC, with the UK’s national broadcaster deciding to report on a selfie by Taylor Swift instead. Other broadcasters did cover the historic day, but the media exposure was a fraction of a two-person Just Stop Oil action just days earlier.
A butterfly spreads its glorious wings outside the Houses of Parliament.
Despite this, XR UK will continue to stage mass actions that avoid disrupting the public, and limit disruptive tactics to specific targets like ecocidal companies and government buildings. The focus right now is on the Upgrade Democracy action, which will see rebels occupy the royal park outside Windsor Castle to demand a citizens’ assembly on climate.
A special shoutout goes out to the Disabled Rebels team, who met disabled rebels at London train stations with wheelchairs and vegan snacks, guided them along the route, and ensured that the march was the most accessible XR action ever.
Follow XR UK on their website, X, Instagram or Facebook.
Action Round Up
4 JUNE | Buenos Aires, Argentina & Stavanger, Norway: A new Atlanticazo wave has started across Argentina, with protesters marching against offshore oil drilling and seismic testing along the country’s coastline. To mark the occasion, rebels performed an ‘Under the Sea’ dance to homemade musical instruments. Meanwhile, Scientist Rebellion Norway rallied outside the headquarters of Equinor, an oil company planning to drill in the Argentine sea and whose seismic testing is causing dead animals to wash up on the country’s shores. The sea is not for sale!
5 JUNE | Bogotá, Colombia: Rebels march to defend local wetlands against a vast new road that would cross the capital and destroy three precious green areas.
8 JUNE | Toulouse, France: 6,000 opponents of the planned A69 motorway, including rebels, defy a ban on demonstrations to march along its route and block its construction. Police used water cannons, tear gas grenades, and armoured vehicles to try and stop the procession, injuring 20 activists. Locals helped the wounded, gave out water, and allowed protesters to use their gardens to avoid police barricades.
13 JUNE | Seoul, South Korea: Victory! The Supreme Court dismisses charges against rebels after a three-year trial. In March 2021, rebels chained themselves to the ruling party headquarters in response to the passage of a special law allowing construction of a new airport. XR South Korea have vowed to intensify protests against the airport.
14 JUNE | Mexico City, Mexico: 15 Scientist Rebellion activists join Debt4Cimate to protest outside offices of the World Bank to denounce the G7 and call for Global South debts to be forgiven. The G7 uses huge loans from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to colonise the economies of the Global South, forcing nations to extract resources and commit ecocide to stay solvent.
16 JUNE | Bari, Italy: Dozens of rebels and activists with Debt 4 Climate blockade the entrance to the G7 International Media Center, home to more than a thousand journalists from all over the world covering the summit. They condemned the media for its silence as the G7 downplayed the spiralling global climate collapse. One rebel was hospitalised when police pulled at a chain around his neck and suffocated him.
18 JUNE | Nyiragongo, DRC: XR Rutshuru visit a makeshift refugee camp on the outskirts of Virunga National Park where people displaced by the armed conflict in DRC are living. The rebels explained the dire consequences of allowing fossil fuel projects in the region and the need to resist the plans of global oil companies.
22 JUNE | Copenhagen, Denmark: A coalition of rebels and Scientist Rebellion activists blockade the road into Kastrup airport for several hours. Protesters played music, danced, did yoga, and read books. The Kastrup blockades are monthly and part of the Stay Grounded campaign to end frequent flying and ban private jets.
23 JUNE | Connecticut, USA: Six rebels let off flares as they stormed the green of a PGA Tour golf tournament. Play was briefly delayed as police tackled the XR NYC activists, all of whom were wearing shirts that said “No Golf On a Dead Planet”. They were arrested and charged with first-degree criminal mischief.
25 JUNE - ??? | Newcastle, Australia: Blockade Australia returns to shut down the largest coal port in the world! At the time of writing, there have been 27 consecutive actions across 2 weeks causing over 95 hours of disruption, and the campaign looks unlikely to end any time soon. Activists have occupied trains or suspended themselves over the railway that links coal mine to coal port. They are all heroes.
26 JUNE | France, Uganda & Global: Rebels and other activists team up with StopEACOP to launch a global day of action calling on China to end its financial support of the ecocidal pipeline. Rallies were held outside Chinese embassies in 11 countries across 3 continents. In Paris, France (top) activists set up an impressive wooden pipeline in front of their embassy, while in Kololo, Uganda (bottom) police beat the peaceful protesters and arrested 30.
Humans of XR
Clarisa, Argentina
Anti-extractivist campaign in December, 2023 Photo: @espejogalactico
My name is Clarisa, and I’m a socio-environmental activist and environmental engineering student from Misiones, a province in the northeast of Argentina. The Misiones jungle is home to 52% of the country's biodiversity and is now threatened with extinction.
I first became aware of the climate crisis at a very young age. By the time I was 10, I had seen extreme floods, forest fires and the sad reality of native fauna killed by these disasters and extractive corporations. These experiences deeply sensitised me and led me to dedicate myself to the protection of nature.
My work in XR began in 2021 with XR Misiones, where we accompany the indigenous Mbya Guarani people in their struggle against forestry corporations.
I have also been elected XR’s regional liaison for Latin America, responsible for making the voices of the Latin American people heard and expanding our claims, weaving a network of activists around the world.
I am focused on publicising the true impact of the carbon market – a greenwashing strategy of oil companies to continue polluting at the expense of ecosystems in the Global South and the blood of indigenous communities.
In Argentina, not only are we vulnerable to climate, ecological, economic and social crises, but we are also openly attacked from the highest echelons of power. Under President Milei and his ultra-right government, persecution, harassment and violence against activists has intensified, to the point where we are being labelled terrorists. Milei's government utilises highly violent fascist rhetoric that openly promotes hatred and polarisation against those of us who defend the rights of nature.
We have living memory of the resistance to Argentina’s previous civil military dictatorship and recognize the importance of fighting for human rights. However, many human rights organisations still look the other way regarding the consequences of extractivism. We are working to spread the understanding that the struggle for human rights and for the rights of nature are inseparable.
Being an activist, for me, means being a voice for nature that is crying out to be defended. It means protecting Mother Earth with all my being. I do it because the love I have for life is infinite.
To all you brave rebels engaging in non-violent civil disobedience: let us continue to stand firm in our struggle, expand the love we feel for life, and weave greater bonds of community and resistance among the most vulnerable regions.
Every peaceful action we take is an act of resistance against destructive models and an affirmation of our commitment to a liveable and just future for all. Together, we are an unstoppable force, capable of catalysing real, positive change in our communities and beyond. Every step we take is a legacy of hope for future generations.
If you know a rebel with a story to tell, tell us: xr-newsletter@protonmail.com
Must Reads
Two rebels form strong bonds during the blockade of the G7 Media Centre in Italy.
Video: A World Beyond Capitalism: Jason Hickel & Yanis Varoufakis (63 mins)
Economists Jason Hickel and Yanis Varoufakis discuss how capitalism has caused the ecological crisis and how a post-capitalist economy could work in this podcast released alongside a new docuseries about Varoufakis.
Article: Taking Big Oil to Court for ‘Climate Homicide’
Oil companies could be taken to court for homicide. The idea is making waves across the US legal landscape after a paper published in Harvard Environmental Law Review argued that oil companies have been knowingly “killing members of the public at an accelerating rate” and that this fits the definition of homicide.
Article: Protest Movements More Cost-Effective Than Charities
If you have money and want to reduce carbon emissions, the best option by far is to donate to protest movements like Extinction Rebellion! That’s the conclusion of research conducted by Social Change Lab, who found that XR is more cost-effective than top-rated climate charities by a factor of twelve!
Thank you
26 JUNE | Australia: The journalist Julian Assange (right) enjoys freedom after 12 years of confinement for exposing US war crimes. His imprisonment was an extraordinary example of the UK subverting its own laws to appease the US, and his release is an extraordinary example of how people power can shape global events. His wife Stella (left) coordinated a fearless campaign to get him freed.
Thank you for reading, rebel. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.
This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow. We need money for this crucial work.
