Welcome to Newsletter Xtra, where all the wonderful rebel actions we couldn’t fit into the main Global Newsletter come to stay. This month Newsletter Xtra brings you rebel reports from France, America, South Africa, Scotland, Australia, Indonesia and more...
4 MAY | Paris, France. 11 rebels chained themselves to the gates of the National Assembly during the vote on France’s Climate Law. The law came out of the Citizens Convention for Climate set up in 2019 by the French President, who said its proposals would be implemented “without filter”.
But of the 149 proposals made by the 150 randomly selected citizens, 90% were abandoned and the rest drained of substance. The law was still passed by 332 votes to 77, with 145 abstentions. XR France said: “It is not an ambitious law. It is not a sufficient law. It is not a climate law. The government shows once again that it’s incapable of taking the necessary measures in the face of the major challenge of our century.”
22 APR | San Francisco, USA. Rebels in cities across the US demand that their President declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency.
22 APR | Washington DC, USA. Rebels deliver cow dung to the White House, emphasising that any climate plan other than zero-emissions by 2025 is bullshit.
27 APR | Waterdal, South Africa. Activists celebrated Earth Week by marching to raise concerns about the many mine quarries in the area that have been deserted for more than 15 years.
5 MAY | Heidelberg, Germany. Rebels blockaded Heidelberg Cement, the second largest CO₂ producer in Germany. The cement industry emits 8% of global CO₂ emissions, twice as much as the whole of Africa.
23 APR | Aalborg, Denmark. “You are cementing climate collapse” was the slogan of 30 rebels who blocked the main entrance of Aalborg Portland, Denmark’s largest CO₂ emitter. The cement manufacturer made a special deal with the Danish government that it could cut emissions by only 30% by 2030 - rather than 70% like everyone else.
7 APR | Rotterdam, Holland. Animal Rebellion Netherlands and XR Rotterdam occupied FrieslandCampina. The giant dairy multinational refuses to acknowledge the harmful impact of dairy on our planet. The placard: “Choose vegetables”.
30 APR | Faslane, Scotland. Three women from XR Scotland attached themselves to giant flower containers and blocked the north gate of the Faslane nuclear submarine base to demand a “Safe Green Future” free from the threat of nuclear weapons and environmental destruction as part of the International Peace Lotus Campaign.
15 APR | Narrabri, Australia. Rebels descended on the Narrabri offices of Santos Ltd, the country’s 2nd largest independent oil and gas producer, to deliver a statement in solidarity with Linda Whitten of the indigenous Gomeroi people who are trying to prevent Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project desecrating and destroying their sacred lands.
16 APR | Czech Republic. Across the country, local groups protested against the dirty banks (especially Ceska Sporitelna and Raiffeisenbank) who exacerbate the climate crisis by lending to the biggest polluters. The actions were part of the global wave of Money Rebellion.
3 MAY | Jakarta, Indonesia. Rebels “congratulate” Standard Chartered bank on funding the Indonesian coal miner, Adaro Energy. At Tabalong on the island of Borneo, Adaro operates the largest single-site coal mine in the southern hemisphere (110,000 tons of coal per day).
27 APR | Tel Aviv, Israel. Rebels entered the offices of Menora Mivtachim investment company with simulated oil tanks and called on them to wake up to the climate crisis. It’s the 4th time rebels have invaded Menora & they’ll continue to until divestments happen.
23 APR | Gothenburg, Sweden. Rebels protest outside the office of SEB to draw attention to the bank's financing of Arctic oil drilling to the tune of €3 billion. In a classic example of banker greenwash, SEB’s website claims “sustainability is about who we are and what we do”.
7 MAY | Washington DC, USA. Rebels smeared fake oil over Wells Fargo and demanded that the bank stop funding the Line 3 tar sands pipeline, which is on indigenous Anishinaabe land in northern Minnesota.
7 MAY | New York, USA. Rebels took part in the Stop the Money Pipeline coalition march on the head offices of BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase. Photos: Erik McGregor
17 APR | Cambridge, UK. Rebels demanded that Barclays and HSBC, Europe's biggest bankers of fossil fuels, tell the truth about their oily investments. Banks have poured trillions into fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement, funding death & destruction.
23 APR | London, UK. A jury found 6 rebels not guilty of criminal damage to Shell’s HQ despite the Judge ruling that they had no defence under the law. Read the inside story of this trial and find out why it’s a landmark for protesters everywhere.
30 APR | Lucknow, India. On her 31st week of climate strike, activist Sarah says: “We need help! We need support! We need Oxygen!”
