OCT | SOUTH AFRICA
Rebels protesting in Johannesburg on 9 October.
South African rebels have mounted a number of protests against Standard Bank South Africa, the continent’s biggest lender. Standard Bank is helping to finance a 1,443km crude oil pipeline through Uganda and Tanzania. If built, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) would be the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world.
A broad coalition of African and other organisations are fighting the pipeline. In a powerful letter, they highlight the displacement of entire communities, impacting up to 14,500 farms in Tanzania alone; risks to fresh water sources including Lake Victoria, which supports the livelihoods of more than 30 million people; degradation of habitats of African elephants, eastern chimpanzees and lions; and the climate impact of the 216,000 barrels of crude oil expected to be carried daily by the pipeline, resulting in CO2 emissions of 33 million tonnes a year.
Rebels build a symbolic oil pipeline through a Cape Town branch of Standard Bank.
1 NOV | RWANDA
Members of XR Rwanda pose with high school students after a sharing session on Covid-19. The session emphasised safety guidelines and lessons learned during the pandemic.
23 OCT | ZAMBIA
XR Zambia rebels march to raise awareness of Covid-19 and the climate emergency.
24 OCT | GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Activists from XR University of Goma walk through parts of the city to raise awareness of the risks of Covid-19 and distribute masks.
26 SEP | SRI LANKA
Sri Lankan rebels protesting on Global Day of Climate Action.
“Our ancestors lived for thousands of years on this land as a part of the ecosystem, they respected nature and the wildlife. What we call development today by destroying all forests, killing our wildlife, and scraping our land for all its resources will only make life more difficult for future generations.”
8 OCT | NEW ZEALAND
In a big win for New Zealand climate action, the country’s annual Minerals Forum was cancelled because of planned Extinction Rebellion protests, following on from the disruption rebels caused last year.
On 12 October, rebels blockaded the Rotowaru Opencast Coal Mine on New Zealand’s North Island, operated by Bathurst Resources.
5 NOV | PERTH, AUSTRALIA
Support for XR Western Australia hunger strikers.
From 30 October to 5 November a number of rebel grandparents went on hunger strike to remind people that the climate crisis means famine for millions of innocent children. What started with 3 hunger strikers snowballed as other grandparents joined in. The strike was timed to coincide with a Climate Change bill being debated in the Western Australia state parliament.
19 & 23 SEP | NEW YORK CITY, USA
The premiere of Jurassic Farce in Prospect Park, a short work of musical street theater produced and performed by members of Extinction Rebellion NYC. The play tells the story of how dinosaurs might have avoided extinction 66 million years ago if only they had been able to form a Citizens’ Assembly to address the meteor crisis that threatened the planet. See the play here.
The later Broadway debut at Times Square.
31 OCT | BERLIN, GERMANY
“Flying is the fastest way to fry the planet!” German rebels glued themselves to a plane at the newly opened Terminal 5 at Berlin Airport to demand a rapid reduction in air traffic.
And here’s a really nice video of the German Rebellion on October 6.
21 OCT | VIENNA, AUSTRIA
As part of their Emotional Rebellion, XR Austria block the Karlsplatz (one of Vienna’s major traffic junctions) with a wooden honeycomb construction occupied by pipe-linked rebels.
12 OCT | THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
Disobedient Dutch rebels demonstrate against Shell oil company being guest of honour on the ‘Climate Day’ of the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate. 5 were still held in custody the next day.
6 NOV | OSLO, NORWAY
The pink elephant went to the Supreme Court! Smelling strongly of oil, the elephant was supporting the climate lawsuit against the Norwegian state.
XRNorway said: “Little Norway is the world's 7th largest exporter of CO2 due to our oil business. This is the elephant in the room - the one everyone knows is there, but no one talks about. We hope the Supreme Court dares to tell the truth about Norwegian oil, since the government does not dare to say it.”
1 OCT | PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
Photo: Vit Hassan
The 2020 September Rebellion in the Czech Republic reached a climax on 1 October when rebels blocked a street near the Chamber of Deputies and about 15 rebels broke away to try to nail a Declaration of the Year to the door of the Chamber. The street blockade was ruthlessly broken up with “pepper spray, violent tearing off of stuck palms, twisted limbs, swearing and humiliation, prohibition of media access, and knocking heads against the wall.”
Photo: Zewlakk
6-7 NOV | SWEDEN
Extinction Rebellion Sweden’s November Uprising closed down the head office of the Social Democrats party, initiated discussions with the Green Party, spray-painted banks that finance the crisis, demonstrated in front of embassies, did guerrilla farming in front of City Hall, and challenged oil companies. Police guarded central Stockholm with drones and pulled rebels away again and again. Here’s a video of some of the fun on November 6.
6 NOV | STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Rebels and activists from the indigenous Sami people blocked the road outside the offices of Sveaskog, Sweden’s largest forestry business, demanding climate justice and recognition of Sami knowledge and views in relation to land and water. Three activists were arrested.
7 OCT | ROVANIEMI, FINLAND
As part of the Autumn Rebellion, about 20 rebels in the Finnish city of Rovaniemi processed in mourning for the Earth. Funeral clothes and flowers, placards warning about the extinction of endangered species, and our tender planet in a coffin were accompanied by haunting music.
9 OCT | BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Hungarian rebels renamed the Budapest Climate Summit the Greenwashing Summit and played football with the Earth. The team included such world-famous players as Shell, BMW, Tesco, and the European Union. Needless to say, it was the planet which lost the game!
