During their protest in London in October 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Extinction Rebellion activists ‘uncooperative crusties’.
That was not my impression of the group of passionate individuals I got to know at Extinction Rebellion Calderdale – XRC - who met in a back room at Hope Chapel in Hebden Bridge to listen, learn and share their ideas about stopping climate change.
Gerard
‘I had a moment in my life when I started to realise that all wasn’t well in the world and there was a lot that could be done about raising awareness and communicating with people about climate change, which is obviously a massive subject to try and communicate what people can possibly do about it. Being a storyteller, I used to dress up as a mad scientist or woodland creature and do storytelling with kids about different things we can do about climate change. But I wanted to see what else I could do.’
‘I got a phone call out of the blue from someone within Extinction Rebellion saying would I be interested in helping them out with events that they were putting on. That was an amazing introduction for me to the group and really motivated me to stay involved with them. I see the value of it because it’s made up of normal people like you and me, who are just trying to find the way they can make a difference and to try and communicate this ridiculous thing that is climate change.’
Bob
‘All my life, I’ve loved nature, from being a little girl. Over the years, I’ve seen so much of it disappear. Today’s generation don’t even know what they’ve lost. There is so much gone.
Animals are becoming rarer and rarer. We are now on the brink of losing our bees – that’s our food down the drain. But it’s become a global thing now, spreading this destruction globally. Our greed and our imports are destroying the rain forests and the oceans.’
‘We’re consuming more and more. We’re just raping the planet really and we have to stop and think about what we’re buying and where our food’s coming from and the resources we’re using and throwing away. We’re just taking everything from the planet and giving nothing back. That’s why I’m in XR because I desperately want to stop this.’
‘I’ve kind of followed the whole global warming story since the 1980s, when it was a distant threat. I’ve been vaguely active in supporting environmental causes since then. I’ve written to my MP, I’ve signed petitions and I’ve had direct debits to Green Peace and Friends of the Earth. I’ve even been on the odd march or two. Things are getting worse, much faster than we thought and it feels like not much is being done about it.’
‘I guess I got involved with Extinction Rebellion out of a sense of desperation. I can’t think what else I can usefully be doing to try and protest, to try and encourage people to do something – to stop the madness. If someone comes up with a better idea of what I should be doing – I hear people saying that they’ve got their hearts in the right place but they’re doing the wrong things –so tell me what else I should be doing? If you’ve got a better idea then let me know about it.’
‘I love changing things – being active and working together to make the world a better place for everybody. I got picked at the start of XR to go to the training with a dozen other people and we all came out shell-shocked, even though we all knew it. It was so horrifically real. We all started getting together immediately after actions in Manchester and other places and then building our own group. It’s been an amazing process because everyone can bring their own bit, whatever that is.’
‘Like the brilliant ‘Staying Alive’ on Saturday – it was just people that had never been involved before, wanting to be part of it. They brought their supporters and it grows that way.
Yesterday, I was on a local coordinators Zoom meeting and it was different. There was a dozen of us and we were talking strategy. It all seems important. It feels like everything we do in life that’s positive has got a way of stemming the destruction of this planet that is unbearable to see.’
JewelJewel loves working with communities and spending time in her garden
Communicating the global message in her neighbourhood with passion and creativity
‘I’m a member of the local search and rescue team – I’m quite active with them. I’m a Geology teacher, as well as Geography, and I’ve worked in environmental education for quite a while. But the outdoors is kind of my thing, so I like to spend as much time as I can in it, whether I’m climbing up things or walking up things or spending time in the woods with my girl.’
‘I think I’ve been concerned about our impact on the environment for a very long time. But I’ve never quite known how best to do something about it. I think that the information on its own is not enough. People have known the information for a long time – I’ve known the information for a long time – yet things still seem to be getting worse. So, I think I saw this as the right time and I had the right people around me that guided me towards Extinction Rebellion.’
MattGeology teacher Matt spends time exploring local woods with his daughter
‘I found myself in a bit of a lively discussion with my husband last summer. We had the usual conversation about what we were going to do about all the things we see on the telly. I started looking around at different things and came across Extinction Rebellion. I thought I’d send the form off and see what happens. I received a call from a nice guy who asked if I’d like to become a little bit more involved and explained one or two things that were going on.’
‘The October rebellion was absolutely amazing and inspiring and encouraged me to get a little bit more involved. I found myself at XR Calderdale – a lovely bunch of people – warm and welcoming and a completely different demographic. What I’ve started to do more now is, as part of the welcome team, to meet new rebels when they first join the group, provide them with a personal point of contact in case they’ve got any questions or concerns. And then hopefully find them roles or connect them with other people.’
JillRecently retired, Jill has reintroduced herself to the cooker
At the start of 2020, the discussion was all about mass mobilisation for major actions in London during May and at the United Nation’s COP26 conference on climate change in Glasgow in November. Inspired by Greta Thunberg, school students were striking once a month and great amounts of creativity and energy were invested in local actions to recruit new rebels to XRC and engage people in the urgent debate about climate change.
A damp morning does not deter the group of student protesters in Hebden Bridge
A reminder about the cause, along with a press release, comes from the young people
‘Staying Alive’ encourages flamboyant dress: Not so unusual in funky Hebden Bridge
The arrival of Covid-19 in March turned XR’s plans upside down. The London mass action in May was cancelled and the Glasgow COP26 conference was postponed. Planning meetings and training sessions were hosted on Zoom and actions had to adhere to strict guidelines and restrictions. But that did not stop XRC from turning heads with thought-provoking actions that observed the need for face coverings and social distancing.
A national ‘Paint the Streets!’ campaign is interpreted for local roads
Posters contrast the pre-Covid-19 ‘normal’ with future alternatives
Marching on the local MP’s office in Brighouse to deliver a letter demanding urgent action
Action on the rail route to Drax Power Station highlights ‘greenwash’ about wood fuel
Under the theme of ‘We Want To Live’, XR called for a national rebellion starting on 1st September on the streets of London, Cardiff and – in the North – Manchester. Preparations included briefings, training sessions, creative work to get the message across and a series of actions to help build up energy and demonstrate the power of ‘Local Rebellions’. The folk at XRC immersed themselves in the task.
Time for a briefing and quiet reflection ahead of an XRC action
A workshop in Todmorden prepares hand-crafted banners for different actions
With views across surrounding green hills, the location is a poignant reminder of the climate crisis
The numbers may not have been the same as in October 2019, but the actions in London, Cardiff and Manchester put XR back on the streets, with rebels observing social distancing and wearing facemasks. The banners, speeches and creativity in each location were intended to draw people’s attention to the need for urgent government action at this critical time.
There was opportunity to communicate the message in many ways
All age groups were represented in the gathered crowds
An appearance by the ‘Red Rebels’ brought an air of mystery and drama
The dance steps – and finale – of ‘Staying Alive’ had been practiced by many XR groups
‘The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.’
Robert Swan British Historian, Explorer, Activist
