Extinction Rebellion Youth

Extinction Rebellion Youth (abbreviated as XRY) is the autonomous youth wing of the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion (XR), made up of activists under the age of 30.[1] It has the stated aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience to compel government action to avoid tipping points in the climate system, biodiversity loss, and the risk of social and ecological collapse. XR Youth was established in the United Kingdom in February 2019 by a collective of young environmental activists from XR. In contrast to the rest of XR, the youth wing is more centred around climate justice and consideration of the Global South and indigenous peoples. As of September 2020, there are over 200 branches globally, including over 80 in the UK.[2]

Extinction Rebellion Youth
Named afterAnthropocene extinction
FormationFebruary 2019 (2019-02)
Founded atUnited Kingdom
TypeAdvocacy group
PurposeClimate change mitigation
Nature conservation
Environmental protection
Region
International
FieldsClimate justice
Conservation movement
Environmental movement
AffiliationsExtinction Rebellion[1]
Websitexryouth.org

History and structure

A youth wing—XR Youth—of Extinction Rebellion formed by July 2019.[3] In contrast to the main XR, it is centred around consideration of the Global South and indigenous peoples, and more concerned with climate justice.[4][5] By October 2019 there were 55 XR Youth groups in the UK and another 25 elsewhere.[5] All XR Youth comprise people born after 1990, with an average age of 16, and some aged 10.[5]

Similarly to the main XR, XRY is a loosely networked, decentralised, grassroots movement. XRY organises on both a local, national and international level, with each level of the organisation and each local group maintaining a relationship with their counterparts in main XR. Many activists are part of affinity groups, small groups of usually between 8 to 12 protesters to carry out and join actions.

Actions

Clifton Suspension Bridge

On the evening of Thursday 27 August 2020, two members of local group XR Youth Bristol locked their arms together and lay down on the Clifton Suspension Bridge blocking traiffic and causing the police to seal off the bridge to all vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. The two activists were both arrested shortly after 11pm on suspicion of wilful obstruction of the highway and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.[6] The action was part of a series of protests by XR advocating for the UK Parliament to pass the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.[7] XR Youth Bristol then preceded to remain just off of the bridge to protest until Friday afternoon, but the police kept the bridge closed until Tuesday 1 September.

Rebel for Justice

From 16 to 23 February 2020, local group XR Youth Cambridge held a week-long roadblock at the roundabout on Trumpington Road intersecting with Fen Causeway.[8] Their demands were:

  1. The University of Cambridge must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry.
  2. Cambridge City Council must hold a Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Justice.
  3. Cambridgeshire County Council must work with other relevant regional authorities to provide a plan for a just transition away from an inadequate transport system reliant on fossil fuels.

Petrol stations

On Saturday 18 January 2020, XR Youth Cambridge shut down a BP petrol station on Elizabeth Way for a day long protest including music, dancing and pop-up art. A spokesperson for the group said they are not "blaming and shaming motorists", but instead "just asking them to address our concerns because it's just such an urgent issue." One older member of main XR was injured when a car drove into him.[9][10]

On Friday 21 February 2020, members of XR Youth Cambridge set up a blockade of a Shell petrol station on Newnham Road to protest greenwashing by the company. The activists blocked any cars from entering by holding up a large banner displaying the message 'Life or Death.' Several activists climbed on top of the station's forecourt canopy to bear signs and notices. Furthermore, one protester pored molasses onto the shell logo from the roof, giving it the appearance of being coated in oil.[11]

Westgate Shopping Centre

On Friday 21 and Saturday 22 August 2020, local group XR Youth Oxford staged a protest at Westgate Shopping Centre against fast fashion and the business and environmental practices of certain companies. Actions included a die in, banner drops and speeches.[12][13]

Google and YouTube Headquarters

In October 2019, XR Youth and XR Families violated a 'protest ban' by the Metropolitan Police and blockaded the UK headquarters of Google and its subsidiary YouTube, calling for them to stop donating to groups promoting climate denial. Members of XR Youth scaled to the top of the revolving doors of YouTube's offices and draped a banner reading: "YouTube Stop Platforming Climate Change Denial".[14][15] An investigation by The Guardian had revealed the week before that Google had made substantial contributions to some of the most notorious climate deniers in Washington, despite its insistence that it supports action on the climate emergency.[16]

References
  1. Murray, Jessica (2019-10-19). "'Older generations can't understand': XR Youth on being heard". The Guardian.
  2. "Map of Extinction Rebellion Youth groups".
  3. Burchill, Julie (2019-07-28). "The People's Front of Extinction Rebellion points to a deeper divide within the Green cause". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-10-05 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  4. Gayle, Damien (2019-10-04). "Does Extinction Rebellion have a race problem?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-10-05 – via www.theguardian.com.
  5. Murray, Jessica (2019-10-19). "'Older generations can't understand': XR Youth on being heard". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-10-20 – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. "Clifton Suspension Bridge: Police blame climate protesters for closure". BBC. 2020-08-28.
  7. "Young Extinction Rebellion activists block Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol". Evening Standard. 2020-08-28.
  8. "Extinction Rebellion Cambridge threatens week long roadblock". Cambridge Independent. 2020-01-02.
  9. "Extinction Rebellion stage all-day protest at Cambridge BP oil station". Varsity. 2020-01-19.
  10. "Extinction Rebellion to carry out 'longest shutdown so far' in Cambridge". Cambridge Live. 2020-01-13.
  11. "Cambridge Extinction Rebellion protesters have climbed on to the roof of a Shell petrol station". Cambridge Independent. 2020-02-21.
  12. "XR Youth stage protest against fast fashion at Westgate Centre". Oxford Mail. 2020-08-24.
  13. "XR Youth stage die-in protest at Westgate Centre, Oxford". Oxford Mail. 2020-08-21.
  14. "Extinction Rebellion defies protest ban and targets Google". The Guardian. 2019-10-16.
  15. "Extinction Rebellion protesters barricade Google and YouTube's offices". Metro. 2019-10-16.
  16. "Revealed: Google made large contributions to climate change deniers". The Guardian. 2019-10-11.
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