Extinction Rebellion Day 5

While I was comfortably back in Oxford yesterday, rebels from several sites which had been cleared by the police moved themselves, their tents and other belongings to St James's Park. Shortly afterwards the police evicted them from there (hence the vandalism of yesterday's extra) and everyone moved everything all over again to Vauxhall, where Lambeth Council had offered a place for people to put up tents. So when I arrived in Vauxhall this morning it wasn't surprising that people were still discussing the priorities for the day.

XR UK's three demands to the government are clear and simple:
1. Tell the truth about the climate and ecological emergency and the urgency for change.
2. Act Now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. Set up a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice and be led by its decisions.

Most people this morning wanted to go to the BBC about Demand 1 - to protest about their minimal coverage of the issues being highlighted this week.

The consensual decision-making processes in XR led to our little Oxford group deciding to leave the BBC alone (because of David Attenborough!). We chose instead to focus on Demand 2 and go to the Government Oil & Gas Fiscal Summit, a two-day international forum taking place in Liverpool Street about investing in fossil fuels. Armed with leaflets, we decided to engage the public in conversation. I found it much harder than in Whitehall to engage with people though others in our group did better than I did.

Some rebels blockaded Bishopsgate and it was serendipitous that the first vehicle blocked northbound was an airport coach and the first southbound, this G4S lorry. No love lost. I was very much more concerned for people who were relying on buses to go about their day and intervened to help one man get home.

I'm back home again now and, from that distance, reflecting on means and ends.