Extinction Rebellion leaders are considering a series of ‘extreme’ protests to disrupt this year’s UN climate change summit in Glasgow – including a possible hunger strike that ends in death or a demonstrator publicly committing suicide.
The activists are also proposing to spray traffic lights black, close motorways and road tunnels and carry out ‘industrial sabotage’, according to insider documents obtained by The Scottish Mail on Sunday.
The papers were drawn up by Extinction Rebellion’s ‘Action Strategy Group’, which is responsible for planning future protests and the form they should take.
They say the time has come for a ‘temporary moratorium on our traditional “midground” arrestable actions’, such as the occupations of central London streets which took place twice last year.
In their place should be a new wave of ‘higher risk protests’, to be justified by ‘our own vulnerability in terms of the imminent threats to our food systems and economy, the risk of fascism, famine, disease, and war’.
Among ‘top ideas’ the group has discussed are a ‘hunger strike to the death’ and even people possibly prepared for ‘suicide’.
The documents say disrupting the Glasgow conference, known as COP26, will be the ‘pinnacle of our action campaign this year’.
They add:
‘The COP UN Climate Change Summit due to be held in Glasgow in November is a tool of a broken system. ‘Presented by some as our last hope for change, it will not give us the solutions we need. So our 2020 rebellion will culminate in Glasgow but will look beyond COP as we explore internationalist solutions… leading to a Global Citizens’ Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice.’
Up to 200 world leaders are expected to attend the event, with around 30,000 delegates and campaigners.
One document, headed ‘Vital Additions to Actions Strategy’, outlines ‘a set of core principles and projects’ that are regarded as ‘essential’ and include a section on ‘extremes of sacrifice’.
It states: ‘As the climate and ecological emergency becomes more dangerous every day, we must encourage more extreme actions to achieve meaningful change.’
This movement must not become ineffectual and forget its rebellious heart as it grows. Extreme self-sacrificial actions can act as a vanguard for the movement, inspiring people in their rebellious journey and focusing the world’s attention.’
It adds: ‘It also seems necessary for the movement to clearly outline in any strategy going forward, the intention to encourage more extreme action in response to the genuine growing crisis so as not to face pushback from the movement as a whole every time a highly sacrificial action takes place.’
The document also suggests that the eco-protest movement – also known as XR – is well aware of the widespread fury triggered when its ‘rebels’ climbed on top of a tube train in a poor area of London in October and disrupted thousands of commuters’ journeys to work.
The incident was depicted in videos showing XR protesters being pelted with missiles and pulled off the train. The October protest ‘was arguably problematic for the movement’, the document admits, and was ‘alienating.’
Unfortunately, the document says, ‘at the present time, we simply do not have the numbers needed to achieve our goals through mass civil disobedience’.
The answer is to ‘focus on extremes of sacrifice levels’, with ‘extreme self-sacrificial actions [that] can act as a vanguard for the movement, inspiring people in their rebellious journey and focusing the world’s attention.’
The document says the hunger strike until death will be ‘a high sacrifice action with ongoing support… [we need to] go to extremes of sacrifice levels.
‘For such high-risk actions, action design must be slick and highly considered.’
In its view, ‘more extreme actions’ will ‘achieve meaningful change’. According to the document, Extinction Rebellion needs to ‘scare the f*** out of people’, by encouraging them to experience ‘fear of death’ from ‘famine’ and pollution.
It should foster a ‘fear of hell, hell on Earth, fire, and floods,’ and make use of ‘children and vulnerable people on the front line’.
XR’s willingness to undertake more extreme forms of protest was hinted at by its founder, Roger Hallam, a former organic farmer, in an interview with a Swiss newspaper this year.
He said: ‘Civil disobedience is not for cowards. Martin Luther King also made people sit on the streets. He also knew that statistically, someone would die… Our activists know what they’re doing and what they’re getting into.’
Other documents seen by the MoS outline the movement’s large and growing income and expenditure.
Last year it received more than £4 million from crowd-funding and donors. As of December, it was paying ‘living expenses’ – in other words, salaries – to 120 staff.
Last night, an Extinction Rebellion spokesman said: ‘These notes are an informal list of ideas gathered from people during brainstorming, they have not informed Extinction Rebellion’s 2020 strategy.
‘As with any brainstorm, people would likely be encouraged to think broadly – that doesn’t mean that these ideas should or would be taken further, or out of context.
‘Yes, we, humanity, are in an extreme situation. Would Extinction Rebellion encourage people to engage in non-violent peaceful civil disobedience? Yes. Would Extinction Rebellion encourage anyone to put their own life at risk or the life of others? No.’
Last month, MoS told how the safety of world leaders had been put at risk after sensitive blueprints of the summit site were put online by bungling civil servants.
The UK Government admitted the documents had been uploaded in error and quickly removed them.
h/t GWPF
We need to keep in mind what the Glasgow conference is supposed to be about. In theory nations come with new pledges that are supposed to make the Paris Treaty happen. Even though this won’t happen the conference is about reducing emissions. It would seem to me that the extinction rebellion would be supporting the Glasgow conference though they would say it doesn’t go far enough. In making plans to disrupt Glasgow the extinction rebellion shows its only goal is terrorism
Some people just like the sound of breaking glass.
Their version of suicide is put their cell phones away for a week .
Steve , If they all commit public suicide just think of the CO2 that would no longer be exhaled. The’d be heroes -we could mount a plaque in some Glasgow pub to remember the stupid idiots .
If we could only hope that they’re not lying !
Do XR know nothing about Glaswegians ? This could be the funniest clashes so far. The Glasgow population are not to be disrupted. Let’s wait and see 🙂
I wonder if Boris deliberately allows these idiots to undermine their cause. Blue in the face? Almost there…….
If they go with that, they would damage their own cause even more than they have done so far. Remember Bobby Sands’ hunger strike for the IRA? Margaret Thatcher called the bluff, he died, as did 3 or 4 more hunger strikers, and that was the end. They achieved nothing. Just let laws be enforced so as to expose the outrage.
No camera (still or video) coverage of any demonstration. Newspapers may print a one paragraph story only. Censorship? You bet. If these people are advised in advance that they will not receive widespread media coverage, then there is some chance that these extreme actions will not take place.
If some television company does air any offensive part of the demonstration, contact every advertiser on that channel – “Stop advertising on that channel”.
According to the document, Extinction Rebellion needs to ‘scare the f*** out of people’…
And now we officially can list XR as a terrorist organization. GTMO needs some new blood.
Here’s your chance for the perfect exit, Greta.
This has become a total cult just like with Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple and its a good idea to totaly stay away from a cult and of course the Just Stinks Rebellion
Perhaps all members of XR should commit public suicide. We promise we’ll all finally take them seriously! Or maybe we’ll just be glad that they are gone and no longer bothering us. Either way it would be beneficial so in the words of Nike, “Just Do It!”
Fully agree with the
“entire group commit public suicide”
FANTASTIC IDEA !
BUT,,,,,, WHY ARE THEY GATHERING TO DISCUSS “CLIMATE CHANGE”,
WHEN IT IS ALL PART OF THE EARTH’S NATURAL PROGRESS?
AL GORE HAD HIS LITTLE JOKE, WHICH THE ‘NUTTERS’ TOOK SERIOUSLY, SO NOW WE HAVE A CRISIS, FOR NOSENSIBLE REASON !
Steve , If they all commit public suicide just think of the CO2 that would no longer be exhaled. The’d be heroes -we could mount a plaque in some Glasgow pub to remember the stupid idiots .