Extinction Rebellion threatens week of chaos in FIVE cities from Monday: Eco-mob calls on activists to hold ‘beautiful and disruptive’ protests in Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow and London
- The group announces it will hold ‘a series of beautiful and disruptive’ protests
- Said it would ‘return to block streets day after day to fight sixth mass extinction’
- Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow and London set to be disrupted from Monday
- Organisers said ‘a thousand rebels’ were willing to risk arrest in demonstrations
Extinction Rebellion has threatened to cause major disruption right across the country next week as it called on activists to descend on five cities.
The climate protest group announced it will hold ‘a series of beautiful and disruptive’ demonstrations in Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow and London from Monday.
Organisers said ‘a thousand rebels’ were willing to risk arrest, while hundreds were prepared to block cities for a whole week if demands were not met.
It said it would ‘return to block streets day after day creating open public spaces for creative resistance’ following action that brought London to a standstill in April.
The Metropolitan Police revealed in May how it had spent £7million dealing with the protests, with more than 1,130 people were arrested and 10,000 officers deployed.
The climate protest group announced it will hold ‘a series of beautiful and disruptive’ demonstrations in Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow and London from Monday
Extinction Rebellion are pictured during a protest at the Wimbledon championships at the start of the tournament last week
Announcing its latest round of action, a statement on its website read: ‘Although Extinction Rebellion welcomed the UK Parliament’s declaration of a Climate and Environmental Emergency shortly after we raised the alarm during our Spring Rebellion, we are yet to see substantive action.
‘Today’s announcement by the Committee on Climate Change shows the situation is dire. We are not turning this boat around nearly fast enough.
‘People are coming together through a set of UK wide regional acts of nonviolent civil disobedience to demand the Government ACT NOW to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.’
It comes after security at Wimbledon was stepped up over fears organisers discovered a plot by the climate change group to disrupt this year’s tournament.
Extinction Rebellion planned to ‘wreak havoc’ by demonstrating against the sea of plastic litter left behind by players and spectators, it is claimed.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club said it had fortunately been tipped off about the plan in advance and that security would be ‘extremely tight’.
Police carry away a protester during the climate demonstration at Oxford Circus in April and May
Organisers banned plastic straws at the Wimbledon Championships 2018 in an attempt to become more environmentally friendly.
But they have faced continued criticism after images emerged of courts strewn with empty plastic bottles and cups last year.
As a result, the tournament – which is currently sponsored by bottled water company Evian – has carried out a review to see how it can be more sustainable.
A Wimbledon insider told The Daily Telegraph: ‘Extinction Rebellion clearly didn’t expect us to find out what they were plotting but thankfully we have had advanced warning.
‘They are planning to wreak havoc outside. They won’t get in, and certainly won’t be able to get anywhere near Centre Court. Security will be extremely tight.
‘The irony of it all is that the club has never done more to cut down plastic waste.’
With several celebrity supporters, Extinction Rebellion has gained momentum as the premier protest movement against climate change after its first protest on Parliament Square last October.
Actress Emma Thompson joins climate protesters in Oxford Street on April 19. It emerged today that police the protests cost the taxpayer more than £7million
The group – which calls for direct action to halt a ‘sixth mass extinction’ – brought much of London to a standstill by occupying several bridges and stopping traffic getting across in April.
A petition last July by campaigners 38 degrees calling on the club to stop using plastic bottles entirely attracted over 100,000 signatures.
As a result, Wimbledon reviewed their practices and this year will see the launch of the first 100 per cent recycled and recyclable Evian water bottle.
There will also be 4,500 fewer bags used at this year’s championships after they were removed from the player racket stringing operation.
While more recycling bins will be installed, as well as ‘eco-warriors’ patrolling and encouraging those attending to refill their water bottles at more than 100 fountains on site.
Last month, Wimbledon also signed up to the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework, which committed to implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change.
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