Between April 21 and 24, Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists protested alongside activists from 200 other groups. 117 events, 90 presenters, and 90 performances took place throughout the course of the weekend. Four years have passed since XR paralysed parts of London, parked a pink boat in Oxford Circus, and compelled the UK government to declare a climate emergency. However, Greenpeace UK's head of climate, Mel Evans, stated that despite this declaration:
"The UK government is failing to deliver the kind of wholesale action needed to avoid full-blown climate breakdown." That's in spite of this week's dire warnings from the international scientific community to "act now, or it will be too late."[i]
A focus on nonviolent protest delivered strength in numbers. According to XR organisers, more than 60,000 people participated over the four days, making it the largest unified environmental protest in the UK following the 2019 climate strike. The group has since battled with its direction due to this transition, which was made after earlier disruptive tactics proven to be polarising. The Big One is the first significant event since XR UK decided to stop using disruptive tactics and prioritise "attendance over arrest" and "relationships over roadblocks" as priorities.[ii] Two demands were at the heart of The Big One. First and foremost, that the era of fossil fuels must come to an end, with the government stopping all funding for and new permits for fossil fuel projects. Second, the establishment of emergency citizens' assemblies to encourage just, long-term solutions to the most pressing problems facing the country.[iii]
Groups are intensifying their efforts as a result of the UK government missing the deadline to respond to these demands. According to Clare Farrell, co-founder of XR, "next we will reach out to supporter organisations to start creating a plan for stepping up our campaigns across an ecosystem of tactics that includes everyone from first-time protesters to those willing to go to prison.".[iv]
The Big One occurred just one week after the World Snooker Championship playing at the Crucible was suspended when a protester wearing a Just Stop Oil t-shirt stormed into the room, leapt upon the table, and spread a bag of orange powder across the playing surface.[v] The Big One also coincided with a protest in Germany at the Formula E race held at Berlin's Tempelhof airport circuit, where activists delayed the race by sitting in front of the cars on the starting grid.[vi]
Source: Just Stop Oil
These kinds of direct action tactics represent a disruptive approach that the rally in London aimed to distance itself from. Context is important when discussing opinions on direct action. A recent YouGov poll found that six in ten British citizens believe defacing works of art or public landmarks should be deemed a distinct criminal offence. A previous Omnisis poll found that 66% of people in the UK support using nonviolent direct action to safeguard the nation's natural resources, for example. Even while the public generally reviles extreme techniques, some experts contend they may be beneficial for wider development when used by small numbers of climate activists.[vii] This impact, known as the radical flank effect, was discussed when ZCA announced their top 5 trends for 2023.
Perhaps this has caused an invigoration of support for climate protest in its more moderate forms. The Big One saw the official participation of the Public and Commercial Services Union (together with the Equity Union, the National Education Union, and Unite's climate caucuses) at this weekend's rally, which signalled a new level of trade union engagement with climate activism, and its political significance shouldn't be understated.[viii] Lucy Robinson, professor of collaborative history at Sussex University, told Spotlight:
“Throughout the 20th century and onwards, getting unions involved is like a gold star” “There’s an anxiety around identity politics and issues-based movements being seen as fringe, so having unions behind you is important.”[ix]
In addition, the non-disruptive strategy had "brought businesses onto the streets who might not have come otherwise," according to Ben Tolhurst, a director with the nonprofit network Business Declares. Campaign organisation Bank on Our Future strategist Beau O'Sullivan claimed to know many people who are “rejoicing at the fact that [XR] have joined up with the likes of Greenpeace”. He added that bringing groups together at a peaceful event could help “legitimise” the movement.[x]
[i] EuroNewsGreen- ‘The Big One’: 30,000 protesters expected to descend on London for pickets and performances
[ii] EuroNewsGreen- Over 60,000 people came out for XR’s climate protest: Who were they and what did it achieve?
[iii] Extinction Rebellion- Collective demand
[iv] Ibid
[v] The Independent- What was the snooker protest about? Video shows Just Stop Oil incident
[vi] Reuters- Climate change activists protest at Berlin Formula E race
[vii] BBC- The surprising science of climate protests
[viii] The New Statesman- Why it matters that XR’s “Big One” has trade union support
[ix] Ibid
[x] Financial Times- Will XR’s tilt towards the mainstream pay off?
Oscar is a recent graduate with a background in earth science. He is currently studying an MSc focussing on disaster responses, emergency planning and community resilience. His postgraduate research project will assess the link between climate crisis risk perception and attitudes to green energy projects. “Adapting to the climate crisis through the pursuit of net zero requires community engagement and understanding. Zero Carbon Academy’s goals closely align with this approach and I’m excited to have the opportunity to research and communicate a variety of topics relating to our environment and sustainability”.
