Extinction Rebellion Brighton Newsletter
13th June 2021
Extinction Rebellion Brighton Newsletter
What’s Been Happening?
Local Extinction Rebellion activists staged a number of protests across the city on June 10th
In a blaze of light, the Extinction Rebellion fired Jubilee and hilltop Beacons across the country, including the Beacon at Hove lagoon, on the eve of the G7 Summit in Cornwall. The Beacons were lit to carry the message to the meeting in Cornwall that the Climate and Ecological Crisis must be top of the agenda.
Nicola Harries , 66, a solicitor , said: “My biggest fear is that my grandchildren have to grow up in a world blighted by ecological and social breakdown. We are living in a climate emergency and our leaders have been woefully inadequate in their responses.”
MAKING THE WAVE
Earlier in the day, members of Extinction Rebellion staged a meditation action on the seafront near the West Pier while others held a banner saying “The sea is rising and so are we”. The event was part of a UK-wide “Make the Wave” action designed to highlight how predicted sea-level rises will impact coastal areas: Shoreham and Lewes are expected to be particularly badly hit.
XR AND ANTI-RACISM
It is a year since the tragic death of George Floyd and the start of a new wave of Black Lives Matter protests that forced us all to take an honest look at racism within our societies and our roles as individuals within that. This included XR Brighton’s role in fighting oppression wherever we see it and the importance of linking anti-racist movements with environmental movements. As part of this process we held a People’s Assembly to discuss how XR Brighton can become an anti-racist movement. To find out more about why this is important and what we plan to do, please click here.
Please also join the training available from XR Central on June the 16th to learn about oppression, movement building and our relationships as activists:
What’s Next?
Now is the time to get back onto the streets. We have two events coming up at the end of this month.
MOVEMENT OF MOVEMENTS
Saturday June 26th.
Cross movement march to demand a new normal
A march coordinated by People’s Assembly Against Austerity. Gather at Portland Place, 12pm. Facebook event here.
The people's picnic
As soon as the march finishes. Location: TBC (a park nearby!)
Join allies and fellow rebels to reconnect, share stories, nurture our movements and collectively prepare for Sunday. There will be trainings, music, placard & costume making workshops and plenty of outreach. Dust off your AG, get down to the park, and make your plans for Free the Press the next day!
FREE THE PRESS MARCH
Sunday June 27th
Gather in Parliament Square at 12pm - We're bringing the Rebellion back to London. Join the Facebook event here. Samba, musicians and singers will be out on the streets raising the energy and sharing the love.
Pack your essentials: suncream, solidarity and your loudest voice (plus radical love & a sprinkling of rage)
Colour Scheme
Black, white, bright pink, bright yellow. The march will be framed by brightly coloured pink and yellow flags, banners, and patches created by the Art Factory. If you are able to, please bring your own XR symbol flags on fluorescent pink or fluorescent yellow fabric.
Clothes
Everyone is invited to wear BLACK AND WHITE CLOTHES, like newspaper print. If you’re feeling creative, why not make your clothes out of newspaper (bring some old papers to the outreach gathering on Saturday to create your costumes with each other)!
Some photos for inspiration:
**Note: if making a face mask, you should cover an existing face mask in the newspaper, or find newspaper print fabric. It will not be effective if you make one just out of newspaper**
What to make and bring
Everyone is encouraged to make and bring SIGNS AND PLACARDS which reflect your cultural response to the impact / manipulation / corruption of the press. This could be as simple as writing “LIARS LIARS LIARS”, could mimic the layout of news headlines, outline specific moments in history where the press have failed, or could be more personal to your community or to you.
Your sign could simply be hand drawn on cardboard, or you can print this poster out and stick it on a board. Remember to print the posters out onto fluorescent pink or yellow paper! If you’ve got more time & resources available, get ambitious and MAKE A SANDWICH BOARD (suffragette inspiration below - these will be effective in mimicking the A boards found outside of newsagents). Remember to use some bright pink or bright yellow on your sign, to stand out against the black and white clothes!
If you’re feeling particularly creative, you could create something else to give visual or theatrical interest on the way!
Finale
The finale of the march will involve a visual spectacle, so we encourage any theatrics to take place at the start or en route of the march, not during the finale.
You may be handed some things throughout the march...keep an eye out for these, and be ready for the signal at the end!
XR Brighton General Meeting
Every Tuesday, 7-9pm, online (Zoom)
Everyone is welcome. Come, join in, reflect, and plan our way to make a difference and create change. It’s you that makes the difference!
Meeting ID: 81441966038
Passcode: 456681
FURTHER INFORMATION
> Extinction Rebellion Brighton's website
> XR Brighton Youtube Channel
> Facebook (@nepocide) for news and info
> Brighton Rebel Community Board Facebook for community chat
> Twitter
> Instagram
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