Extinction Rebellion activists to swarm CBD later this week
Climate activists are expected to ‘swarm’ the Brisbane CBD later this week as part of an escalation of protests calling for climate action.
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The Brisbane CBD is to be hit with another wave of stoppages on Thursday as Extinction Rebellion activists swarm the city as part of climate change actions.
The group has also claimed it is politicians and media using language like extremists and pests who are inciting violence towards activists.
Rebellion spokesman Daniel Heggie was responding to claims this week’s swarming action could lead to violence or injuries to pedestrians in the city.
He said Thursday’s actions would be nonviolent.
“We take every precaution,” he said.
“The thing that will get someone hurt is when our politicians use words like pests and extremists … when they use dehumanising words and put us down … that is what invites the public to be violent towards us.
“This is a 100 per cent peaceful action.”
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Mr Heggie said Extinction Rebellion actions overseas had led to direct policy changes in governments around the world where climate emergency had been declared.
“Because of actions governments and councils have listened. We have very limited time to make these changes,” Mr Heggie said.
“When people say what we are doing is extreme … I feel what is more extreme is dooming ourselves and our future generations to live in an unlivable world. Bushfires and droughts, people dying of thirst in India is more extreme than sitting on roads and teaching people about climate change.”
“It’s like Gandhi said first they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you and then you win.”
Mr Heggie said groups of activists would come “together in one spot and occupy it’ in a swarm.
“It is an open action and we invite people to join us,” Mr Heggie said.
“This is a non-arrestible action because if we are asked to move on we will move on.
“This is about getting more and more people interested, exploring activism and taking direct action.”
Mr Heggie said activists took “no pleasure from upsetting individuals but when it comes to upsetting business that is the point of our message — business as usual is killing us”.
“We really invite the people (who may be stuck in traffic during the action) in their cars to take a moment to have a think about what climate change means … learn about climate change,” he said.
“Ideally we hope governments will pay attention and those in power will spread the truth about our climate change emergency.”
The Extinction Rebellion Facebook page message includes information about millions of species being at risk “of being wiped into oblivion and hundreds of thousands of people are already being killed by our oblivious consumerism and slowness to start our rebellion”.
“If we do not change, biodiversity and climate disruption could result in billions of deaths and suffering as human civilisation collapses into chaos,” the Facebook post says.
“It’s time to choose. Extinction or Rebellion.”
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