UK: Extinction Rebellion to halt disruptive protests

Environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion said Sunday it was halting its disruptive protests in the United Kingdom to try to win over more public support for its campaign against climate change.

The grassroots group has staged acts of civil disobedience by closing key roads, train lines and bridges in central London, blockading oil refineries, smashing windows at a bank headquarters and spaying fake blood over the finance ministry building.

Their protests have garnered public attention but also widespread criticism as their stunts often cause traffic delays, major inconvenience or property damage.

What did Extinction Rebellion say?

In a statement entitled "We quit," Extinction Rebellion UK said very little had changed during its first four years of protest action, with CO2 emissions continuing to rise.

"As we ring in the new year, we make a controversial resolution to temporarily shift away from public disruption as a primary tactic," the group said in a statement. 

"This year, we prioritize attendance over arrest and relationships over roadblocks, as we stand together and become impossible to ignore," it added.

While recognizing "the power of disruption to raise the alarm," the activists said that the group will now focus on disrupting "the abuse of power and imbalance" by demanding politicians end fossil fuel use.

"Our politicians, addicted to greed and bloated on profits, won't do it without pressure," the statement said.

The group said would it stage a major rally against the UK government's environment policy on April 21 and called for 100,000 people to join their march outside the Houses of Parliament.

Why the change of strategy?

The group's rebellious actions have been denounced by the Conservative government, while large sections of the public and much of the media have called for a tougher response.

Many activists have been arrested, while ministers are pursuing plans to further outlaw its radical tactics.

New legislation will make it harder for people to halt public transport networks or disrupt fuel supplies and give the police greater powers to manage and prevent them.

At the same time, Extinction Rebellion has been overtaken by even more radical groups such as Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain.

Those whose activists sprayed soup on Van Gogh's masterpiece "The Sunflowers" at the National Gallery in London in October.

They also repeatedly stopped traffic on a major expressway around London by gluing themselves to the road.

mm/dj (AFP, Reuters)