Anti-Oppression Statement

We realize the environmental justice community needs to do better. A core message of XR has been ‘we are all in this together’. The climate catastrophe is coming for everyone, whatever class, race or creed, we can all be united by a common cause in the face of a shared threat. There have been well deserved critiques of both the ideologies and actions that have occurred within the XR UK chapter. These critiques have raised an important point that is often ignored about the necessity of intersectionality in activism – specifically environmental activism – and as a community we must do better to call out ableism, racism, trans/homophobia and other oppressive beliefs that may arise while organizing. We apologize to anyone we may have left in the dark about our beliefs; this statement should have been made sooner.

We are committed to building environmental justice for everyone. As a result, we are taking steps to better ourselves. Our core members have completed anti-oppression training, and we will continue to train incoming new members as our numbers grow. We understand that environmental justice must be intersectional, and to achieve this will take a lifetime of unlearning harmful beliefs.

If you would like to read more about the critiques of Extinction Rebellion, click on any of the titles below.

Kevin Blowe, ‘It is not just a bunch of flowers’

Athian Akec, ‘When I look at Extinction Rebellion, all I see is white faces. That has to change’ 

Aranyo Aarjan, ‘It’s time to add global justice to XR’s demands’

Hannah Dines, ‘The climate revolution must be accessible – this fight belongs to disabled people too’

Jessica Garraway, ‘A Real Extinction Rebellion Means the End of Colonialism, Imperialism, and Capitalism‘