Extinction Rebellion announces mass occupation as general election results are announced, saying ‘we need to improve our democracy, not just change the government’

Extinction Rebellion UK has responded to the general election result by calling on people to join Improving democracy – a three-day mass occupation of an iconic location, from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September. As the results of the UK general election are announced, our response is clear: it is the system that needs to be changed, not the government.

Vote Climate’s analysis showed that the plans of all the main political parties would see us see a temperature rise of more than 1.5°C between 2030 and 2035.

Extinction Rebellion spokesperson and Olympian Etienne Stott said:: “This was supposed to be the election for climate and nature, but the media and politicians have failed us. Labour are just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The new government will struggle to get the right thing done in a system corrupted by oil and gas interests who have been spreading denial and delay for 40 years.

Only a citizens’ assembly can break the influence of lobbyists, donors, and a hostile right-wing press. And only people power can force the change we need on the political agenda. That’s why, at the end of August, we will organize a mass occupation targeting a symbol of our broken system to demand an emergency citizens’ assembly on climate and nature.

“We invite people to bring their creativity, their humor, their collective intelligence and their tents to join us at the Southeast location that we will announce soon. People who cannot camp are welcome to join us for one or more days.

This is not the change we need! It’s time to modernize our democracy!

Notes to Editors:

In 2018, Extinction Rebellion said we needed to reach net zero emissions by 2025.

• Labour has said it will not cancel recent oil and gas licences – including the controversial Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea – which will cause the global average temperature to rise by 1.5C.
• After receiving a donation from climate sceptic and former chairman of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, Lord Donoughue, Labour has backtracked on its commitment to invest £28bn a year in the green transition.
• Labour has not committed to reviewing our carbon budgets in light of the latest science.
• Labour has not committed to being led by an emergency citizens’ assembly on climate and nature.