The Big One
ROD WEBB
After a brief period of protesting with XR, I began to feel my age and have since restricted my activism to more low-key community engagement issues, like working on the allotment. Still helping the town become greener – in a small way. But Unite to Survive aka The Big One is a whole different ballgame, and I certainly hope to be there. This is a one-time opportunity to gather people together in sufficient numbers to have some impact on our inert political system.
As XR state: “The invitation is for everybody,” and to make that possible it’s being held over a four-day period from 21 to 24 April, where people from all groups and movements, not just XR, will gather throughout Westminster and at the Houses of Parliament.
More than 70 organisations will be supporting the event, covering a wide variety of groups from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, to Palestine Action and Single Mothers Self Defence. To attract mass support from the individuals attending, organisers have promised that the event will be: family friendly, accessible and welcoming, creative, and engaging.
Unite the Earth
To make sure there is something for everyone, each day will focus on something different. Friday is Unite to Survive, where community groups and supporting organisations from around the world begin People’s Pickets at multiple Government Department buildings. Saturday is Earth Day, a huge celebration and family-friendly march for biodiversity, with costumes, music and giant puppets. Sunday is appropriately called Running Out of Time! where the protest will coexist with the London Marathon, with outreach running alongside (with permission).
The culmination is on Monday with Your Future, when People’s Pickets return with renewed pressure and there is time for lasting connections and plans for next steps.
As XR explains on its website: “The streets will be transformed with People’s Pickets outside government departments and a diverse programme of speakers, performers and workshops, awash with colour and culture. There will be art and music, talks from experts, places to listen and engage, and activities for the kids.”
Running out of future
You can come any way you want, on your own, with friends and family, with a community group or with a local XR group. The message is: “Come when you like, leave when you like, and stay for as long as you can… Whatever your plans, come, be heard and be counted!”
We’ve all had ‘other things to do’, but this is one of those opportunities to re-energise in a collective voice around all the issues that combine to endanger our current lives and the future of this planet. Issues that include health, housing, employment, living families, peace, education, environment and justice.
A final word from XR: “Every single person makes us collectively more powerful and makes our voices harder for the Government to ignore. Just imagine what thousands of us working together could do. We can make this the biggest climate protest ever held in the UK – something that is talked about for generations. We can bring about change. We can turn the tide. But first, we need to show up.”
For more information go to Extinction Rebellion Hastings & St Leonards (xrhsl.org). On the website you can join chat groups for each day or organise discounted train travel.
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