Susan brings battle to the government
A WEXFORD WOMAN IS LEADING THE CHARGE WITH THE EXTINCTION REBELLION AND TRYING TO BRING THE GOVERNMENT TO TASK WHILE KILANERIN AND BALLYFAD ARE LEADING THE WAY IN TERMS OF BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY ENERGY COMMUNITIES.
AS national action coordinator with Extinction Rebellion (XR) environmental awareness group, Wexford woman Susan Breen has achieved her aim of making the environment a national conversation in Ireland – within a single year.
She was one of the main people who organised a Rebellion Week in Dublin in early October, which saw over 500 XR activists camp out for a week in the city centre, during which time they targeted government buildings by carrying out peaceful protests.
One of many protests and disruption campaigns carried out across the world that week, Susan said the response was by and large positive.
She said the protest has made people aware of what XR are all about.
‘Some people who weren’t familiar with us and were maybe unsure of us because our name sounds quite dramatic, but when we were talking to people the demographic was so varied. It hits a nerve with most people, especially people with kids as most people are coming to a realisation that we are in big trouble with the environment.’
Susan grew up in Ballykelly, one of three sisters to parents Mick and the late Joanie.
‘Both of my parents were environmentalists. They were very progressive. Back in the 80s they were trying to live as sustainably as possible. It was very small scale, growing veg.
They were very aware of the system and how it works,’
Both Susan and her sisters were made very politically aware from a young age through the books they read. ‘We were very aware of the realities of life, whether it was war in another country or the environment. My parents were massively protective and we were very sheltered, but the books we were reading and the culture in our house was very knowledgeable and progressive and aware of the world. We also learned about human rights issues.’
By the time Susan was a teenager she was getting involved in direct actions including the GM crop protest in Arthurstown, where Monsanto had a testing site. ‘We went in there and ripped it up. After that I became acutely aware of the dangers of protecting the land and the environment (which is so precious).
‘German shepherd dogs were on the site and all us protesters were filmed. A court case followed in New Ross, with author of The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency John Seymour given the Probation Act.’
Susan recalled a party held at The Royal Hotel in New Ross afterwards and the positive way the protesters reacted.
Having worked with horses, Susan got involved in the Tara Hill protests against the construction of a motorway. ‘I brought my daughter Anywyn with me. We would just go off on these adventures to Tara Hill.’
The Tara Hill campaign was a big learning curve for Susan, discovering as she did how stacked the system was against environmentalists.
She then got involved in the Shannon LNG gas terminal protests. ‘Shannon LNG has been fast tracked and it’s going to lock us in to 30 to 40 years of the worst fossil fuel from the US. Money and power talks at the end of the day there is no respect for the environment or the future. It feels like some people think if they have enough money somehow they will be safe, but money is no good on a dead planet.’
Susan also worked on a reforestation programmes in a jungle in Mexico with circus workers, putting on shows in local towns which helped when negotiating with the president of the state about how many trees he would have planted.
A member of the Deep Green Resistance group which advocates for people living on the front-lines of conflict zones around the world, Susan has been involved in numerous letter writing campaigns but it is with Extinction Rebellion that Susan has gotten to effect change on a level she never imagined possible.
‘XR grew from a group called Rising Up based in the UK. The campaign started in October last year when the group had their Declaration of Rebellion. It was something that really sparked my attention because it was direct action.’
Susan, who is also is International Coordinator with Extinction Rebellion, said: ‘It has just consumed my life but it’s a really positive way to be busy. It can be stressful but I see XR as something special. It has resonated with a lot of people who felt they weren’t doing anything.
‘It provides a sense of community and a direct path to action. Many young people, especially, are going through this trauma of this at what should be the most exciting time in their lives and they have been handed a broken world.’
Describing XR as a very supportive, creative and loving community she said nobody is judged. ‘Everyone is going through the same grief about what is happening. They have a support structure.’
She said rebellion week was a pivotal moment for XR. The group began its activities by handing in its demands to four Government buildings.
Each day specific themes and activities were held at a makeshift camp in the city centre.
People brought food and a festival atmosphere prevailed. A rally was held and traffic and businesses in the city centre were disrupted throughout the week intermittently.
‘We had some really touching moments. We had a closing ceremony and some of the young guys – who were quite shy – stood up and said: “I feel like I have found my real family and I can’t wait until we are all together again”. It just had a really profound affect on them because everyone was taking care of each other having worked really hard all week.’
She said one of the stand-out moments from the week was when, having wallpapered the Department of Climate (in) action as she calls it, with scientific reports about the harm being done to the planet, a decision was made to stop banging samba drums after they realised an eye and ear hospital was located across the road.
‘Everyone just started singing lullabies. It was a lovely transition and shows the awareness of the group to the fact that patients were across the road. After the week some of the protesters went back and cleaned up the building after themselves.’
She said the group never sets out to be mean to the employees of the buildings, the sole focus being to get their point across peacefully.
On the four XR members arrested during the Rebellion Week for locking themselves into the Dáil, Susan said she has no regrets about Rebellion Week.
‘What I am most proud of is the fact the community was so good and the atmosphere was so good. Everyone felt incredibly welcome and we had the nation talking.
We had the Lord Mayor of Dublin come down and listen to all of our issues and gripes and he wrote to the minister to say he was totally opposed to Shannon LNG.’
With thousand of Irish members on their email list, Susan said the future for XR, at least, is bright.
‘XR has made the environment a very national conversation and what we have done is really pushed that conversation.
Whether governments are acting on it or whether it’s lip service, they are really aware that we are here and that there is a movement underway.’
Susan, who is also is International Coordinator with Extinction Rebellion, said XR is a very broad church.
‘Everyone is welcome but we are very strict on certain things. We welcome everyone but we don’t welcome bad behaviours. Anyone bringing anything in that will be harmful to anyone
else is told they can’t be part of XR. Once you abide by our principles you’re in.’
She said numerous regional groups are popping up all over the country.
‘I am getting busier and busier. It’s wonderful!’
Susan sees many young people living in small towns like New Ross who have now outlet for their desire to contribute to society because they are on Social Welfare and are cut off from job prospects.
‘These are youngsters who can’t afford to buy a car, let alone insure one. They are often living in their parent’s house and there is very little public transport. Older people are telling them they are just being lazy. I can totally understand why there is a huge amount of depression and frustration among young people.
‘Having a support network is really good and very empowering for them. Having this big enormous elephant in the room of climate change, with XR they feel they can do something about it to protect themselves and their future.’
SOME PEOPLE THINK IF THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY SOMEHOW THEY WILL BE SAFE, BUT MONEY IS NO GOOD ON A DEAD PLANET.