Extinction Rebellion protesters block Amazon warehouse on Black Friday
protesters have blocked off the two main goods entrances at the Amazon warehouse near East Midlands Airport.
Around 20 activists from Extinction Rebellion created two bamboo structures and tents in the early hours of yesterday to coincide with Black Friday, one of the biggest days of the year in the retail calendar.
Police were in attendance in the afternoon to divert lorries at the Segro Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, where several companies, including Very and DHL, have large delivery warehouses.
The protests are being replicated at Amazon sites across the country, with the activists believing the company must make changes to become environmentally friendly.
Ines, one of the protesters at the blockades, said: “We know now, don’t we? Science tells you that the climate emergency is caused by over-consumption and it’s not only about the overuse of fossil fuels, it’s over-consumption in general, it’s the system by which we make the economy work.
“Amazon is the absolute epitome of hyper-consumption and it’s forced on customers through tricks like Black Friday.
“At the same time, we have just had COP26, and we know where we are, so we have to do something to halt this rush towards extinction. Everything has been tried, scientists have written papers, we have spoken to MPs, we have tried to do international conferences, and nothing has changed or at least very, very, very little has changed.
“Those suffering are the people who can least live up to this, both the consequences of the climate emergency and the poverty that this type of economic growth is causing.”
Ines said the protest was “not comfortable” and “not pleasant” and that while she did not enjoy the abuse received from a small minority, most passers-by were supportive and she was always open to hearing others’ points of view.
Officers from Leicestershire police were at the scene after being called in the early hours of the morning.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the force said: “At 3.45am we received a report of a protest outside a warehouse in Wilders Way, Kegworth. Officers are currently in attendance, where more than 20 protesters are also present.
“Police are facilitating the right to peaceful protest and no arrests have been made at this time.”
Amazon, owned by one of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos, has over a dozen depots in the UK and is a household name. The company paid £492 million in direct taxes in the UK last year - just 0.37% of its total turnover.
The company has slashed hundreds of prices on Black Friday, an annual event that sees thousands of offers in stores across the country ahead of the Christmas period.
In a tweet, Extinction Rebellion Leicester said: “Extinction Rebellion are blocking Amazon depots today on the day now coined Black Friday - we need to stop over-consumption and buying so many excessively packaged items - our planet over profit.”
The protesters received some abuse from passing drivers but others stopped to bring them hot food and drinks, with Storm Arwen set to bring winds of up to 65mph this weekend.
Rajan, who was at the second blockade, said that the protest aimed to raise awareness of how consumerism was driving the conditions needed to fuel the climate emergency.
He said: “If you look 20 years, 30 years ago, we had very few objects in our homes, and we were happy then. Now we have all this, and we’re not happy.
“We live in a climate and ecological emergency which is connected with our consumerism. We’re enjoying something at the expense of our children and our grandchildren.
“We are creating a condition of climate change, which means that there’ll be extreme weather at some stage in this country, that will result in crop failure that will result in hunger and social breakdown at some stage within the next 20 to 30 years.”
Amazon’s own data from 2020 showed that despite the pandemic, its carbon emissions rose by 19% year on year.
The company’s operations emitted the equivalent of 60.64 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, compared to 51.17 million metric tons in 2019. In 2019 it pledged to become net-zero by 2040, but Extinction Rebellion activists say that there is “no evidence for how that will be achieved and the pledge does not include Amazon’s supply chain”.
The protests come as the Government forges ahead with its plans to significantly curtail campaigners rights to demonstrate after months of disruption caused by the activist group Insulate Britain.
We live in a climate and ecological emergency which is connected with our consumerism. Rajan