JOSIAH FINEGAN
ILLUSTRATION STUDENT AT BRISTOL, UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND
"PEOPLE OF COLOUR WILL BE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BT THEE CLIMATE CRISIS"
It is equally important that we have an affinity group for all different types of people considering that we will all be affected by the climate crisis differently.
As a person of colour, I am surprised there is no POC affinity group, but I’m really pleased Rainbow Rebellion exists. It was amazing to meet them all. We crossed paths when I was stationed outside the Home Office, blocking the road – it was intense because the police presence was really high.
As a black person, I really don’t want to be anywhere where I am subjected to institutionalised racism or likely to be charged based on the colour of my skin, so I try to focus on actions that won’t get me arrested. I show face as much as possible, so other people of colour will see me there and think they can do it as well.
I also join in with clowning, which is a creative performance and involves interactive games with the general public. It is very interactive and, as dire as the situation is, clowning lets us get kids involved, so it isn’t all doom and gloom.
September’s Critical Mass XR Bike Ride was the highlight for me, because it was probably the biggest mass action I have been a part of. We cycled through the streets of London’s busiest financial district and people were getting angry that we were disrupting them for ten minutes. It was interesting seeing how capitalism- driven we have become. It had its ups and downs with people getting out of their cars and screaming at us, but it was shocking looking back and seeing the endless line of cyclists.
The October Rebellion was a lot more stressful this time around, due to the police abusing their powers. I don’t think they knew how to handle us during the April Rebellion, but this time it was less like a peaceful rebellion and more like a war. When there is a big police presence, there will always be fewer people of colour and minorities.
Before I joined XR, I had thought this may not be the place for me, mainly because the Rebellion is very white, but I think it is my duty, because people of colour will be disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. It is also important for me to be there as a gay man, because LGBTQ people will be most affected by this issue, because as the climate crisis gets worse people won’t be thinking about the rights of LGBTQ people or human rights in general. This is a fight for them as well as a fight for everyone.