Extinction Rebellion grinds city to a halt
First demo of its kind in Midlands from growing climate change movement
RUSH hour Birmingham was brought to a standstill as the Extinction Rebellion climate protest group swarmed onto a major commuter route this week.
Protesters sparked three hours of disruption to a key artery into the city centre on Wednesday as part of a growing campaign calling for action on climate change.
About 30 demonstrators took up position on the busy Belgrave Interchange, where the ring road and the Bristol Road meets the Pershore Road, delaying frustrated drivers heading into the city.
The junction is the biggest and busiest on the south side of the city centre and is used by traffic heading to and from Edgbaston, Moseley and Selly Oak among others.
The group continually stood in the carriageway for seven-minute periods, with some moving among the drivers explaining the reasons for the demonstration.
The climate change protest group carried signs saying “Sorry”.
Extinction Rebellion is a growing, international movement which says it “uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse”.
The three-hour blockade was part
of the global alert over climate change and has seen campaigners swarm onto crossings for seven-minute spells. Founded in May 2018, it first assembled at London’s Parliament Square on October 31 to announce a ‘Declaration of Rebellion against the UK Government’.
In April this year, activists took over the main intersection of Oxford Street and Regent Street and also set up a camp at Marble Arch – but this week’s protest is the first time a Birmingham route has been hit.
Police, who were monitoring the Birmingham demonstration, at one stage asked protesters to step out of the road amid reports of a woman in labour stuck in the jams.
The group was also told to halt protests altogether on one side of the carriageway as drivers backed up into the Queensway tunnels were inhaling fumes.
One demonstrator said they were “happy” to co-operate with police because the key was to get their message across.
But there was verbal abuse from motorists, with some drivers making gestures as they drove past the knot of protesters. One man got out of his car to remonstrate with the protesters, who had been handing out leaflets explaining why traffic was being held up.
However, other drivers were more understanding. Commuter Steve, a shift worker in healthcare, said: “It’s annoying and I’m going to be late for work.
“But on the other hand, I agree with what they’re doing because we do need to change how we’re living.”
One of the protesters, mother-oftwo Eve Jones, an English teacher in Smethwick, was in tears over concerns for her children because of climate change.
She said: “I have two children and I am very scared for their future, we all are. Many of us are dealing with levels of distress and grief about what we’re reading and being confronted by.
“I don’t feel that the Government are doing their job in keeping the British public about the level of threat that we face.
“This is the biggest threat we’ve ever faced actually. This is almost as if we’re at war and nobody’s told us. But this time, we’re not at war with another country, we’re at war with ourselves.”
She claimed that the throw-away mentality, along with driving and flying is ‘destroying the planet’.
“I’m just an ordinary person, that’s the message I want to give, I’ve never done anything like this before.
“I was scared about taking part in this action, it’s not been an easy thing to go and speak to angry drivers today.
“It’s been a mixed response which I understand, some people are very angry.
“Others recognise that this is exactly what needs to happen and things aren’t moving fast enough.”
A retired couple, who came from Stourbridge, said the threat of climate change was “critical”.
Catherine, who didn’t give her last name, said: “I do feel it’s really critical now, I’ve been campaigning since the 80s and nothing has happened, no body is taking it seriously.
“I have read the science, were both scientists, and we know that it is really critical now. We need to make a lot of changes to how we live in the next three or four years in terms of the way we use energy.”
On July 13 Extinction Rebellion protesters demonstrated against ‘fast fashion’ outside Birmingham’s Primark, in High Street.
This is the biggest threat we’ve ever faced actually. This is almost as if we’re at war and nobody’s told us
Extinction Rebellion protester Eve Jones