Climate backlash: Majority of Brits oppose Extinction Rebellion protests in London
The results of a new poll show most UK citizens oppose the ongoing climate change protests bringing parts of London to a standstill.
Extinction Rebellion's demonstration entered its fourth day on Thursday, with road and bridge blocking and halting public transport some of the tactics used to bring attention to the group's demands.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) says direct action is needed to force governments to act urgently on climate change - and halt a ‘sixth mass extinction’.
However, a YouGov poll shows that despite the group's calls for humanity, the majority of Brits oppose the disruption caused by the climate change group and its tactics.
The survey asked: ‘Climate change protesters have been disrupting roads and public transport, aiming to ‘shut down London’ in order to bring attention the their cause. Do you support or oppose these actions?’
And the latest figures showed only 13 percent of those surveyed strongly supported the group’s cause, while 23 percent said they ‘somewhat’ support XR’s campaign.
Meanwhile, 30 percent of people surveyed strongly oppose the demonstrations in the capital, with 29 percent of citizens in that figure based in London.
22 percent said they ‘somewhat’ opposed Extinction Rebellion’s tactics. 12 percent of those recorded said they ‘didn’t know’ how they felt towards the demonstrations.
The XR group is calling for an ecological emergency to be declared, greenhouse gases to be brought to net zero by 2025, and the creation of a citizens’ assembly to lead action on the environment.
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XR says the systems propping up “modern consumer-focused lifestyles” will lead to mass water shortages, crop failures, sea level rises and the displacement of millions
A statement read: ‘Only a peaceful planet-wide mobilisation of the scale of the Second World War will give us a chance to avoid the worst-case scenarios.’
On Thursday, the group’s London-based climate change protests entered their fourth consecutive day.
A chaotic week has seen Waterloo Bridge closed to traffic by an ongoing blockade, as well as protesters gluing themselves to trains in Canary Wharf and mass demonstrations shutting off large parts of central London.
Critics of their latest tactics have emerged from across the political spectrum including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who asked whether the protestors have questioned if disrupting public transport is consistent with their aims.
LBC radio host Nick Ferrari interviewed one of Extinction Rebellion's organisers, asking: "I thought we were meant to travel on public transport...what are [we] meant to do? Try and make a bicycle out of hemp or something?"
The group has since warned ‘thousands more rebels’ could join the campaign on Easter Bank Holiday weekend if its demands ‘are not met’.
Speaking of the widespread disruption caused, XR co-founder Dr Gail Bradbrook said: 'It’s certainly an option that tactics will be escalated if our demands are not met.’
