I lay down on Waterloo Bridge.

And I was a rebel.

I sat down at Marble Arch

Pinned slogans to my clothes

Conscientious Protector!

Non-Violent!

Rebel for Life

I am.

 

I sat down beside a bright pink boat sailing the seas at Oxford Circus

“Tell the Truth” it said.

 

And beneath Waterloo Bridge the river flowed, past hazy views of London, while the rebels sat and sang and laughed and talked and danced amidst the pop-up garden and locked themselves beneath a lorry, and children chalked their drawings of bees and flowers and the Earth in an atmosphere of gentle, loving and peaceful civil disobedience.

I lay down to stand up and be counted in a gesture of solidarity, of rebellion and love.                      I, one small drop in an ocean of global civil disobedience and peaceful protest to demand that decisive and effective action is taken to save and safeguard our home, Planet Earth. So that our children, our children’s children and all life may have a future.

Time is running out. This is an ecological emergency. Not enough is, or has been done to implement the necessary changes that will ensure that we do not walk ourselves into global extinction. As the saying goes: Extinction is Forever. There is NO Planet B.

This is our Home: Mother Earth, she provides us with all the resources that we need to survive, she loves us unconditionally, she keeps on giving no matter what we demand of her. Yet we have taken so much and given nothing in return. We have raped, destroyed, starved, neglected and poisoned her. Would we inflict this abuse on own mothers?

All human beings need to be part of the solution. It is our responsibility. There is no magic wand.

Extinction Rebellion is a global movement, a joining of hands with our brothers and sisters across the world to say enough is enough. It uses non-violent civil disobedience to achieve radical change. We need action and change and we need it NOW. This is an Emergency.

“If this is what it takes” one business man commented as he missed yet another meeting as his taxi became caught up in the rebellion. Yes, disruption is inconvenient. We have jobs to do, livings to be earned places to go and people to see. I commute to receive vital cancer treatment in central London every three weeks, treatment on which I depend, that has been keeping me alive these past ten months. The rebellion action may impact my ability to access this. I just don’t know. But like the man said: “If this is what it takes”.

And I’ve got to admit that rebelling ain’t so easy after four days of cancer treatment, I’m knackered, I ache, my breathing leaves a fair bit to be desired and  my top speed is tortoise. I’m having a break right now, but I’ll be back. And as they say on Bake Off – “If I can do it anyone can.

Finally, Sir David Attenborough is presenting a programme Climate Change:The Facts on BBC 1 tonight at 9pm. Do tune in if you want to learn more, its message?- that ecological catastrophe is already under way.

Alternatively check out rebellion.earth for more information on how to become involved or simply go down to London and lend your support at any of the four locations: Parliament Square, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge.

Your planet needs YOU! 

with all my love x