Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a global environmental group that began in the United Kingdom. Its goal is to use peaceful protests and actions that break laws to urge governments to take steps to prevent dangerous changes in the climate, the loss of many plant and animal species, and risks to society and the environment. The group was started in Stroud in May 2018 by Gail Bradbrook, Simon Bramwell, Roger Hallam, and Stuart Basden, along with six other members from the group Rising Up!

Its first major action was to take over the London Greenpeace offices on October 17, 2018. This was followed by a public event called the "Declaration of Rebellion" on October 31, 2018, outside the UK Parliament. Earlier that month, about 100 scientists signed a message supporting the group. In November 2018, five bridges over the River Thames in London were blocked as a protest. In April 2019, Extinction Rebellion took over five important places in central London: Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Waterloo Bridge, and the area around Parliament Square. In August 2021, the group held a series of peaceful protests called the "Impossible Rebellion" in London.

Extinction Rebellion was inspired by groups like Occupy, the suffragettes (women who fought for voting rights), and the civil rights movement. The group wants people to understand the need to stop the worsening effects of climate change and the loss of many species. Some activists in the group accept being arrested, similar to a group called the Committee of 100 in 1961. The group uses a symbol with a circled hourglass, called the extinction symbol, to show that time is running out for many species.

Extinction Rebellion has faced criticism for possibly turning away people who might support its cause. The group’s 2019 protests cost the Metropolitan Police an extra £7.5 million. Some activists in the movement have defended actions that caused damage to property, such as breaking windows. In a survey of 3,482 British adults in October 2019, 54% said they strongly or somewhat opposed the group’s actions of blocking roads and public transport to "shut down London" to draw attention to their cause. Meanwhile, 36% said they strongly or somewhat supported these actions.

Stated aims and principles

At the time Extinction Rebellion began in the UK, its website listed these goals:

• The government must be honest by declaring a climate and ecological emergency and work with other groups to explain why changes are needed quickly.
• The government must take action now to stop the loss of plant and animal life and reduce harmful gases to zero by 2025.
• The government must create a group of people who will make decisions about climate and ecological justice.

When the movement grew to include the United States, an additional goal was added: "We demand a fair way to change that helps the most vulnerable people and protects the rights of Indigenous communities. This includes making things right for Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, and poor communities who have suffered from environmental harm. It also means giving ecosystems the right to survive and recover forever, fixing the damage caused by harming the environment, and preventing the loss of human and animal life to keep the planet safe and fair for everyone."

Organisation

Extinction Rebellion is a movement that is connected but not controlled by a central group. It is made up of local groups that work independently but sometimes join together for actions. These local groups are usually based in specific areas, such as a neighborhood, city, or region. The movement also uses small groups of people who share similar interests to organize activities.

Anyone who helps achieve Extinction Rebellion's three goals and follows its ten principles, including not using violence, can say they are acting in the name of Extinction Rebellion. The Economist reported that the group uses certain organizational methods to work more effectively, especially because of strong opposition from the government.

Extinction Rebellion is not controlled by one central group. As long as local groups respect the movement's principles and values, they can plan events and actions on their own.

A group of doctors called "Doctors for Extinction Rebellion" supports the movement's actions and organizes protests. They warn about the effects of climate change on human health. This group is active mainly in the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

A youth group called XR Youth was formed by July 2019. Unlike the main Extinction Rebellion group, XR Youth focuses on the needs of people in the Global South and Indigenous communities and emphasizes climate justice. By October 2019, there were 55 XR Youth groups in the UK and 25 in other countries. All members of XR Youth were born after 1990, with an average age of 16. Some members were as young as 10 years old.

Extinction Rebellion's Christian group, called Christian Climate Action, believes humans are caretakers of the Earth. This group has taken part in many direct action campaigns and protests to raise awareness about climate change. It has asked churches in the UK to help reduce poverty and inequality caused by climate change. It also sent a message to Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, about the Church of England's lack of support for the group.

Christian Climate Action has more than 1,000 members, with about 150 participating in direct actions. It is linked to Camino to Cop26, a women-led faith group that walked 500 miles to the COP26 conference in Glasgow to protest world leaders' lack of action on climate change. Other groups, such as Marcha a Glasgow, the Pilgrimage for Cop26, and the Young Christian Climate Network, also walked to the conference. These groups described their journey as a pilgrimage.

History

Extinction Rebellion (XR) began in the United Kingdom during a meeting in April 2018. Activists Gail Bradbrook, Roger Hallam, and Simon Bramwell created a list of goals during this meeting. About 100 academics signed a call to action in support of XR in October 2018. XR was officially launched on October 31 by Hallam, Bradbrook, Bramwell, and other activists from the group Rising Up!

XR has drawn inspiration from grassroots movements like Occupy, Gandhi's Satyagraha, the suffragettes, Gene Sharp, Martin Luther King Jr., and others in the civil rights movement. To rally global support, XR also references Saul Alinsky’s book Rules for Radicals (1972), which discusses how to organize during emergencies and balance disruption with creativity. Roger Hallam has stated that public disruption is a key part of XR’s strategy, saying, "Without disruption, no one is going to give you their attention."

Some XR activists accept arrest, similar to the tactics used by the Committee of 100 in 1961. In December 2018, a second letter of support signed by another 100 academics was published.

Since 2018, XR has taken actions in the UK, United States, Australia, and other countries. On December 9, 2018, XR activists blocked streets in Zurich, Switzerland, to demand climate action. On November 4, 2021, XR protesters blocked the Schlumberger Gould Research Centre in Cambridge, England, to oppose fossil fuel research by an American company. This protest coincided with the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, which focused on energy issues.

In April 2022, XR activists blocked key London bridges, including two Olympic athletes. Protesters were arrested after climbing oil tankers, anchoring themselves to structures, or blocking roads at oil depots.

In June 2024, XR activists interrupted the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut by running onto a golf course and spraying a green with orange powder. In September 2024, XR activists chained themselves to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, causing it to close. They demanded the museum end its ties with the ING bank. Also in September 2024, XR activists covered the Finnish Parliament House in red paint, which may be difficult to remove without damaging the building.

XR faces a threat of being classified as a criminal organization due to a Citizens’ Initiative that received over 70,000 signatures in one day. In response, an XR member posted messages imagining violence and government collapse. These posts received support from some members but were condemned by the organization, which stated it has worked with police to find those responsible.

In Britain in 2021, some activists felt XR was not being heard by the government, except for laws against protests. They believed XR was no longer effective at creating change, so new groups formed. Insulate Britain was created to demand that the government improve home insulation by 2030 to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Just Stop Oil, starting in 2022, protested against fossil fuels. Both groups used disruptive tactics, such as blocking traffic and seeking arrests, to highlight their demands.

Arrest as a tactic

Extinction Rebellion uses mass arrests as a method to draw attention to their cause by using police resources and causing disruptions. The group's founders studied the actions of past movements, such as the suffragettes, Indian salt marchers, civil rights activists, and Polish and East German democracy supporters, who also used similar tactics. Co-founder Roger Hallam stated that traditional methods like letters, emails, and marches are not effective. He said that about 400 people need to be arrested, and around 2,000 to 3,000 arrests are needed to create significant impact.

In April 2024, Hallam received a suspended two-year prison sentence for trying to block Heathrow Airport with drones. In July 2024, he was found guilty of planning to cause a public nuisance by blocking the M25 motorway and was sentenced to five years in prison.

In June and July 2019, some Extinction Rebellion supporters arrested in April 2019 appeared in UK courts. On June 25, a 68-year-old protester was found guilty of violating a police order that allowed officers to remove static protests from a specific area. The person received a conditional discharge. On April 12, over 30 protesters appeared in court, each charged with not following a condition set by a senior police officer at various locations and dates. Some admitted guilt and were given conditional discharges. Trials for those who did not admit guilt were scheduled for September and October.

During the April 2019 protests in London, 1,130 arrests were made. In October 2019, during the "International Rebellion" actions in London, 1,832 arrests occurred. This included Ellie Chowns, a Green Party Member of European Parliament for the West Midlands; Jonathan Bartley, a Green Party co-leader and Leader of the opposition on Lambeth Council; and Zack Polanski, who later became the Green Party leader.

On November 16, 2023, a jury found nine Extinction Rebellion members not guilty of causing £500,000 in damage to the windows of HSBC's London headquarters during a climate protest two years earlier. The defendants did not challenge the facts of the case. The jury reached its decision after two hours of discussion.

Support and funding

In April 2019, the International Rebellion began on April 15th. People from many places supported the movement. Actress Emma Thompson gave a speech, school strike leader Greta Thunberg planned to visit, and scientists and activists like James Hansen and Noam Chomsky shared their support.

A study during the first two days of the London occupation in mid-April asked 1,539 people, and 46% said they supported the rebellion. However, a later poll in October 2019 asked 3,482 British adults, and 54% said they strongly or somewhat opposed actions to "shut down London." On April 17th, protests blocked buses and other transportation, making it hard for travelers to move around.

In May 2019, Roger Hallam and eight others ran for the European Parliament in London and South West England as Climate Emergency Independents. Together, they received 7,416 votes out of 3,917,854 total votes cast in those areas.

In June 2019, 1,000 healthcare professionals in the UK and other countries, including professors and leaders from medical organizations, called for peaceful civil disobedience to respond to government policies they said were not doing enough to address the ecological crisis. They encouraged politicians and the media to take action and supported the school strike movement and Extinction Rebellion.

In July 2019, Trevor Neilson, Rory Kennedy, and Aileen Getty started the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), inspired by Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion protesters. The fund gave nearly half a million pounds to Extinction Rebellion groups in New York City and Los Angeles and to school climate strike groups in the United States. In September 2019, Getty added $600,000 (£487,000) to the fund.

Christopher Hohn donated £50,000 to Extinction Rebellion. The charity he co-founded, The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (TCI), gave over £150,000. As of January 2022, TCI was the largest individual donor to Extinction Rebellion. In 2019, TCI said none of its money was used for civil disobedience.

In October 2019, the Financial Times reported that Extinction Rebellion raised just over £2.5 million in the previous 12 months.

Michael Stipe, a musician, supported Extinction Rebellion. All profits from his first solo song, "Your Capricious Soul," went to the group.

On February 6, 2020, the environmental group Mobilize Earth released a series of short films called Guardians of Life, which focused on major challenges facing people and nature. Money from the project went to Amazon Watch and Extinction Rebellion.

In September 2021, a survey of 3,296 British adults found that 19% were "fairly positive" or "very positive" about Extinction Rebellion, while 49% were "very negative" or "fairly negative."

The Extinction Rebellion UK website lists its terms of service under "Extinction Rebellion UK (Compassionate Revolution Ltd)." Compassionate Revolution Ltd is a part of Climate Emergency Action Limited, which supports XR UK.

In February 2026, the New York Times reported that FBI agents had recently visited Extinction Rebellion activists in the United States as part of an investigation into climate change activism.

Criticism

According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2025, as proposed by Extinction Rebellion (XR), is not possible in any way—technically, economically, or politically. This is because governments have not taken enough action in the past to meet such a strict deadline. One way to reach net zero by 2025 would involve stopping air travel, removing 38 million petrol and diesel cars from roads, and disconnecting 26 million gas boilers within six years. However, the Rapid Transition Alliance and the Centre for Alternative Technology believe the 2025 target is achievable.

Former spokesperson Zion Lights later criticized XR for focusing on symbolic or large-scale changes instead of practical steps to reduce emissions. She noted that XR sometimes ignores energy policy discussions unless they involve major changes to systems, while she supported quickly using affordable, clean energy solutions.

XR’s third demand, which calls for a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice, has been described as a move “beyond politics.” This idea has been criticized by socialists, including some who have participated in XR actions. In April 2019, Natasha Josette, an anti-racist activist and member of Labour for a Green New Deal, wrote in The Independent that XR ignored the role of neoliberal capitalism and global systems of exploitation in causing the climate crisis.

Also writing in The Independent, Amardeep Dhillon argued that XR focused too much on reducing carbon emissions and overlooked the harm caused by companies in the extractive industry. These companies use “greenwashing” to defend their actions, and Dhillon claimed XR’s stance could allow governments and corporations to shift the burden of climate harm onto poor and Indigenous communities in the global South.

In October 2019, Erica Eisen, an XR participant, wrote in Current Affairs that XR’s “beyond politics” slogan was tied to its demand for a Citizens’ Assembly and its refusal to take positions on issues outside the environment. She argued that XR’s failure to address capitalism weakened its credibility and allowed far-right groups to misuse environmentalist ideas, citing examples like the Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2019 El Paso shooting.

In December 2019, Nathalie Olah, writing in i-D, compared XR to earlier protest movements like the May 68 events in France and the Occupy movement. She noted that unclear demands limited the political impact of those movements and argued that climate change and class issues are closely connected because a small group of people causes most emissions, while the poorest people face the worst effects.

Ben Smoke, a member of the Stansted 15, wrote in The Guardian that XR’s strategy of mass arrests could harm Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people in the UK, who face harsher treatment in the justice system. He also warned that supporting court cases could take resources away from those most affected by climate change. Smoke suggested using tactics that are accessible to all, not just those who can afford arrests. He argued that mass arrests might lead to stricter anti-protest laws instead of helping the climate cause.

An open letter from Wretched of the Earth, an environmental group focused on Black, Brown, and Indigenous voices, pointed out that XR’s mass arrest tactic ignored the unfair treatment of people of color in the justice system. Some XR members have referenced Martin Luther King Jr., one of XR’s inspirations, noting that his call for civil disobedience was open to all, regardless of race.

When XR expanded to the U.S., a fourth demand was added: a “just transition” that prioritizes vulnerable communities and Indigenous sovereignty, and includes reparations for Black, Indigenous, and people of color affected by environmental harm.

Karen Bell, a senior lecturer in human geography, wrote in The Guardian that environmental groups like XR lack strong ties to working-class communities, which is a problem because building broad support for climate action requires input from all groups. Labour Party member Lisa Nandy criticized XR in The Guardian for focusing on lifestyles of middle-class city dwellers when urging individual action.

George Monbiot also wrote in The Guardian that XR is too white and too middle class. A protest in Canning Town, where XR activists physically blocked working-class commuters on a train, highlighted class issues and led to an apology from an XR representative.

A report titled “Extremism Rebellion” by Policy Exchange, a UK-based conservative think tank, claimed XR is an extremist group aiming to break down democracy and the rule of law. The report influenced the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Policy Exchange received $30,000 in 2017 from ExxonMobil, an oil and gas company, to target XR.

In 2019, the South East Counter Terrorism Unit listed XR alongside neo-Nazi and Islamist groups in a guide about extremism. After criticism, they removed XR from the list. Priti Patel, who supported the policing bill, defended the initial inclusion of XR.

Media coverage

A study of the October 2019 "International Rebellion" shows that the movement was mentioned over 70,000 times in online media reports. Of these mentions, 43.5% came from the UK, followed by 15.2% from Germany, 14.6% from Australia, and 12.1% from the US.

In 2021, a documentary titled Rebellion was released on UK Netflix and other streaming platforms worldwide. The film explores the work of XR and its creators.

Dávid Szőke and Sándor Kiss wrote in Film International that they criticized the short films Extinction (2019) and Guardians of Life (2020). They noted that while the films promote "nonviolent open rebellion" and the need to act to protect the natural world, the way they present information about climate issues creates a difference between their goals and their methods. They also pointed out that the inclusion of famous actors like Emma Thompson and Joaquin Phoenix shifts attention away from the environmental messages the films aim to share. The authors argue that these films appear attractive but may not truly support the environmental actions of XR activists, instead hiding them under a more appealing, media-friendly image.