Extinction Rebellion says it will stop disruptive protests as ‘very little has changed’

Extinction Rebellion is to temporarily halt its campaign of civil disruption after conceding that “very little has changed” after four years of action.

In its new year message, the group – which has blocked traffic, damaged buildings and blockaded printing presses – said it would temporarily switch to mass lawful protests in order to try to get its message across.

Meanwhile, Just Stop Oil admitted in its new year message that its tactics “would not be acceptable under normal circumstances” but said it had “no choice”.

In its statement, Extinction Rebellion said that, despite its campaign, “very little has changed”, with emissions continuing to rise.

It is now calling for 100,000 people to surround Parliament in April as part of a mass protest intended to persuade the Government to take action.

It said: “As we ring in the new year, we make a controversial resolution to temporarily shift away from public disruption as a primary tactic. We recognise and celebrate the power of disruption to raise the alarm and believe that constantly evolving tactics is a necessary approach.

“What’s needed now most is to disrupt the abuse of power and imbalance, to bring about a transition to a fair society that works together to end the fossil fuel era. Our politicians, addicted to greed and bloated on profits, won’t do it without pressure.

“We must be radical in our response to this crisis and determined in our efforts to address the climate and ecological emergency, even if it means taking a different approach than before.”

The group said the “multiple crises” facing the UK provided “a unique opportunity to mobilise and move beyond traditional divides”.

Inviting people to join the mass protest in Westminster on April 21, the group said: “Surrounding the Houses of Parliament day after day in large numbers means we can leave the locks, glue and paint behind and instead demonstrate faith in a critical mass of people to create a moment that’s impossible to ignore.”

Meanwhile, activists from Just Stop Oil signalled a continuation of their illegal activities, calling on police officers and judges to “defect” and join their cause and saying it was the only moral course of action left.

The group, which caused mayhem across Britain by blocking roads and motorways, urged those working in law enforcement to turn a blind eye and stop locking up “brave students and pensioners”.

Almost 140 Just Stop Oil members were jailed or remanded during 2022, but in a new year statement its leaders suggested the campaign of civil disruption would continue.

They told those working in the police and judiciary: “You don’t have to arrest brave students and pensioners. You don’t have to lock up these courageous, skilled, loving members of society.

“If you choose to do that, know what you’re doing. You’re working for death, not life. For power and profit, not care and reason. Is that what you want your life’s legacy to be?

“If you make that terrible choice, you are complicit in signing the death sentences of billions of people in the years to come. You are allowing the breakdown of law and order on your watch. You will be complicit in genocide.

“In 2023, defection and resistance ... are the only moral course of action for police and judiciary to take. The actions Just Stop Oil supporters take would not be acceptable under normal circumstances, but right now, ordinary people are left with no choice.

“This is not about polar bears and puffins, it’s about who gets to eat and how we will survive. Under British law, people have a legal right to protect themselves, to protect the legacy of their ancestors who came before them and to protect the common inheritance of the people yet to come.”