These shots were taken at the XR blockade of BBC HQ in Portland Place on Friday as they demanded that the BBC face up to their responsibility to ‘Tell the Truth’ on the Climate Emergency we are facing. Protesters feel that the BBC have failed in their duty to inform and educate us and to provide the necessary information on this ever-worsening situation.
Over the last decade the BBC have significantly sidelined the issue of Climate change and withheld and suppressed stories that would have revealed the true extent of the problem. It is only recently that they have started to report it in any real way at all and they are still dragging their heels on it when they should be shouting it from the roof, and two of the protestors actually got on top of to do just that. (see above)
It is not just the U.K that looks to the BBC to be the bastion of factual and unbiased information but the whole world and they have been so concerned to appear ‘inpartial’ they did not want to appear to be fighting the climate corner for fear they would be accused of a liberal agenda. Even though, despite its appropriation, is NOT a political issue. And so whenever they did report anything to do with global warming etc they felt the need to be balanced by having a climate ‘denier’ on at the same time. But with 97% of the scientific community now in full agreement and with all the mountains of evidence proving that it is actually happening, there is no need to provide both sides of the argument because this is now fact and longer up for dispute. And this is not in the future but right now and so they need to step up their coverage and their commitment to their remit which is to inform and educate. And shouldn’t it be then up to us to decide whether we want to hear it or not? Why are they making that decision on our behalf? And why do they think that they we wouldn’t want to hear about this gargantuan problem that is going to affect us all? Surely we would want to know?
The Rebellion were there the entire day and despite a heavy police presence who were trying to coerce them into leaving they stayed strong. Some were glued to the doors, whilst everyone else held their ground in support and spent the day keeping morale up by singing songs and giving speeches whilst reps of the rebels tried to negotiate with the BBC to get them to talk to them. The really twisted irony was that the rebellion were there because they were not reporting Climate change and the BBC were not even reporting the occupation of their own building . It took a camera crew from ITV to turn up at 6pm to get it on the news which to me just said it all.
The rebellion is a genuine democracy and everything is voted on and conducted as a unified action. They chose to sit it out and not give up and held their ground, despite risking arrest. They kept each other going by sharing out their food and it is really so heartening to see a genuine community at work, where they are concerned for the collective good rather than just for themselves as individuals. You feel the strength and positivity of collective action and unity and it is very powerful and uplifting and shows that together we are not only infinitely more capable but happier too, even in such dismal circumstance. The XR are not just a protest group, they are a template to show how we could live differently, where the society itself is the most important thing, not just your standing within it.
The rebellion is now in its 2nd week. They lost all of their blockades from last week but more disruption is planned for today and on into the week. If you want to find out the latest actions you can find them on the Telegram app which gives out the latest information. You can join here to see: