“This is what democracy looks like” is one of the chants of the XR. And seeing their decentralised autonomous way of organisation in action, which allows everyone to contribute, where leaders and followers are as one, you realise that it genuinely is.
These shots were taken at yesterday’s citizen’s assembly in Trafalgar Square where thousands turned up, despite the police ban making this gathering unlawful, to discuss the movement and where it goes from here. To create these assemblies is one of their key demands of XR and they would be formed to discuss and decide on climate action in direct conjunction with the government.
They had these assemblies at the last rebellion and what struck me then, and what I witnessed again yesterday, is that people talk and people actually listen. Not just wait for their turn to speak. No-one is hogging the mike so to speak. No-one is trying to dominate or push their own agenda or try to impress or ingratiate themselves to those around them. They simply discuss the matters in hand and make recommendations accordingly. And as I continue to show in my documentation of this movement the accusations of a singular demographic within the XR is false. Watching this cross section collection of like-minded folk I wasn’t sure I had ever seen such a mix of all ages & backgrounds, all together, talking as one.
There was a relatively heavy police presence but they did not interfere because, even though they had declared exactly this sort of meeting illegal, even they knew to arrest people for chatting quietly in circles was ridiculous. As it states in the pavement chalk graffiti: “You can’t police peace”. And it’s a very good point. And even the Met are starting to realise it. These are not people who require policing. Not even close.
There are activists that have been killed all over the world for their attempts to protect the environment and we should feel incredibly lucky that we live in a country where that does not happen. Even though the police have been a little more heavy handed than last time they have still showed incredible restraint and respect compared to their counterparts in other countries. In Brussels just on Saturday their police force used water cannons and tear gas to dispel their XR protestors.
And yet, and maybe because of this, their have been as many arrests in the U.K during this rebellion as there have been everywhere else in the world combined. (up to 1400 in U.K). This is because “This is what democracy looks like” and we must never take it for granted. And we must fight for it at all times because otherwise it will be taken from us.
A few of the rebels yesterday had taped up their mouths in protest at the police ban and what they consider to be an affront on their freedom of speech and it is without a shadow of a doubt. But as you can see it was not being enforced in any way. They know deep down that this affects them too and are off the record in support of the movement. Even ex-police officers such as John Curran, a former detective with the Met have joined and was arrested last week. And as another XR chant declares “Who’s police force? Our police force!”