Extinction Rebellion has announced it will ‘shift away’ from disruptive protests which have included blockading oil terminals, blocking bridges during rush hour and spraying fake blood over the Treasury building.
In a statement titled ‘We Quit’ the climate protest group said it wanted to become more inclusive by ‘broadening its appeal to focus on the issues affecting the planet rather than alienating people through stunts and direct action.’
It warned the climate crisis was accelerating and said it wanted more people to feel they could be part of a protest movement rather than finding themselves behind bars.
In the year ahead it would ‘prioritise attendance over arrest and relationships over roadblocks’.
Mass lawful protests will now include surrounding the Houses of Parliament ‘day after day in large numbers’.
The group said it would ‘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’.