Extinction Rebellion News

Stories of the week 28 April

Cross-party talks continued this week surrounded by a mutual blame game. Jeremy Corbyn accused the Government of not budging an inch on their red-lines and no sight of compromise in sight. Theresa May, on the other hand, accused Labour of simply trying to destroy the Conservatives. Something they seem to be doing well enough by themselves.

Politics

The big news this week was a serious leak in the Cabinet. Details of a secret meeting regarding the giant Chinese telecoms company Huawei’s role in the roll-out of 5G. Security forces were investigating how the leak took place. Ministers were accused first then they blamed civil servants.

Nigel Farage is back. The Brexit Party is set to benefit at the European Elections at the cost of the Conservatives. Some local Conservative activists are refusing to even canvass in the upcoming euro elections. The Brexit Party have nothing but constructive plans for being a real thorn in the side of the European Parliament. It’s a real Hua-dunnit, one headline read.

Donald Trump is due to make a UK state visit to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of D-Day. The police bill for his three day visit is expected to be more than £18m. It is likely the President will address US troops rather than angry MPs who still want him banned from Parliament. The Press are divided broadly along the same split as Brexit. Nothing surprising there.

World

ISIS claimed responsibility for carrying out bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. In the atrocities, nearly 300 men, women and children were killed.

Austerity

In extremely disturbing news, food parcels from the food bank network reached a new record high in the last year. In even more proof of the cruelty and failure of Universal Credit, 1.7 food parcels were distributed over the past 12 months.

Environment

Humans are putting almost 1 million species into risk of extinction as a new report states that far from being reduced, de-forestation is on the increase.

Greta Thunberg addressed UK politicians and condemned the UK’s policy on fossil fuels. Extinction Rebellion continued their protests to save ourselves from ourselves and a new Banksy was revealed. A little girl holding the Extinction Rebellion logo.

Stories of the week 21 April

Environment

The news this week was dominated by Extinction Rebellion and global protests about the political and economic terrible lack of action and commitment to tackle climate change and potential human extinction. Initially in London, the relationship between police and well-mannered, non-violent protesters was peaceful, even jovial sometimes. However, the Conservative Government whilst falsely claiming to be listening to the protestors ordered the police to get tough with people and move them on.

The Press were deeply divided over Extinction Rebellion. As you would expect, the Conservative, Brexit-backing, more right wing newspapers dismissed protestors as ‘middle-class Marxists’. Whatever side you’re on, it is impossible to dismiss the drive and commitment of these protestors trying to save us from ourselves. One teacher has lost their career through volunteering to be arrested. More ‘rebellions’ are planned.

Brexit

It was revealed this week that the cost of No Deal planning has topped £4bn in a Brexit scenario nobody except hard-line Brexiters want. But huge sums of money was not the only cost of No Deal. Thousands of the UK’s rarest orchids were bulldozed to make potential truck parks in Kent.

In another huge blow for Brexiters, Nancy Pelosi confirmed in Dublin that there was no chance of a US-UK trade deal if the seamless Northern Irish border was threatened by the UK leaving the EU. Pelosi reminded the world that US politicians were instrumental in bringing about the Good Friday Agreement and were unwilling to compromise.

Politics

Labour MP and Remainer, David Lammy, accused Jacob Rees-Mogg, Boris Johnson and the rest of the ERG of being like Nazis. The recent spread of right wing doctrine by ERG members would seem to support Lammy’s view that even this Nazi comparison is not strong enough.

Ahead of the Euro elections, Facebook countered the threat of right wing groups by banning far-right groups including the BNP, EDL and Britain First.

Austerity

More shocking news this week on austerity and inequality.

The fatality rate of new born babies in England’s poorest areas is rising. Local Councils have been accused of social cleansing through issuing ridiculous £100 fines for rough sleepers. And quite astonishingly, more than half of England is owned by less than 1% of the population.

World

In dramatic and emotional scenes that touched the world, an immense fire engulfed Notre Dame. The cathedral was reportedly only thirty minutes away from total collapse. A human chain passed historic objects and relics from hand-to-hand to save them from the fire. A rescue fund was launched with billions of euros promised which in turn created its own set of problems internally in France.