XR York rebel Emma Peute explains why members of XR York took part in the #FreeTheTruth protest and why we need to support their brave action.
Dear reader,
The billionaire owners of media companies such as the Sun, the Daily Mail and the Telegraph use their platform to misinform, misdirect and distract the public from the true severity of the climate and ecological crisis and the necessary action that must be taken. To address this, on 5th September members of your local Extinction Rebellion group here in York took part in the #FreeTheTruth action.
The #FreeTheTruth action shed light on how major media institutions have continuously ignored and side-lined the climate crisis, failing their most fundamental duty of reliably informing the public on the greatest issue of our time. Aimed at freeing the truth from the misinformed framing of these media companies, corrupted by corporate advertising and greed, the rebels used disruption to expose the failure of these corporations to accurately report on the climate and ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of the truth to suit their own personal and political agendas.
Without a media landscape that reliably informs the public, we do not have the awareness, the support and the consciousness of the magnitude of the climate crisis, and the effect it has on us all, and all our future generations.
A 92-year-old rebel from Hastings explained: “I don’t enjoy being a nuisance, but we’ve tried everything else, there’s no sense of urgency; they’re talking about 2050, but by then it will be a bit late to do anything.” Rebels who took part in the action said: “we took action because we recognise that we cannot tackle the climate and ecological crisis without understanding and stopping the wider forces that have created it. The ever growing drive to accumulate and concentrate wealth and power, the rich getting richer on the backs of the rest, the disempowerment of women, the disempowerment of the working class, within and across borders, where racial exploitation is normalised. We act in support of all those who have fought for so long against oppression.”
Not only is Freeing the Truth vital in addressing the climate crisis with the urgency it requires, in XR that is the foundation of what we do: we Tell The Truth and we Act from that place.
This action has resulted in the arrest of several of our rebels, who are now facing the financial and emotional stress of the court process and legal charges. We stand with them in solidarity. Recognising the vital importance of their action and their sacrifice, we ask you to do the same. XR have played a pivotal role in raising climate change and environmental breakdown on the media and political agenda. Especially at this time of uncertainty and crisis, we need to keep up the pressure on our government to make sure it takes action on the climate and ecological crisis. The actions of York rebels are essential in this, and we humbly ask for your help.
Please donate here: https://chuffed.org/project/support-york-rebels. Support your local rebels in their fight to stand for truth and change.
Love and rage,
XR York
The Love and Rage Blog 