The British group, Extinction Rebellion, celebrated the official state opening of Parliament in the United Kingdom by hosting a multi-day “Climate Strike” in central London, shutting down the city so that they could save the Earth through performance art and yoga.
No, really.
As Ministers of Parliament gathered to handle some of the top issues in the UK, including whether the UK will officially honor the Brexit referendum and make its exit from the European Union, Extinction Rebellion took to the streets and sidewalks to demand a change to the UK’s climate policy. They claim newly elected Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, refuses to do anything about the burgeoning climate “crisis” that could end humanity as we know it in less than a dozen years.
But if Extinction Rebellion were just that — a resistance against an actual, apocalyptic extinction that would wipe out humanity — their methods of preventing such a disaster are…odd. Protesters, who set up camp last weekend in preparation for Tuesday’s and Wendesday’s demonstrations spent most of the morning doing yoga and dancing in the middle of public streets (and listening to members of their own literally preach to the choir).
Protestors from #ExtinctionRebellion now doing yoga on occupied Westminster Bridge. pic.twitter.com/dvYfCnlO8O
— James Bickerton (@JBickertonUK) October 7, 2019
Yes, those are, indeed, plastic and PVC yoga mats, made largely from petroleum byproducts. But that’s hardly the worst example of Extinction Rebellion hypocrisy. But before that, back to the yoga.
In case your wondering the #ExtinctionRebellion yoga on Westminster Bridge is still going on. They really really like their yoga. pic.twitter.com/R8YSedMOgy
— James Bickerton (@JBickertonUK) October 7, 2019
They also danced and did skits.
Extinction Rebellion – Day 3 pic.twitter.com/RxRNukO8IB
— Mike Nayna (@MikeNayna) October 9, 2019
And, in some places, put on high-production value “performance art” that defies explanation.
Honestly just trying to get to the pub … #ExtinctionRebellion pic.twitter.com/7HcjOZMQdN
— Emily Hewertson (@emilyhewertson) October 9, 2019
Those ladies also dress in green.
The movement has attracted a number of high-profile supporters and claims that most of its nearly $5 million fortune comes from individual donors (and it rakes in around $40,000 more per day). The Times of London explains that celebrities, musicians, and artists have given to Extinction Rebellion in the hopes of defraying the climate crisis, occasionally to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars (the group Radiohead, for example, gave Extinction Rebellion a quarter million dollar gift).
But its hard to see where that money is ending up. According to onlookers, Extinction Rebellion doesn’t seem to be doing much except sitting in, and, in fact, isn’t running their temporary tent city on solar and wind power. Bystanders seemed to locate several diesel generators powering the camp’s equipment (the photo is not independently verified, however).
Hypocrites absolute Hypocrites. #ExtinctionRebellion camp in London using a diesel generator for power. Did they think the pallets made it invisible and soundproof 😂 pic.twitter.com/sFccNFncnS
— James Deegan MC (@jamesdeeganMC) October 8, 2019
Other protesters were spotted at McDonalds, a major global corporation that burns plenty of fossil fuels and may be the single largest distributor and user of single-use plastics in the world.
Spotted in Westminster: Extinction Rebellion protesters queuing for lunch at… McDonalds.
You. Couldn’t. Make. This. Stuff. Up. If. You. Tried. pic.twitter.com/cqSr95BG3s
— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) October 7, 2019
So if Extinction Rebellion doesn’t seem to be moving the ball forward with their use of “non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction,” where is the money actually going? The Times of London reports that it’s…complicated. It turns out, some of the activists, including those showing up to this week’s protests in London are paid to be a part of Extinction Rebellion — in some cases, up to $800 per week.
Other than that, the group spent about a quarter million dollars on “protest tools” and “live performances to entertain the crowds,” an additional quarter million setting up the protests and bussing in local groups, a hundred thousand on “media and messaging,” and nearly half a million on accommodations for this week’s protests.
The investment “includes [a half million] on stage equipment, setting up protest camps, food for protesters and living expenses for protest co-ordinators,” as well as “[s]everal thousand pounds…allocated to provide ‘sanctuary spaces and wellbeing hubs’ for protesters who are ‘stressed or distressed.'”
They did not put any of the money towards fitness classes, which is why when they attempted to use a firehose to spray fake blood on the UK Treasury, they mostly got all 1800 gallons of red paint on themselves.
What a waste of precious water.