What Happened When Extinction Rebellion Had a Taste of its Own Medicine

Last week, I attended an event on climate change at the Hampton Inspired Hub. It was advertised as an update on the science of global warming. The first words out of the host’s mouth, however, were: “Thank you for joining us here with Hampton Extinction Rebellion.” 

I nearly got up to leave, but it was raining outside and I already had a drink, so I decided to stay. 

After the usual cycle of ‘doom, death and despair’ followed by the standard ‘if we just spend a lot of money on renewable energy, we’ll save the planet’ narrative the floor was opened for questions.

A few questions in, a gentleman stood up and said that while he agreed with the urgency of the message, the tactics of Extinction Rebellion alienate people rather than persuading them. The panel began interrupting him, urging him to “ask his question or stop” in a rather patronising tone. He calmly continued, explaining how such tactics damage public support. This clearly irritated one of the speakers, a schoolteacher-turned-activist who had moments earlier described how “exciting and fun” activism could be. 

Before long, the man was told his microphone would be taken away. In response, he pulled out a small horn and blew into it, saying, “See? This is annoying. This is my point.” The audience began shouting at him to stop. Moments later, a couple of large men approached, grabbed him and started dragging him across the room. He resisted, but not violently, he simply tried not to be hauled out by his neck whilst continuing to shout his message. 

The speakers, remarkably, carried on as if nothing was happening. A man was being physically removed from the room for expressing a dissenting view, one that broadly agreed with their aims but questioned their methods, and they acted as if it was entirely normal. 

Three men eventually forced him towards the exit. I heard a loud bang as he was pushed out, apparently hitting his head on the door frame. Some in the audience even cheered. 

The panel’s next line, without a hint of irony, was: “We climate change protestors are peaceful.” 

A man had just been manhandled out of the room for holding up a mirror to their behaviour, and not one of them intervened or even suggested a calmer approach. It was hypocritical and frankly disgraceful. 

A few moments later, the same man crawled back into the room, asking for help. He requested that the police be called, which they were. When things calmed down, I learned that he had indeed struck his head during the scuffle, and a lump was forming. He was unsteady on his feet and shaken by the physical altercation, but also by the realisation that he could not safely stand among people who claim to be fighting for a better world and suggest, politely, that their tactics might need to change.