To take DD to the Extinction Rebellion protest next weekend?

[Rainallnight]

DD is 6, going on 7. Saturday is some sort of family oriented Earth day. I’d like to take her because I think it’s an important historical moment in the climate crisis.

BUT I have no idea if it’s safe, or even whether getting there and back will be a nightmare for small people.

Has anyone taken DC to one of these before? Is it manageable?

I was wondering the same, it was a lovely today, peaceful and moving and full of love and rage. Loads of kids, the 'die in' was particularly emotionally powerful!

I was there! It was wonderful. And I took part in the die-in as well.

Me too at the die in, a truly special atmosphere, with the birdsong too, beautiful x

Me too. Would love to know what the turn out was. Felt like tens of thousands on the march itself.

XR on Twitter saying 60,000 people.

I had a brilliant time with my two. Was it just me or were there even more fabulous crafts than usual? We loved the giant pink octopus, crested newt, big spider with a beanie hat on. Plus people's small signs were amazing. One woman had sewn brown trout in a chalk stream in satin. Beautiful!

People made so much effort… really lovely. It felt very safe and very positive, despite the theme of the day!

Was the lady there with the kiwi fruit shrink-wrapped into some plastic from South America? The one in the papers.

I dunno I couldn't hear the speeches very well from where we were waiting. Heard a bit of Chris Packham.

And there you go.

No disruptive tactics meant no media coverage.

There is still today… I'd go if I wasn’t working.

I guess they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Just where the government wants them to be. And people who think of them as ‘ambulance blockers’ won’t have changed their tune.

It was dwarfed - maybe in future years, choosing a weekend without huge other events would be better?

There were the FA Cup semis at Wembley (known) and the amazing NUFC v Spurs match (fluke)

And of course the marathon - much bigger crowds - XR claiming 60,000 demonstrators yesterday, but the number of runners in the marathon was well over 40,000 and the number of spectators at least double that. Smaller events do get less coverage.

Plus of course it was an awesome marathon - new course record and second fastest marathon ever in the men's elite (by someone running only his second marathon), absolute fairytale win for Sifan Hussan in the women's (her first marathon, and making her the most versatile/successful runner ever), exciting finish for the women's elite wheelchair, and a massive win for Hug in the men's. Plus at least 2 new Guinness records - fastest marathon by a person with a stoma, fastest by person carrying a fridge (FFS!)

My family got accidentally caught up in the women's march a few years ago and my 12 year old at the time ended up with a bloodied nose. Definitely avoid large groups as the lack of crowd control and those strange group behaviours make for a high risk environment

I've just read an interview with the XR founder that was published in the Times yesterday.

Pretty shocking stuff and it all makes a lot more sense now. He's from a very rural, religious Christian background, has been in big trouble with environmental campaigners in Germany for minimising and scoffing at the Holocaust, and yet repeatedly uses Nazi and death camp metaphors.

Truly awful person. But makes more sense now why it is the kind of movement it is, particularly its horrible racial politics.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/roger-hallam-interview-extinction-rebellion-climate-change-protests-insulate-britain-just-stop-oil-gb3vtm8zs

It’s behind a paywall. And it’s The Times… not exactly impartial…

They're all sporting events though.

There was coverage of other non sporting issues/events. But not this.

They're all sporting events though

There was coverage of other non sporting issues/events. But not this.

True, but when it's a major day for sports then that tends to take up a greater proportion of bulletins than when there are no fixtures or ones that do not have such a level of achievement.

I think the coverage of the Sudan crisis and of Diane Abbott's remarks was appropriate - can't remember what else was on yesterday - did the fatal dog attack make the main news? Which of the stories that were covered would you have given less/no airtime to?

I've attended several large XR events in London and smaller regional ones, all with my DC, ranging between 5-10 years old. I have found them to be absolutely safe events and my DC loved the creativity, the music and friendliness of fellow activists. The pace is gentle and definitely child-friendly. XR's values (easily located on website) are great, and non-violence is a core value.
I hope you had a great time if you made it, OP.

I mean they're not making this stuff up! It's in the public domain.

but here's one from the Guardian, which I imagine is on your list of approved media sources

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/20/extinction-rebellion-founders-holocaust-remarks-spark-fury

This.

Honestly, OP, are you kidding us, taking your 7-year-old to a potentially volatile protest with thousands of people in the crowds and police who might decide to use the tear gas if things turn sour??

With respect (and acknowledging you're not the only poster on this thread to have done this), you perhaps haven't properly looked into this event before posting: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/21/big-one-extinction-rebellion-cliimate-protest-london-xr
I've travelled to several large scale national events that XR have staged in London and never seen tear gas used, violence etc. XR's well publicised intention to make this weekend's event even less controversial meant this was an even more remote possibility.