King Charles has mentioned the activist group Extinction Rebellion in his interview (see here). They have been carrying out a number of actions across London since 2019, many of them hugely disruptive to everyday life.ย
DISCLAIMER: Discussing the actions carried out by these activists does not mean that I personally endorse them. As an English teacher, I am only interested in the language used and generated by their activism, and the conversations that can be sparked in the classroom around it. So my goal is to improve your range and accuracy of language alone.ย
APRIL 2019 (when Extinction Rebellion first took to the streets)- Watch the video to learn about Extinction Rebellion and their actions.ย
Early actions (April 2019)- Watch on YouTube
If you were an Extinction Rebellion activist, which would be your next actions? Weigh the pros and cons of the proposals below and agree on the actions to be carried out:ย ย
block roads, occupy major junctions and landmarks to stop traffic and create disruption.
abseil from Tower Bridge-drop a banner.
close Lloyd's of London (one of the world's leading insurance companies).
glue themselves to oil company headquarters and be arrested en masse.
gather at Speaker's Corner (Hyde Park) and lead a disruptive display of people onto the streets of central London.
secure the support of celebrities and well-known activists.
https://sites.google.com/view/speaking-discoursemarkers/interactions?authuser=0ย
๐ค How do these actions compare to those carried out by the suffragettes at the turn of the century?ย
EXTRA INFORMATION (only for you to look at AFTER the class if you are interested)
APRIL 2022
Analyse the pamphlet: what examples of persuasive language can you find?ย
Extinction Rebellion protesters abseiling from Tower Bridge:ย
Extinction Rebellion: Activists block four London bridges- https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-61120179ย
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-61133235 (Extinction Rebellion: Seventy arrested at climate change protests)
https://www.newsflare.com/video/489191/extinction-rebellion-arrests-at-marble-arch-londonย