Extinction Rebellion's Activists More Likely to Be New to Protesting, Study Shows 15 July 2020

Extinction Rebellion's activists more likely to be new to protesting, study shows 15 July 2020

overwhelmingly middle class, highly educated, and southern.

Around 85 per cent of those who took part in the action in London in 2019 had a degree, and a third had a postgraduate qualification. Two thirds identified themselves as middle class. A high proportion were self-employed, part-time workers, or students.

Three-quarters of those who were charged with offenses lived below the Severn-Wash line Credit: Joël de Vriend/Unsplash (licensed under CC.0) traditionally separating the north and south of England.

XR activists were mostly non-metropolitan. A third Extinction Rebellion supporters are more likely to of those who appeared in court were from the West be new to protesting than other environmental Country with hotspots in Stroud, Totnes and Frome, activists, a new study shows. whereas just 6 per cent of those who appeared in court after the protests were from Birmingham, Ten per cent of those who took part in the group's Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bradford, protests in April 2019 were first-time Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, demonstrators, twice the proportion of 'novices' at Swansea and Cardiff combined. climate marches a decade before. More women than men were present in both the The research, funded by the Center for the major 2019 demonstrations (64.5 per cent in April, Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity, shows and 56.8 per cent in October). Extinction Rebellion activists in London last year had a much broader and more diverse age profile Professor Clare Saunders, from the University of than has been the case in other environmental Exeter, said: "Our analysis shows one strength of direct action protests. Extinction Rebellion has been to involve people who are not natural protesters, and perhaps even Academics at the University of Exeter, Keele less so natural law-breakers, but who were already University, and Aston University surveyed those persuaded of the rightness of the climate cause, involved with Extinction Rebellion's mass civil and frustrated with the inability of both politicians disobedience actions in London in April and and lifestyle environmentalism to bring about October 2019. They carried out 303 short face to change. face interviews, and also got 232 mailed back questionnaires from protestors. They also attended "Mobilising this group enabled Extinction Rebellion court hearings of 144 Extinction Rebellion activists to significantly expand the numbers of people charged with minor public order offenses. willing to engage in environmental direct action, broadening its age profile, and bringing non-violent The study also shows activists who took part in direct action on climate change into the center of Extinction Rebellion's major protests were political life in the UK."

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People of all ages were arrested, but more people aged 56 and over were charged with an offense (32.2 per cent) than those participating in the action as a whole (23.1 per cent). Provided by University of Exeter

Researchers observed hearings at the City of London Magistrates Court, on seven separate Fridays in August, September, and October 2019, witnessing the cases of around 17 per cent of those charged during the second phase of the protests.

In only two of the 144 court cases observed relating to arrests during the April 2019 protest, did protesters have any previous convictions for protest action. However, 12.4 per cent of the participants in the second October 2019 protests had previously been arrested at a protest.

The majority of protestors surveyed said they most closely identified with the Green Party (59.1 per cent), followed by Labour (15.5 per cent), There was almost no support among Extinction Rebellion activists for the Conservative Party, and very little for the Liberal Democrats.

Professor Brian Doherty, from Keele University, said: "We found Extinction Rebellion activists are much more likely to vote and be members of political parties than the general population, but they are also skeptical about the ability of political parties and government to deliver effective solutions to environmental problems."

Dr. Graeme Hayes, from Aston University, said, "Protestors said they did not believe in reliance on companies and the market, governments, or lifestyle changes by individuals to solve the climate crisis. Almost all said they were protesting to raise awareness of the climate emergency, and to pressure politicians to act.

"This is a potential point of contention for Extinction Rebellion. Its strategy emphasizes lobbying the government for action, but its activists do not think the government can deliver."

More information: Clare Saunders et al. A New Climate Movement? Extinction Rebellion's Activists in Profile | A Report. CUSP Working Paper Series | No 25. www.cusp.ac.uk/themes/p/xr-study/

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APA citation: Extinction Rebellion's activists more likely to be new to protesting, study shows (2020, July 15) retrieved 26 September 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2020-07-extinction-rebellion-activists- protesting.html

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