Report from UNITE TO SURVIVE FOR NATURE, CLIMATE & SOCIAL JUSTICE in Bath on Saturday

Posted: 30th October 2023

XR Sailsbury

Hello everyone,

As one of the ‘Weavers’ for this weekend, I am still in shock – I can’t quite believe the South West pulled it off! UNITE TO SURVIVE FOR NATURE, CLIMATE & SOCIAL JUSTICE in Bath on Saturday was all we could have hoped for and more (although we could have done without the downpour in the afternoon!) Inspiring, uniting and uplifting – it was Extinction Rebellion at its best: creative, inclusive and caring. And this time, we had more than 40 allied groups lining up with us, which was incredible.

Also, the march was magnificent. One local resident said it was the biggest gathering she had seen in the city in more than 40 years (an estimated 2.000 people). It took a full 10 minutes for it to go past! Colourful, well-organised and peaceful, it was quite a spectacle, from the Red Rebels and Climate Choir to the River Goddess puppet, Landing Crew, Blackbirds, Oil Slicks and the hilarious Big Heads – and it was heart-warming to see our glorious Salisbury banner carried proudly amidst all this.

Internal Coordinator Jabeen, who organised the coach from Salisbury to the protest, said:

“The group of Salisbury rebels thoroughly enjoyed the XR South West action ‘Unite to Survive’ event on 28 October in the beautiful surrounds of Victoria Park in Bath. The event had a festival feel, with plenty of stalls, live music, informative workshops, inspiring speeches and a chance to meet and chat with like-minded people within our community. Some rebels from Salisbury participated in a people’s assembly, discussing and exploring important issues, while others took on outreach and stewarding roles.
“The march was a colourful, humorous and inspiring spectacle and the public in Bath stopped to watch and some even cheered us on. Following the march, the heavens opened and we took refuge under marquees, listening to more inspiring speeches. Exhausted, we clambered on to our coach for a restful journey home.”

We must keep building this momentum to bring about change.


A TREE FOR LORNA

Mention of XR Salisbury’s lovely banner is a poignant reminder that on 7 November it is a year since we lost our wonderful rebel – and the head of our Arts Circle – Lorna Wilson. Lorna was a founder member of Extinction Rebellion Salisbury and a passionate volunteer for many local groups, including parkrun and the Trussell Trust.

We have arranged for a tree to be planted in her memory on behalf of XR Salisbury, in Churchill Gardens, and are now fund-raising for a plaque to go with it (your thoughts on what this should say would be much appreciated). We need to raise £250 to cover this, which we will do via our XR Salisbury account. Do please email this address to say that the money you are donating is towards the memorial – I will start by adding £30.

All donations to: ALL WELCOME!

Love and courage, Di, Media & Messaging
Video of March through Bath: https://youtu.be/1cI_BIorWmA?feature=shared