Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a decentralised climate action group which uses non-violent civil disobedience as a tactic to persuade governments to act on the climate and ecological crisis. Formed in the UK in 2018, XR now has groups worldwide, including XR Aotearoa New Zealand or XRANZ. We are part of the national and international struggle for meaningful action to reduce the impact of the climate and ecological crisis.

We have all taken part in demos, signed petitions and written submissions, and we support groups who continue to work this way. However, rebels with Extinction Rebellion feel justified in taking our actions one step further into non-violent direct action, because those other options are not working anywhere near fast enough. We have branches across Aotearoa and I've been a coordinator with XR Ōtepoti Dunedin since early 2019.

XRANZ recognises that in Aotearoa, Te Tiriti justice is an essential component of climate justice, and we have added a fourth demand to the original three demands of XR, which are:

1. Tell the truth - that governments tell the truth about the climate crisis
2. Zero carbon emissions by 2025
3. The establishment of Citizens' Assemblies as a way of involving communities in decision making about what needs to happen
4. Restore the mana of the land - honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

XR has a set of values and principles, including inclusivity, non-violence and promotion of a regenerative culture. XR is non-hierarchical and uses self-organising systems. As long as rebels abide by the principles, they can act in the name of XR. XRANZ has translated our demands and principles into Te Reo Maori, they can be seen here:

XR in the UK began with mass disruptive actions intended to force their Government to make changes, and a deliberate tactic of seeking mass arrests, in order also to disrupt the court system, a tactic which has been critised by people of colour, who are not likely to be treated as well by police as the original white middle class activists. In Aotearoa, we have not been able to mobilise the large numbers of people needed for a truly disruptive non-violent mass action.

A national action in Wellington in October 2019 raised the profile of XRANZ and I think that, alongside other climate groups like Greenpeace, School Strike for Climate, Gen Zero, 350.org, Te Ara Whatu, Pacific Climate Warriors and the Climate Justice Network, we have raised public and governmental awareness of climate change to the point where the Government has declared a Climate Emergency and response to climate change is being widely discussed.

However, our Government has not followed through with promised action, emissions have continued to rise and Aotearoa plans to purchase carbon credits overseas rather than reduce greenhouse gas emissions. During the pandemic, large scale actions have not been possible and XR activists internationally have begun to focus on actions targeted at specific industries and/or companies involved in fossil fuels, such as Blockade Australia's disruption of the Port of Newcastle or Shell Must Fall in the Netherlands.

Stop The Coal Trains!

Here in Ōtepoti, we wanted strategic actions that are clearly targeted, give us opportunites to raise public awareness and help build the movement by giving rebels the chance to take part in real action. We chose coal as a principal target; it is undisputed as a major contributor to climate change which must be phased out as soon as possible, and public awareness of the transfer of coal from Bathurst's Takatimu mine to Fonterra's Clandeboye factory almost daily through Dunedin, by Kiwirail, is currently very low.

There have been opportunities for a variety of actions related to the target of stopping coal, giving rebels a choice about the level of involvement they are comfortable with, e.g., from signing a petition to the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, who is our local MP David Clark, asking that Kiwirail stop hauling coal, through to singing coal-themed Christmas carols outside his office or dressing up as a cow to protest at Fonterra's climate harming activities, right up to stopping the coal train on the tracks, which we have now done six times, and climbing on to it or locking onto the railway track in front of the train.

We think the demand for New Zealand to stop using coal can and will be met and we see our actions as a contribution to the pressure being placed on fossil fuel companies, industries and governments internationally to act. XR Ōtepoti have been joined by rebels from Ōtautahi, Whakatū and Waihōpai for some of our actions, and rebels from Ōtepoti have joined with Greenpeace for actions like the occupation of the Skandi oil drilling supply ship. When you are in despair about the lack of action on climate and ecological breakdown, it's great to do some full-on disruptive action, like stopping a train-load of coal!