Extinction Rebellion is a global environmental protest movement using peaceful disruption to demand urgent climate action from governments and institutions.
Extinction Rebellion is a global environmental protest movement using peaceful disruption to demand urgent climate action from governments and institutions.
Extinction Rebellion, often abbreviated as XR, was launched in the United Kingdom in 2018 by a group of academics, artists, and environmental activists who were deeply frustrated by the failure of governments to address the growing climate crisis. XR announced themselves to the world in the Letters page of the Guardian newspaper and regional groups began springing up everywhere across the UK including XR Lincolnshire. The movement quickly spread across the globe, inspiring mass protests in cities from London to New York to Sydney.
Founded by the activist collective Rising Up!, XR was born out of the belief that only nonviolent civil disobedience could spark the systemic change required to prevent ecological collapse. The group drew inspiration from historical protest movements such as the Civil Rights Movement, Gandhi's campaigns, and the Suffragettes, all of which used peaceful disruption to create political momentum.
Extinction Rebellion’s message is built around three core demands:
These are supported by the belief that current political systems are incapable of meeting the urgency of the climate emergency and that participatory democracy must play a key role in future governance.
The movement encourages ordinary citizens to become activists and embrace civil resistance as a moral duty. XR does not align itself with any political party, choosing instead to focus on creating moments of public disruption — roadblocks, bridge occupations, and art-driven demonstrations — to force climate action onto the agenda.
Since its inception, Extinction Rebellion has staged some of the most high-profile environmental protests in recent memory. In April 2019, XR blockaded central London for several days, bringing parts of the city to a standstill. Protesters occupied Oxford Circus, Waterloo Bridge, and Parliament Square with music, dance, and towering pink boats bearing the slogan "Tell the Truth."
Though praised for reinvigorating climate debate, XR has also faced criticism for its tactics, which some consider disruptive or inaccessible. The movement has responded by broadening its approach — creating affinity groups, training legal observers, and encouraging inclusivity. Despite arrests and public debate, XR has stayed firmly committed to nonviolence and artistic protest.
Extinction Rebellion is part of a larger cultural shift toward more direct, emotionally resonant protest. Alongside groups like Just Stop Oil and Youth Demand, XR has redefined environmental activism as urgent, creative, and deeply moral. Unlike traditional green organisations, XR does not lobby — it disrupts, with the belief that collapse is not only coming, but already here.
What sets XR apart is its emphasis on decentralisation. There is no formal leadership, only a shared set of principles and goals. This open model has allowed it to grow rapidly and globally, while adapting to different cultural and political contexts. From sit-ins and tree-houses to climate grief ceremonies and rebel assemblies, XR blends art, ritual, and science into a powerful form of resistance.
In just a few years, Extinction Rebellion has reshaped the conversation around climate justice. Whether celebrated or controversial, it continues to ask the world’s leaders the same urgent question, what will you do now?