We are still addicted to fossil fuels.
The only true path to energy security, stable power prices, prosperity & a livable planet lies in quitting fossil fuels & accelerating the transition to renewables.

António Guterres, Secretary General of the UN

The Summer Uprising has begun! XR Oxford kicked off proceedings with banner drops around Oxfordshire. The purpose of the uprising is twofold: to continue to press home our immediate demand – to end new fossil fuels now, and to continue to build the movement, recruit new rebels and build momentum for the September rebellion in London. We will be targeting Barclays Bank’s atrocious record of funding big polluters and enabling new fossil fuel projects.

Dates for your diary

Thursday 21st July, 12-2pm: Outreach around Barclays, with banners, flags, Samba and a pink table ‘helpdesk’ where members of the public will be helped to switch to an ethical bank. Postponed from original date of the 19th due to extreme heat warning.
Saturday 23rd July: We All Want To Just Stop Oil (London)
Sunday 24th July, 1:30-4:30pm: Art Workshop (SS Mary and John School). See below for details.
Thursday 28th July, 12-2pm: Dramatic Drowning in Oil action and die-in at Barclays.
Sunday 31st July: Bike ride around Oxford, followed by a picnic – a chance to connect with old and new rebels. Further details coming soon!
Sat/Sun 6th-7th August: XR Camp Out (Runnymede). Family friendly weekend of workshops and outreach.

Volunteers needed

Anyone with a DBS check willing to help at the XR art exhibition at the Old Fire Station during workshops on Saturday 24th September, from 10AM-4PM. Please contact Sue: spencerlonghurst@btinternet.com

News

Clean Air Day – Thursday 16th June

How clean is the air you’re breathing? That’s the question Headington Fringe rebels asked local residents at two outreach events in Headington in late May/mid-June focusing on the high air pollution levels across Oxford. In late May we had a stall at the Headington Festival in Bury Knowle park. We showed residents on https://addresspollution.org the level of air pollution in their street and then, when they expressed shock at the high levels of pollution, we discussed the need for keeping fossil fuels in the ground and free buses for Oxford. Just about everyone we spoke to was positive about this idea. We also asked them to sign postcards for Anneliese Dodds, MP, and Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, calling for free buses. We had lots of lovely Arts stuff to make the stall attractive and raised about £60 in donations for arts goodies and in general support.

On Clean Air Day, Thursday 16th June, we focused on the same campaign, with a stall at Headington shops and a rota of eight rebels doing outreach. By the end, all the remaining postcards had been signed – 200 in total! We have posted the cards for Grant Shapps to him, with a covering letter, and are planning to hand over the cards for Anneliese Dodds to her in person. We also signed up 16 people (from the two events) who wanted to know more about XR. Feng did a great job taking photos and interviewing Mary Gill. See the interview here.

Project 3.5

Over the a period of 10 days in June, Extinction Rebellion Oxford knocked on over 1800 doors and had almost 500 conversations with local people in the Florence Park and East Oxford area.

Our conversations were overwhelmingly positive, with people expressing concern over the Climate Crisis. Many people also expressed that they feel powerless to do anything about the future of our planet. Watch a video of our doorknockers and read all about one member’s experiences. If you’re interested in joining the next round, get in touch with xroxfordwelcome@gmail.com

Art workshop – 24th July

If you’d like to try your hand at block printing, or have done it before but fancy another go, we are holding a block printing workshop so that you can print clothes, patches, flags and bags with iconic XR designs. Some bags, flags and patches will be provided (donations welcome to cover costs), but please feel free to bring your own things for an XR makeover! Plain or not too strongly patterned fabrics tend to work best. Children welcome, but will need adult supervision at all times.

Join us at SS Mary and John School, Meadow Lane, OX4 1TJ, from 1:30-4:30PM.

Also taking place in this session: placard-making for awareness raising about the imminent auction of peatlands in Democratic Republic of Congo! Nine parcels of peat land are being auctioned to the oil and gas industry on 28th and 29th July! Come along and make a placard to support the social media campaign – more info here.

We’ll bring what cardboard and pens etc we can, but do please bring materials if you have them. The campaign will likely go on for some time, so the placards will be used for months and years to come.

Finally, you could also make placards for our ‘Drowning in Oil’ and die-in action at Barclays, planned for Thursday 28th July.

Any questions, please get in touch: xroxfordcoordinator@gmail.com.

Fundraiser for coordinator of XR Sudan

Many of you will have heard the story of XR Sudan since December 2021. Perhaps you also heard of the tragic death of Muhammad, part of XR Sudan, during the street protests for democracy last year. You may not know about the XR coordinator for Sudan, whose participation in XR put him in danger. We are happy that he is now safe and seeking asylum in another country. Thanks to XR Global Support, Protect Defenders and friends near and far, he has been able to live in hiding for six months, escape and set up with the bare minimum in his new country of asylum.

However, there are still many challenges. It is not easy to get a job immediately, especially with the challenge of a new language. Before escaping his home country, he was also a major financial contributor to his family, so he is very concerned about their welfare. He has recently had malaria, so medical expenses are something that cannot be ignored. Rent, food, transport – these costs cannot be paid with thin air.

So, in the short term, reluctantly, the XR Sudan coordinator needs support. We are aiming to raise funds to cover six months of expenses. We hope this will give him enough time to settle down securely in his new country and find a job to provide for himself and his family in Sudan. Please donate here!

In love and rage,

The XR Oxford Crew