Impossible Rebellion: photos of XR blocking a London junction
- Text by Ben Smoke
- Photography by Aiyush Pachnanda
Yesterday (23 August), thousands of people descended upon central London for the first day of Extinction Rebellion’s “Impossible Rebellion”. The rebellion marks the fourth iteration of the group’s extended periods of civil disobedience and action on climate change since they launched in October 2018, and is due to take place over two weeks.
Crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square yesterday to hear speeches from activists and organisers before marching through the streets. As they did so, a separate group of activists arrived in Covent Garden, setting up a four-metre high pink table, blocking one of the area’s busiest junctions. In a press release the group stated that the structure, which was painted with the words “come to the table” and included sleeping quarters, was “set to be the centerpiece of Extinction Rebellion’s Crisis Talks, the first, crucial part of the Rebellion, where the group intends to engage with the general public about the climate and ecological emergency and invite everyone to come to the table to discuss where humanity must go next.”
Activists locked themselves to the table and glued chairs to the road. Following the implementation of conditions on the protest via section 14 of the public order act by the police, officers moved in to start making arrests to try and clear the road.
According to the Metropolitan Police, as of 10:15pm last night 52 arrests had been made. Photographer Aiyush Pachnada was there to capture the action.
Follow Aiyush Pachnanda on Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
Meet the trans-led hairdressers providing London with gender-affirming trims
Open Out — Since being founded in 2011, the Hoxton salon has become a crucial space the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Hannah Bentley caught up with co-founder Greygory Vass to hear about its growth, breaking down barbering binaries, and the recent Supreme Court ruling.
Written by: Hannah Bentley
Gazan amputees secure Para-Cycling World Championships qualification
Gaza Sunbirds — Alaa al-Dali and Mohamed Asfour earned Palestine’s first-ever top-20 finish at the Para-Cycling World Cup in Belgium over the weekend.
Written by: Isaac Muk
New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture
Free Party: A Folk History — Directed by Aaron Trinder, it features first-hand stories from key crews including DiY, Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Circus Warp, with public streaming available from May 30.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Rahim Fortune’s dreamlike vision of the Black American South
Reflections — In the Texas native’s debut solo show, he weaves familial history and documentary photography to challenge the region’s visual tropes.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Why Katy Perry’s space flight was one giant flop for mankind
Galactic girlbossing — In a widely-panned, 11-minute trip to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, the ‘Women’s World’ singer joined an all-female space crew in an expensive vanity advert for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains its apocalypse indicating signs.
Written by: Emma Garland
Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”
Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.
Written by: Katie Goh
