During the midst of a heated conflict between the police and climate protesters late last week in London, the two sides took to a moment of peace when the officers decided to take time out from arresting people to join in on a rave in Oxford Circus that was being held by the Extinction Rebellion eco-activist group.
The police have had their hands full with non-stop protesters and the Scotland Yard claimed that on that day alone that 100 people were detained during the continuous protests in Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus, and Marble Arch, bringing the to-date arrest total to 400 for the week.
Several activists took to Twitter to show the police force taking time out to dance party with the eco-warriors, and even stated that the authorities were making song requests. One officer requested “Insomnia” by Faithless.
The protests have been going on for several days, and seemingly the police just needed to try to connect with the protesters. While it was successful for the time being, once the rave ended it was back to business as usual the next morning.
The protesters had been taking extreme measures to voice their opinions, and on the day officers joined the rave, activists were gluing themselves to trains, and chaining each other to Labor Leader Jeremy Corbyn’s garden fence. The day after the momentary truce, Extinction Rebellion was back at it again, vowing to continue making roadblocks that have disrupted public transportation, businesses, and have impacted more than a half a million people with delays.
Extinction Rebellion is on a mission to let their voices be heard. The group is demanding a meeting with the Government, and stated that they will continue the action until authorities take the immediate steps to make a change to prevent the continued detrimental effects of climate change and wildlife declines, which will put a halt to the impending “Sixth Mass Extinction”.
It seems as if the activists are making a difference, and that the Government is waking up about the issues at hand. On BBC’s The One Show, Environment Secretary Michael Grove said that the government has got the message, and stated: “I think it’s appropriate for people to make their feelings known, but I also think we’ve got the message, we understand that action needs to be taken”.
Time will tell if the activists that were arrested for their part in the protest will get a simple slap on the wrist, or if they will face more substantial consequences, however, when making a significant impact is the outcome of action, people often face the situation with a smile on their face.
It is not frequently that activist groups can stand up and fight the power and win, so where some lives were inconvenienced due to the protests and roadblocks, that is nothing compared to the fate that humanity is facing without change. Congratulations to the Extinction Rebellion for standing up for the future in the face of a giant and prevailing.
An officer requested “Insomnia” by @faithless. The peaceful #ExtinctionRebellion protestors obliged and the #OxfordCircus party kicked off! | @LdnRebellion @ExtinctionR pic.twitter.com/tuBUbZmDrG
— (((woofboy))) (@woofboy) April 17, 2019
BREAKING – Around 100 police officers arrive in Oxford Circus and immediately start arresting #ExtinctinRebellion protesters pic.twitter.com/MDjOicwW5L
— Mark White (@skymarkwhite) April 18, 2019
