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More reflections from my time with Extinction Rebellion in London





I'm back in Cardiff now after a few days with Extinction Rebellion in London. It's all still ongoing, and I find myself with much to think about.

In many ways I was really only dipping my toe in this kind of thing. I took part in the Cardiff action in the summer, but this was the first time I had gone to London for an Extinction Rebellion protest. I was apprehensive but I feel much more comfortable doing this kind of thing now. What I'd like to say to anyone curious it that it's totally possible to just turn up, have a look around, be as involved as you want to be. You don't have to be prepared to get arrested, you can just be there.

Thousands of people were there, but in some ways I was disappointed by the numbers. It would be a lot more effective if there were like 100,000 people there - the kinds of numbers for a football match. At those numbers the police couldn't do much, the streets couldn't be taken back. People wouldn't have to do anything. If there were simply 100,000 people hanging on those streets it would be an unstoppable movement.

That's mostly what I did - I met people who I knew, I talked to people, I prayed, I went to a Quaker Meeting for Worship, a Christian evening prayer, and a Jewish service. Without the planned Faith Bridge I wasn't able to offer something myself.

I was just one of the people in the crowd singing and supporting those being arrested. One of 50 pairs of eyes that looked on to make sure police arrested people appropriately and with due care. I watched lots of people get arrested. It looks like there will be even more arrests this time than in April.

What was more dramatic was when I was with a small group who decided they were going to sit in the road, though the police had cleared out everyone else. It was dark and we were few in numbers. The police had asked us to move, but we has refused. We knew the police were coming back and going to arrest anyone who wasn't going to budge. Just before they did though the "Red Rebels" (the ghostly figures dressed all in red and walking about in silence as a continuous piece of street art) descended on us. With care, pure attention, and love they surrounded the people about to be arrested, and reached out to touch them. They give their blessing like they were a host of angels, and that's exactly what they looked like to me. Having given their blessing they descended into the night just in time for 30 police officers to march in and start arresting people.

That angelic visitation left me wondering - where is the Holy in the midst of action? How can prayer and protest go together? I still don't have many good answers to those questions, but I feel they are the important questions.

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