Oxfordshire residents join Extinction Rebellion protests in London

Members from Extinction Rebellion Oxford travelled to the capital to take part in a number of protests and acts of civil disobedience, to raise awareness about climate change.

Jessica Upton, 52, a vet from Oxford and member of the activist group, described how increasing reports of extreme weather across the globe drove it home to her that ‘the climate emergency is already affecting us’.  

Ms Upton took part in a number of protests in London, including one in Oxford Circus which saw a group of women glue their hands to a pink table. It symbolised the need for all people to get together and address climate change.  

She said: “I used to think it was just my children who I was fighting for but now – as more information comes out about the climate crisis – I realise its going to affect me too unless we do something.

“That terrifies me.

“I have had a lovely life and I would like future generations to as well.

“To be honest though I would prefer not to be spending my annual leave protesting –I particularly did not enjoy 22 hours in custody – so if anyone has a better idea how to get the Government’s attention please tell me!”

A group of women, including Ms Upton, glued their hands to a pink table in Oxford Circus, London (Jessica Upton)

In a career spent caring for animals, Ms Upton feels she clearly see the human impact on the natural environment.

She said: “Crops are failing, people are starving, places are flooding, Pacific islands are getting submerged. My heart bleeds for the people affected and we need to do something about it.”

Ms Upton also cited a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was called a ‘code red for humanity’, as an important driving factor in her activism.

She said: “We already have enough fossil fuels out of the ground to overheat the planet to extinction. The focus of the protests was to request that the government stop fossil fuel extraction.

“It seems a no-brainer yet our government is ploughing ahead with permission pending for a new oil field off Scotland and a new coal mine in Cumbria.”

Ms Upton peacefully protesting to bring attention to the government’s lack of action on climate change (Jessica Upton)

Ms Upton added she writes to her local councillors and MP about climate issues, signs petitions and recycles but without big changes initiated by the Government she says we ‘do not have a hope of keeping global warming controlled’.

She said: “I am truly sorry for any inconvenience the protests caused but it is nothing compared to the inconvenience future extreme weather events and crop failure will cause if we do not act appropriately now to stop global warming.”