Kia ora Wellington friends and rebels.

Last weekend, rebel organisers from all over Aotearoa NZ got together for the first time at the XRNZ National Hui.

These great people have been co-ordinating groups at a local level all over the country – on water, coal, climate and ecological emergency declarations – and it was amazing to finally connect, energise and get into some serious planning for collective action.

September and October are set to be big months for climate action and events world wide – there’s international Earth Strike and School Strike 4 Climate in late September and Extinction Rebellion’s Week of Rebellion from 7 to 13 October. We’ll keep you posted on how to get involved, but below are some things you can do to get ready in the meantime.

Upcoming actions and events

 

Non-violent Direct Action Training 

Saturday 13 July, 9.30am – 3pm

Join our whānau at Greenpeace to find out what non-violent civil disobedience really is and how you can get in on the action! They welcome Wellington rebels to join their training on July 13, starting 9.30am in Newtown. Go to the Greenpeace page to sign up. We also have a Facebook event you can share to spread the word. If you can’t make it on Saturday, there’ll be another opportunity before things ramp up in September and October.

 

Community Caring Crisis Conversations 

Saturday 20 July 20, 2pm

It can be hard not to feel helpless in the face of the crisis we’re facing – but you’re not alone. Whether it’s the first time you’ve connected with XR, or you’re now feeling like one of the crew, we’re holding our next regenerative get-together at Stillwaters Community, 327 Willis Street. Whether you’re feeling grief, rage, anxiety, resolve or whatever – here’s a chance to connect, listen, share and say what’s in your heart. It’s healing and it gives us back our courage to act.

 

If you’re new…

come along an hour before our regenerative get-together. Turn up at 1pm, have a chat and a cuppa, and stay for the 2pm get-together if you want to. You’re welcome – everyone is.

 

Oil Free Wellington protest at OMV

Friday 19 July, 12.30pm to 1.30pm

The Austrian oil giant OMV has brought its drilling rigs to Aotearoa, ready to look for for oil and gas in the ocean off the coast of Canterbury and Otago. This is happening despite the government’s ban on new offshore exploration and the Prime Minister calling climate change our “nuclear free moment.” Let’s head to the Majestic Centre (OMV’s Wellington HQ) on Willis St. We’ll join our friends from Oil Free Wellington with an action to tell OMV that they’re not welcome to drill for oil here or anywhere!

Check out the Facebook event for more info.

 

Protest at Parliament 

every day

Our Government still hasn’t acknowledged we’re in a climate crisis, soOllie Langridge (@thathumbleman on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and a bunch of XR friends are still on Parliament lawn every day until a climate emergency is declared. Turn up anytime to show our politicians that Ollie isn’t the only one who wants a livable planet for his children. Since it’s the school holidays, you can bring the kids for a picnic. Maybe Simon Bridges and Paula Bennett will come and talk to them about climate action… oh, was that a pig flying past the Beehive?

Since we last spoke…

Climate emergency declarations

Since our last newsletter Porirua and Hutt City have both acknowledged we’re in a wee bit of a crisis and declared climate emergencies. They’ve joined Auckland, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Kapiti,

Christchurch and Nelson. It’s a great first step and now we just have to get them to urgently act, now that they’ve declared it’s an emergency!

 

Make your submission on the zero carbon bill

Speaking of urgent action, there’s still time to tell our politicians how strongly and urgently they need to act on the climate crisis and carbon emissions. Submissions to strengthen the Zero Carbon Bill must be in by Tuesday 16 July.

If you need some tips to write yours: Generation Zero’s great submission guide

If you want to do it in a group: 14 July Wellington Zero Carbon Bill Submission Party

If you want to sign a group submission check out Forest and Bird’s submission

or the Generation Zero Community submission

or If you just want to do it: Do it now!

 

If you’re new to XR

And finally, if you’re new to XR or you’d like to find out more – welcome! We’re a growing group of ordinary people who’ve become too worried about the climate and ecological emergency to continue to do nothing. Action beats despair, and so we’re working out how to use creativity, fun, and a pinch of peaceful civil disobedience and disruption to raise awareness of how short time is for urgent and unprecedented action.

If you’d like to meet up and learn more, come along an hour before our regenerative get-together on Saturday 20 July, Stillwaters Community, 327 Willis Street. Turn up at 1pm, have a chat and stay for the 2pm get-together if you want to. See you there!

For more info and news visit extinctionrebellion.nz, join our Extinction Rebellion Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington Facebook group , or check out our Extinction Rebellion Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington news and events page.

In love and outrage.