Climate activists Extinction Rebellion will take to the streets of Nottingham today (June 25) to deliver letters to the offices of MPs.
They plan to disrupt city centre traffic between noon and 1pm in order to make the deliveries, accompanied by "a loud ensemble of drums" and carrying flags.
The letters will demand local MPs speak out about "the government's failings to reach its own climate targets."
The route begins at Wellington Circus by Nottingham Playhouse at the offices of Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South.
It will continue onto Maid Marian Way and along Upper Parliament Street ending at the office of Tom Randall, MP for Gedling on King Edward Street.
A samba band called The Band of Outlaws will play outside each of the offices.
They said: "With banners, drum beat and brass, the socially distanced march is happening because the government’s own Committee on Climate Change (CCC) reports today to say that the government's actions fall massively short of meeting its own legally-binding target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a target most scientists consider to be woefully inadequate."
Margaret Vince, 62, a translator from Arnold said “Tom Randall says that he is ‘proud’ of the Conservative Party’s legislation ‘to eliminate our contribution to climate change’, but last year the Committee on Climate Change said that only one of their 25 recommendations were actually implemented. I’m frustrated! The Conservatives need to listen to the science and act.”
John Balson from St Ann's, a retired Wind Turbine Development Engineer, added: “My MP Nadia Whittome needs to tell the government to meet the CCC targets now, and then get them to realise that those targets are way too low and too late. I've worked in renewable energy for over 30 years so I know there are available solutions. I'm so worried by government inaction that I'm willing to be arrested and detained to make them pay attention.”
“Lilian Greenwood, my MP, must support the Green New Deal and the Local Electricity Bill in Parliament in order to help the city go carbon neutral by 2028," said Professor Emeritus Julian Marsh from The Meadows. "And she needs to publicly call out this government’s failings.”
Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, said “Full solidarity with Nottingham XR and I’ll be sending out a press release on behalf of all Nottingham MPs.”
The protest is part of UK wide action today in which MPs will receive letters delivered by Extinction Rebellion.
