Extinction Rebellion Ireland is planning "arrestable events" and roadblocks in Dublin as part of a week-long campaign to raise awareness about climate change.
An internal planning document states that “it is part of Extincition Rebellion’s aim to get people arreseted”.
“In London, over 1,000 people were arrested and this was part of what drew so much attention to their rebellion. If the courts keep hearing the same message from us, that message will get through and more people will demand the urgent and radical action that is required,” the document states.
The document also states that roadblocks will take place.
“This is a fundamental part of our plan, in Dublin and around the world. Our aim is to cause disruption, which will lead to media coverage, highlighting the ecological emergency that the world faces and putting pressure on the government to act,” it say.
“Blocking roads also disrupts business as usual, which is what is killing our planet; a fact we all must face”. It states that roadblocks are planned from noon on Monday. However, it is not known if the protestors currently plan to carry out that action.
The Extinction Rebellion Movement will decide on a series of unannounced protests later this afternoon, although sources said that "arrestable events" are not planned for today, with a focus instead on outreach in the early stages.
‘Knowledge is power’
Organisers have emphasised that the protests will be non-violent, and the planning document, which has been distributed to many people planning to protest, states that the group will “welcome all rebels whether they are willing to be arrested or not”.
“Engaging in an arrestable act is a personal decision that each rebel must make themselves. However, we cannot promise that you will not be arrested simply for being present at rebellion week. We judge that this would be unlikely. So far, the gardaí have been reluctant to arrest any of our Irish rebels, but we cannot guarantee that this will continue as we ramp up our efforts.”
The document advises protestors, or “rebels”, to inform themselves about their rights as protestors and the “possible consequences of arrest”.
The organisers say that in-depth legal information and briefings “will be available before and during rebellion week so that new rebels can be armed with the information they need. Knowledge is power”.
