About XR Chicago
We need you – whoever you are, however much time you have – to help us build a powerful movement. Our vision of change involves mass participation. Together we are unstoppable.
xr chicago is part of global XR
Extinction Rebellion Chicago is part of the global Extinction Rebellion (XR) group and is dedicated to non-violent direct action to force governments to act to halt global warming. XR is currently active in more than 30 cities across the U.S. and dozens of countries around the world!
XR history, XR roots
XR started in the UK the fall of 2018. November 17th 2018, more than 5,000 shut down central London for a number of hours by blockading bridges across the Thames (see here). Here’s a Guardian video about the London action. XR and climate nonviolent direct action was quickly endorsed by movement and intellectual leaders like Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Bill McKibben. There was extensive press coverage, including this story by the BBC.
XR got going in NYC in December 2018 and has spread across the US, including starting in Chicago in January 2019.
XR’s glocal climate actions
Spring 2019 was Extinction Rebellion’s first round of coordinated global action. On April 15 2019, XR began an International Week of Rebellion and XR UK shut down central London for more than a week. The UK Parliament declared a Climate Emergency by unanimous consent on May 1st, 2019.
US actions, in solidarity & alliance with XR UK, for the spring Week of Rebellion can be found here. In additional further global actions reports are here. XR Chicago held a 4/12 action blocking the Energy Forward Conference (see here) and a 4/15 event at Thompson Center that can be seen in the video below.
