Towards the end of a week that included Earth Day, recognition of which was mostly obscured by the ongoing chaos and destruction emanating from Washington D.C., we relay the following communication from Extinction Rebellion:

Extinction Rebellion DC (XRDC) joined tens of thousands of people at the “Hands Off” rally in Washington, D.C. The rally was part of a nationwide day of protest, with more than 1,300 protests across the country. In D.C., while protesters directed their anger and outrage at the increasingly fascist tactics and policies of the Trump Administration, XRDC chose to focus on solemnity: mourning the loss of life and livelihoods that an extractive and exploitative capitalist-industrial system creates. The Mourning Rebels meandered silently through the crowds, holding space for grief.

Inspired by other rebels around the world, XRDC uses the Mourning Rebels as a recurring form of performance art to show that we reject the numbness of today’s society and bear witness to the loss – grieving in public to expose the violence, including the destruction of natural ecosystems, the exploitation of people and animals, and the loss of dignity in political discourse and social interactions. Mourning is a form of resistance that breaks the silence and rejects the lie that this destruction is normal.

“When those in power try to silence us, we rise louder”, explain rebels in D.C. “When they attack our communities, we fight back—together. Today was not just a protest; it was a call to defend our rights, our Constitution, and the planet we all share”.

While XRDC keeps focusing on its two main campaigns — stopping the investment in new methane infrastructure in DC and resisting the destruction of a forest for the expansion of a golf course — the Mourning Rebels will remain a recurring action. In the midst of rising violence and crackdowns on dissent, mourning is an expression of solidarity and community. And it is through this crucial process of grief, that we can cultivate meaningful action.

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