This is our second film for Extinction Rebellion. Our first film showed what XR is doing. This film describes why. It explains what Extinction Rebellion is for. It’s about the organisation’s mission and strategy. It goes into detail about XR’s demand that we go “Beyond Politics” via a Citizens’ Assembly to determine policy to address the climate emergency.

The sense of purpose is palpable. There is unity, clarity, steely determination and a sense of rectitude emanating from all our interviewees, which include Extinction Rebellion’s co-founders and its Citizen Assembly co-ordinators.

The fact that Extinction Rebellion is demanding a Citizens’ Assembly on the climate and ecological emergency is really what makes it unique. We’re not trying to assert our will on anyone else, and we’re not just crying out for action. We’re crying out for a very specific thing. We’re crying out for the UK public to have a say on how they respond to this emergency.
— Linda Doyle, Extinction Rebellion Citizens' Assembly Co-ordinator
Our job as Extinction Rebellion is to create that political space, whereby the people can decide for themselves, through the transmission system, as it were, of a citizens’ assembly. And that’s why we’re going out on the streets, so the Government will say, ‘Well what do you want?’ We’ll say, ‘We want a Citizens’ Assembly to decide what’s going to happen on climate change, and they’re going to do a report, and you are going to make sure it happens, and if you don’t that’s the end of your institution because the nation comes before the politicians and the corrupted class. Poof!
— Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion Co-founder

After Extinction Rebellion’s extended occupation of five central London locations in April 2019, the UK Government first declared a climate emergency, and then six House of Commons select committees announced plans for a Citizens’ Assembly to discuss plans to combat climate change. This Assembly will act only in an advisory capacity, which stops well short of XR’s demand for policy making authority to be ceded by Parliament. This film will be used to keep up the pressure for an Assembly with teeth.

The tone is one of urgency, confidence and positivity. This isn’t just a bunch of hippies causing chaos for the sake of it. This is the enactment of a considered and deliberate strategy to achieve a specific goal.

The film has had over 90,000 views on YouTube and has also accumulated tens of thousands of views via native video embeds on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram*.

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*Instagram views are for a 6:20 cut-down of the film.