Extinction Rebellion Peace is a British-based radical-left environmentalist organization. The organization is an affiliate of the radical environmentalist movement Extinction Rebellion. The organization consists of a network of various British-based pacifist and anti-nuclear organizations. The organizations believe that combating climate change and opposing war are linked issues. ¹

The organization opposes the use of nuclear power. It has called for a complete ban on the use of nuclear power, along with nuclear weapons. ²

The goal of the organization is to move to “net zero” carbon emissions by 2025. ³

Overview

Extinction Rebellion Peace is a British-based radical-left environmentalist organization. It is an affiliate of the British-based radical-left environmentalist movement Extinction Rebellion. ⁴ Extinction Rebellion Peace was founded in April 2019. ⁵

The organization is a network of various British-based pacifist and anti-nuclear organizations. The group primarily holds protests against arms manufacturers and other war related industries. Groups that are members of the network include Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), CND Cymru, Edinburgh Peace and Justice, Forces Watch, Greenham Women for Life on Earth, Iona Community, Movement for the Abolition of War, Nipponzan Myohoji, Nukewatch UK, Scottish CND, Stop the War, Trident Ploughshares, WILPF, Women in Black, War Resisters International, XR Against Arms, XR Marches. ⁶

In November 2021, the organization marched from the Home Office in Glasgow, Scotland to the boatyard belonging to arms manufacturer BAE Systems. At the same time in Worcestershire, England other activists protested and attempted to blockade an arms fair that was being held. ⁷

In April 2023, the organization led an Extinction Rebellion action at the British Ministry of Defence. It held a series of demonstrations, creative actions, workshops, and people’s assemblies at a nearby park for a weekend. ⁸

Views

Extinction Rebellion Peace is a part of Extinction Rebellion, which supports the radical-left environmentalist agenda. It supports requiring “net zero” carbon emissions by 2025, regardless of the economic damage such a radical transformation would cause. In addition, it supports the creation of a “Citizen’s Assembly on climate and ecological justice” that would lead the British government and craft its policies on the environment. It also supports dramatic reduction in spending on the British military. ⁹

The organization also supports scrapping the British nuclear weapons program and even ending the use of nuclear power, despite the fact that nuclear power stations do not emit carbon dioxide to generate electricity. It also calls for a boycott and divestment from all companies that manufacture weapons. The organization also decries “NATO interventions” and “racist immigration policies.” Finally, the organization calls for spending billions of pounds on intermittent and weather-dependent sources of energy such as solar and wind. ¹⁰

Leadership

The coordinator of the organization is Angie Zelter. Zelter is a life-long left-wing activist who co-founded the anti-nuclear group Trident Ploughshares. She has been arrested over 200 times and has spent two years of her life in prison either awarding trial or serving sentences. ¹¹

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2. “Peace Groups Join Extinction Rebellion at the Big One.” Ekklesia, April 20, 2023. https://www.ekklesia.co.uk/2023/04/20/peace-groups-join-extinction-rebellion-at-the-big-one/.
3. “XR Peace Demands.” Extinction Rebellion Peace. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://xrpeace.org/xr-peace-demands/.
4. “XR Peace Demands.” Extinction Rebellion Peace. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://xrpeace.org/xr-peace-demands/.
5. “XR Peace: Resisting War, Nuclear Weapons and Climate Chaos.” Chuffed. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://chuffed.org/project/xr-peace-non-violent-action-against-war.
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7. “Extinction Rebellion March from Home Office to BAE Protesting Militarism.” Extinction Rebellion, November 4, 2021. https://xrscotland.org/2021/11/extinction-rebellion-march-from-home-office-to-bae-protesting-militarism/.
8. “Peace Groups Join Extinction Rebellion at the Big One.” Ekklesia, April 20, 2023. https://www.ekklesia.co.uk/2023/04/20/peace-groups-join-extinction-rebellion-at-the-big-one/.
9. “XR Peace Demands.” Extinction Rebellion Peace. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://xrpeace.org/xr-peace-demands/.
10. “Peace Groups Join Extinction Rebellion at the Big One.” Ekklesia, April 20, 2023. https://www.ekklesia.co.uk/2023/04/20/peace-groups-join-extinction-rebellion-at-the-big-one/.
11. Tallents, Jane. “‘activism for Life’- a New Book by Angie Zelter.” Trident Ploughshares, February 24, 2021. http://tridentploughshares.org/activism-for-life-a-new-book-by-angie-zelter/.