Saturday, November 13, 2021

Extinction Rebellion holds COP26 ‘funeral ceremony’ at Necropolis

The demonstration, which took place on Saturday, was meant to symbolise the failure of the COP process.


By Rachel Guy

Extinction Rebellion activists have held a protest in the form of a “funeral ceremony” at Glasgow’s Necropolis as COP26 negotiations spilled over into another day.

The demonstration, which kicked off on Saturday, was meant to symbolise the failure of the COP process.

Starting from Glasgow Cathedral, the protesters led a procession dressed in black shrouds across Church Lane Bridge. The performers lay down next to rows of individual headstones.

Activists walked between the headstones and performed grief poses.

STV News The protesters led a procession through the grounds.

The performance happened as negotiators continued to hammer out a deal at the COP26 talks.

Karen, an XR member from the Isle of Barra, said, “We are here grieving for a planet that has been sacrificed by the failure and stupidity of COP26.

“The bare minimum needed from COP26 were commitments to leaving oil in the ground and an immediate halt to fossil fuel funding. Anything less than that is idiocy.

“As intelligent life on this planet we are already extinct. We know exactly what we need to do and we’re not doing it.”

Cathy Allen, from XR Oxford, said: “At just over one degree of warming many communities are already being displaced by floods, drought and loss of land.


“To continue deliberately heating up the planet for pointless profit will soon displace hundreds of millions.

“This is no accident – it is a heinous and barbarous crime against humanity.

“We are especially in mourning for the global south and those on the frontline communities who will suffer the most but have done the least to cause this crisis.

“COP26 has failed them.

“It has failed all of us.”



The protest follows a day of action in Glasgow that saw a topless activist arrested for protesting at JP Morgan, a group spray-painting “Blood Money” on Barclays bank, two activists pouring red paint and fake blood over themselves at the entrance to the COP26 Blue Zone, and an activist arrested for attempting to “jump the fence” and enter the Blue Zone compound.


COP26: Extinction Rebellion to hold funeral ceremony at the Glasgow Necropolis 'to symbolise the failure' of the climate change summit.

The environmental activist group will lead a procession in the Glasgow Necropolis and conduct a ‘funeral’ for COP26, as a means of criticising the failure


© Extinction Rebellion 'Red Rebels' yesterday during the official final day of the Cop26 summit.

The procession will begin today at 11am from Glasgow Cathedral. Extinction Rebellion’s iconic ‘Red Rebels’ will lead a march of protesters, who will be dressed in black shrouds, across Church Lane Bridge, which is often referred to as “the Bridge of Sighs”.

Members of Extinction Rebellion will then perform amongst the headstones of the Necropolis. The ‘Blue Rebels’, a Scottish group similar to the ‘Red Rebels’, will escort a performer playing “COP26”, who will lie down to alongside the headstones, while a piper plays laments.


















Extinction Rebellion have described COP26 as “yet another mark of failure”

Karen, an Extinction Rebellion member from the Isle of Barra, said: “We are here grieving for a planet that has been sacrificed by the failure and stupidity of COP26. The bare minimum needed from COP26 were commitments to leaving oil in the ground and an immediate halt to fossil fuel funding. Anything less than that is idiocy. As intelligent life on this planet we are already extinct. We know exactly what we need to do and we’re not doing it.”

Cathy Allen from Extinction Rebellion Oxford said: “At just over 1 degree of warming many communities are already being displaced by floods, drought and loss of land. To continue deliberately heating up the planet for pointless profit will soon displace hundreds of millions. This is no accident – it is a heinous and barbarous crime against humanity. We are especially in mourning for the Global South and those on the frontline communities who will suffer the most but have done the least to cause this crisis. COP26 has failed them. It has failed all of us.”
© Extinction Rebellion protesters gathered outside the entrance to the COP26 site on Friday.

This follows a day of action in Glasgow that saw a topless activist arrested for protesting at JP Morgan, a group spray-painting “Blood Money” on Barclays bank, two activists pouring red paint and fake blood over themselves at the entrance to the COP26 Blue Zone, and an activist arrested for attempting to “jump the fence” and enter the Blue Zone compound.

COP26: Climate activists hold 'ceremony of grief' in Glasgow
By Ava WhyteReporter

[Photographs by Peter Summers/Getty Images].

CLIMATE activists staged a 'funeral ceremony' in Glasgow today as COP26 crunch talks continue.

The 'ceremony of grief', organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR), took place to symbolise the "failure of the COP process".

The event began this morning at 11am after XR's 'Red Rebels' led a procession from Glasgow Cathedral across Church Lane Bridge to the Glasgow Necropolis.

Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images].

Activists can be seen dressed in black shrouds representing each COP meeting held since the first in 1995.


[Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images].


Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images

Performers lay down next to a row of individual "headstones" as the 'Red Rebels' walked between them performing "grief poses".


[Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images].

The 'Blue Rebels', a Scottish group similar to the 'Red Rebels', then escorted "COP26" who lay down to complete the pattern.

[Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images].

Karen, an XR member from the Isle of Barra, said: "We are here grieving for a planet that has been sacrificed by the failure and stupidity of COP26.

"The bare minimum needed from COP26 were commitments to leaving oil in the ground and an immediate halt to fossil fuel funding.


"Anything less than that is idiocy. As intelligent life on this planet we are already extinct. We know exactly what we need to do and we’re not doing it."

[Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images].

It comes as negotiations at COP26 went into overtime after talks were due to wrap up at 6pm on Friday.

Today's stocktaking plenary (meeting of the parties) has been delayed until 2.30pm to allow negotiators who are still having discussions to resolve issues time to do so.

COP26 President Alok Sharma said he intends to close the UN climate talks "this afternoon".

He said: "At the end of the day, what has been put forward is a balanced package.

"Everyone has had a chance to have their say, and I hope that colleagues will appreciate that what is on the table here, whilst not every aspect of it will be welcomed by everyone, collectively this is a package that really moves things forward for everyone."


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