Extinction Rebellion group holds peaceful protest outside Shire Hall in Warwick to call for citizens assembly on Covid-19 recovery

They stood - three metres apart wearing gloves and masks - outside Warwickshire County Council's Shire Hall headquarters in Warwick last Saturday (May 30) and held up banners with messages for the authority such as planet or profit?, traffic jams, or clean air? , carbon neutral by 2030?, for the climate and people a green new deal?, wind power or fossil Fuels? and more.

Branch member Chris Philpott said: "It is becoming more and more evident each day that the Government isn’t capable of getting us out of the corona virus mess, or preparing us for the future Climate Emergency.

"They are more concerned with getting us back to “normal” as rapidly as possible, meaning “business as usual.”The corona virus has shown us what’s possible when the political will is there. Everything can change.

"The Government can find a way out of the climate emergency with a New Green Deal rather than propping up an economic system that exacerbates climate change.

"We know one thing for sure, there can be no going back to the way things were.

"Warwickshire County Council’s woeful inaction in producing a strategy and action plan to deal with climate change is worrying.

"While we understand and appreciate that Covid-19 has presented some unexpected challenges for the council we know the climate emergency has the potential to present similar, if not bigger problems.

"As public trust in the UK Government lies in turmoil following their handling of the pandemic - and their unwillingness to address the climate and ecological emergency - the protest highlighted the lack of faith people have in their ability to protect people from future crises.

"As the Government begins to ease lockdown and reopen the economy, Extinction Rebellion will stand in defiance of going back to 'business as usual', saying there can be no going back."

The branch is planning more peaceful protests to take place in the near future.

For more information visit https://xrwd.earth