Extinction Rebellion is a peaceful global movement that uses nonviolent direct action to demand meaningful action on the climate and ecological emergency. Starting on October 7th, Extinction Rebellion is calling for an International Rebellion. Here in Vancouver, local rebels are rising up in the Canada-wide #BridgeOut campaign.
We are planning to shut down Burrard Bridge on Monday, October 7th from 8:30am onwards, for the entire day. We are rising up to let our elected leaders know we will continue the rebellion — here, throughout Canada, and across the world — until our three core demands are met:
Government must tell the truth about the climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
We openly acknowledge that we are gathering on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples. We respectfully ask the səlil̓wətaʔɬ Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations for their blessings as we gather on October 7th to stand behind them and their leadership as protectors of the land and water.
We affirm the right of all Indigenous Peoples to free, prior, and informed consent and to refuse development projects on their lands, such as the TMX Pipeline. Canada has not reconciled its colonial laws with this basic right of Indigenous self-determination that would allow Indigenous Nations to protect their lands. We stand in solidarity with the Mountain Protectors, Coast Protectors, and Protect the Inlet movement to assert and defend these rights.
We acknowledge that Indigenous communities have been on the frontlines of this struggle for generations; Extinction Rebellion is very late to the fight. We hope to learn from you and your knowledge, which has been acquired over millennia of acting as good relatives. We hope to support you and stand behind you in the fight for Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, and to protect your beautiful lands. Hay chxw q’a.
We do not want to be causing disruption to people going about their everyday lives, but we have no other choice. The Canadian government is failing to act on the climate crisis and to protect its citizens. We have no political affiliation; we are everyday people just like you. We are uniting behind science and Indigenous knowledge to avert catastrophic climate and ecological breakdown, as well as societal collapse.
Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of people are already being affected by famine, droughts, rising sea levels, flash floods, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. And in our own backyard, Indigenous peoples have already been feeling the effects of climate change for years, particularly in the Arctic. Other vulnerable populations, including but not limited to people of colour, refugees, those with chronic illnesses, and those suffering from poverty, food insecurity, and inadequate housing, will be hit especially hard in this time of social and ecological crisis. We are not exempt from this emergency here in Vancouver. It is only a short matter of time until we see more of these dramatic changes here at home.
Historical analyses have shown that the most effective way to create change is to mobilize the public to take part in mass nonviolent direct action. We can no longer follow a political system that is knowingly marching us towards extinction. We believe it is our civic duty to rebel. We ask you to gather with us on Burrard Bridge on Monday, October 7th to rebel with the rest of the world for our children, our futures, and life itself.
We are writing to inform you of our plan to peacefully demonstrate in the interest of the long-term health and well-being of all residents of this great city. To continue with business and politics as usual is to jeopardize the future generations of all life on Earth. For this reason we will be taking over Burrard Bridge at 8:30am on Monday, October 7th, for the entire day. Our goal is to force the government to implement the changes needed to avert further climate and ecological disaster.
Services such as public transit, ambulances, and the fire department will need to plan accordingly. This inconvenience is small compared to the irreversible and catastrophic damage to the planet that scientists agree will continue into the future unless we make drastic changes to our way of life and to our relationship with our land, air, and water.
We are Extinction Rebellion. We are a nonviolent, peaceful, and disciplined movement. You can rely on us to keep our actions nonviolent on October 7th and beyond. We respect that you have a job to do — to maintain public order, safety, and the law. If someone is breaking the law, we understand that you may choose to arrest them and we will not resist arrest.
In solidarity, Extinction Rebellion Vancouver