​Extinction Rebellion was founded two years ago, and has achieved remarkable success since then. In Germany alone, there are 120 local XR groups and a total of about 20,000 members.

The small town of Stroud in southwest England is considered the movement’s birthplace. For years, Stroud has been a center of environmental activism in Britain and it is where the founding members live. One of them is Skeena Rathor — a mother of three who says that she’s prepared to go to jail for her beliefs. Another is Gail Bradbrook, who is not above damaging public and private property during protests. Extinction Rebellion activists have paralyzed traffic and chained themselves to fences outside businesses and government offices as part of their demonstrations. One of the co-founders of Extinction Rebellion is Roger Hallam, whose radical activism has sparked controversy. In September 2019, Hallam was arrested and charged with using drones to try to disrupt air traffic at Heathrow Airport. He’s also been accused of making comments that appeared to downplay the significance of the Holocaust which led Extinction Rebellion groups in Germany and Britain to distance themselves from Hallam’s statements.

DW Documentary