PICTURES: Weekend of protests against climate crisis and Bristol Airport’s expansion appeal

Two days of protests against Bristol Airport’s decision to appeal its rejected expansion plans took place at the weekend.

An Extinction Rebellion (XR) demonstration, where nearly 400 people marched to Bristol Airport from Felton Common in a ‘mourning procession’, took place on Saturday, followed by banners being displayed across the area on Sunday.

Motorists on the M5 saw banners which said Climate and Ecological Emergency – Life or Death, and Covid Today Climate Emergency Tomorrow.

A banner was also hung on Clevedon Pier with a warning by XR, where activists held a banner which read Climate Crisis, alongside the XR hourglass symbol indicating that time is running out.

XR member Dave Thornywork said: “These events were part of actions around the country, with four days of activities.

“It’s a nationwide protest at Government inaction on climate change and ecological catastrophe.

“We’re taking action now, in a covid-safe way, to push the issue up to the top of our local and national agenda.

“During the coronavirus pandemic, the government has been prepared to step up to a war footing in an unprecedented way, with economic commitments that were supported by selfless public and community action.

“We need the same scale and urgency of government action for the global climate and ecological crisis, which no vaccine is going to be able to fix. But, UK politics based on four-year parliamentary terms just isn’t making the commitment.

“That’s why we’re having to take action now, to drive forward the solutions needed.”

XR wants the government to create a plan to deal with the UK’s fair share of emissions and to stop critical rises in global temperatures, the entire carbon footprint be taken into account and for active conservation and restoration of nature in the UK and overseas.

An XR spokesman added: “The protest was socially distanced, single file, silent, and organised around the theme of death.

“It was coordinated by the local community, environmental groups, and Extinction Rebellion.

“The event had a large turn-out with some spectacle to bring attention to the issue.”