In birthplace of the U.S. revolution, a climate rebellion takes root

(Reuters News, 18 Oct 2019) As Extinction Rebellion protests expand around the world, Boston activists are taking to the streets - but with their own New England sensibilities.

Gathered in a dark room of a historic Boston church, about a dozen people sat in folding chairs, one with a dog at her feet, talking about the threat of climate change - and how to start a new revolution.

It was in this city that the U.S. war for independence from Britain started more than 200 years ago. Now another group of activists, part of the Extinction Rebellion movement, are plotting how to push action on climate risks up the political agenda.

The movement, which began in Britain and is carrying out a two-week civil disobedience campaign in London, is rapidly expanding around the world, with a range of protests in more than 50 countries this month, organizers said.

In Boston, hundreds of people late last month blocked a bridge in the city's Seaport district to call attention to rising sea levels and to demand local and federal officials act on the "climate and ecological emergency".

The New England rebels have, for the most part, employed less disruptive measures than their counterparts in London, where more than 1,700 people have been arrested over the past two weeks for public disturbances, police say.

Those have included everything from using a decommissioned fire engine bought on eBay to spray artificial "blood" on the national treasury to activists super-gluing themselves to infrastructure at London City Airport, including a plane.

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Reuters News, 18 Oct 2019: In birthplace of the U.S. revolution, a climate rebellion takes root