As part of Extinction Rebellion's four day Northern Rebellion, which has already seen Deansgate occupied in Manchester, this afternoon at 3:30pm, around fifty members of Extinction Rebellion Youth, age between ten and 22, took part in a die-in at Manchester Arndale to highlight the lack of sustainability in the fashion industry.
The eleven minute die-in was to draw attention to the fact that textiles are responsible for 34.8% of global microplastic pollution, and as part of the protest demonstrators chanted 'What do we want? Climate justice! When do we want it? Now!', as Extinction Rebellion (XR) Youth hung a banner from the Arndale balcony.
"We as the XR Youth feel very passionately that our futures are being compromised by the way that the capitalist system we are living in today puts profit over people and the planet" said Jade, age 19, who took part in the die-in "This is already leading to horrific situations in the global south right now - and if nothing changes, it will compromise the future of our planet too.
"The Manchester Arndale was selected for this action because of the role it plays in the fashion industry's contribution to the climate emergency and ecological breakdown" she explained "We wanted people and fashion businesses to see the protest and be prompted to reflect on the contribution that they are making to the climate emergency. Every year, the greenhouse gas emissions for the textiles industry total 1.2billion tonnes, and annually in the UK, £140 million worth of clothes goes to landfill."
The Arndale action was also to draw attention to the three demands of Extinction Rebellion, which are...
* Tell The Truth. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
* Act Now. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
* Beyond Politics. Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens' Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
For a full background on Extinction Rebellion's Northern Rebellion see previous Salford Star article – click here
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