What The Hell America!

Photo: Sunny Morgan

Introduction

Dear rebel,

The latest science screams what we already know: ecosystems are collapsing in real time. As forests burn and children drown in mining pits, as billionaires jet-ski through climate chaos and politicians sell our future for fossil fuel profits, this month proved one truth: rebellion is not a choice, but our species’ last lifeline.

This month, ordinary people became extraordinary rebels again. We locked onto pipelines, shut down airports, and sounded the bullshit alarm in corporate halls of power. When they offered false solutions, we responded with bodies on the line.

The time for pleading is over. The hour for action is now. Every disrupted meeting, every chained gate, every voice raised in defiance proves one undeniable truth: we are the fire they cannot extinguish. This is not protest – this is survival. Join us!

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Image: XR Goma

Pétrole Non Merci…Again

3 May | Kinshasa, DRC

The Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons, Molendo Sakombi Aimé, announced the opening of 52 new oil exploration blocks in the Cuvette Centrale, in addition to the 3 blocks already assigned to state-owned COMICO in Mbandaka, Lokoro and Busira.

This project, relaunched in opacity, follows the cancellation of a previous call for tenders tainted with several irregularities. XR rebels in the DRC, who campaigned tirelessly to defeat the previous sale of these oil blocks, are again sounding the alarm. ‘Even today, we are being told about “expertise and respect for protected areas”, but where is the transparency? Which local community was consulted?’

The central basin is home to wetlands vital to the global climate, including vast peatlands and tropical forests, recognised as one of the largest carbon sinks in the world. It does not need oil wells but protection and restoration.

Our position on this situation remains steadfast – we say NO to this policy of masked destruction in ‘development’. We reiterate our position against this project that threatens biodiversity, vital ecosystems, the rights of local communities, and the planet’s climate future.

XR Université de Goma demands:

• The immediate cancellation of the sale of these oil blocks
• An independent and public audit of the process whereby blocks are sold
• Inclusion of local communities and respect for their rights
• A real transition to renewable energy

Together, let’s raise our voices to say NO to fossil energy and yes to a free and green DRC.

Follow XR Université de Goma. Below the photo gallery.

XR Ghent, Belgium

Photo: XR Ghent

On April 16th, XR Ghent rebels occupied the Gravensteen Castle and demanded a citizen council for the climate, XR’s 3rd demand. Rebels entered the main castle in the city to put up banners, while their drummers made noise to support them and gather attention from the public. Meanwhile, other rebels handed out flyers and informed members of the public about our third demand. They also held try-out citizens’ assemblies to discuss climate policies as well as the housing crisis in Ghent. See the full gallery from the day here and follow XR Ghent on Facebook

Medellin, Columbia (Abya Yala)

Photo: XR Medellin

XR Medellin took to the streets to revive the shared Latin American solidarity forged at key gatherings in Cali, Colombia in 2024. These included the World Social Forum of Alternative Economies (FSMET), COP16 on Biodiversity, the Divergent COP, and the People’s Summit COP30. ‘We are the paths that cross, threads of the same living tapestry—we are the ones we’ve been waiting for!’ See all the photos and support XR Medellin by following their Instagram.

East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Photo: XR Bunga Terung

East Kalimantan, a wealthy province in eastern Indonesia, is now the country’s most deforested province. Logging, palm oil production, and mining have all played a part in its severe degradation. In conjunction with XR Indonesia and other partners, XR Bunga Terung held an Earth Day forest demonstration under the banner ‘All Mines Are Liars’, spotlighting the human cost of unchecked mining. Tragically, at least 51 children have drowned in abandoned mining pits as of April 2025, while the deforestation transforms the region into a sacrifice zone. Watch the full video here and follow @xr_kaltim.bungaterung on Instagram.

Photo: Sunny Morgan

Sunny from South Africa

My name is Sunny, and I am a climate justice activist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. I’m 61 years old and have been an anti-apartheid activist since I was 15. Since then, I’ve engaged non-stop in environmental activism, climate justice, and Palestinian solidarity activism. I have supported XR since its formation in the UK and since its formation in South Africa.

I am an expert climate communicator, having done the Climate Reality Leader (CRL) training in 2014 and also trained with MIT-Sloan to use the Climate Interactive modelling tool to enable me to do workshops and presentations about climate solutions. I was one of the three global founders of the Debt for Climate Movement before leaving in December 2023. On Africa Day (25 May) I will launch the Movement for Debt and Reparations.

I am currently most concentrated on the Palestinian Genocide being carried out by Israel, though I am also participating in and supporting climate-related protest actions like the #StopEacop Campaign, #LifeAfterCoal and the global campaign against Glencore. This campaign is not just a climate issue but is intersectional, as the South African coal industry is also complicit in genocide against Palestinians by continuing to supply coal to apartheid Israel.

My message for the global climate movement is that we must do more to connect the dots. For instance, the military-industrial complex is committing ecocide across the world through wars, extractivism, and forest, soil and water destruction. The war on Gaza is also a war against the environment.

Dispatch from New Zealand/Aotearoa

Keep the Coal in the Hole

New Zealand’s largest coal mining company, Bathurst Resources, is attempting to expand coal mining on New Zealand’s West Coast, but more than 70 people from multiple climate groups pushed back and protested coal mining at the Stockton Mine over Easter weekend. Learn more in this article from independent outlet The Spinoff.

Orwell’s Roses, by Rebecca Solnit

Solnit redefines George Orwell not just as a political writer, but as a radical who understood that resistance must be rooted in love for the living world. Through Orwell’s passion for gardening—his planting of roses amid the turmoil of war and fascism—Solnit reveals a vital truth: the fight for justice cannot thrive on despair alone. It requires beauty, care, and an unshakable belief in what we are defending.

For rebels, this book is both validation and challenge. Orwell’s insistence that joy and politics are inseparable mirrors our conviction that climate action must be fueled by love, not just anger. In an era of climate collapse, her work reminds us that nurturing life—whether soil or solidarity—is the ultimate defiance against extraction and oppression.

Orwell’s Roses is a call to embrace the full depth of rebellion: to block pipelines while planting gardens, to confront power while cherishing the fragile world it exploits. Solnit proves that the fiercest activists are those who refuse to let crisis erase wonder. This book is essential for anyone ready to fight for a future worth living in—not just one barely survived.

Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops. Buy your books at Bookshop or Hive.

Photo: Plan Z

New Documentary Plan Z: From Lab Coats to Handcuffs

A new short documentary, Plan Z, follows a group of British researchers including scientists from Scientists for Extinction Rebellion who’ve turned to drastic measures to warn the public themselves, risking arrest, a criminal record, and their professional reputations. ‘We are scientists and we are freaking out!’ Climate change is here right now. As global temperatures and natural disasters continue to rise, scientists are fed up with their research being ignored. Fresh from a run at cinemas and film festivals, Plan Z is now available for everyone, everywhere to view free on YouTube

The more people realize that others are concerned about climate change and support climate action, the more people talk about it and the more people talk about it, the more power we have. One of the easiest ways to amplify the work of Extinction Rebellion activists the world over is by telling your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours about the free monthly XR Global Newsletter. Share this month’s newsletter. P.S. We never ever share our email list with anyone.

Thank you

Thank you for reading, rebel. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at xr-newsletter@protonmail.com.

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This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow. We need money to continue this crucial work.

Donate What You Can