Manifesto
Follow @ClimateRush
What is a Rush?
A Rush is a non-violent, physical mass movement of people taking direct action against climate criminals and their allies, in which everyone participates to different levels. Those who support at the back of a Rush are as much part of it as those who push against the police at the front.
A Rush is a beautiful, joyful protest that emboldens and empowers those present and provides a context for them taking more direct action than they previously thought themselves capable of. It remains well-mannered and civilised as it crosses the divide from legal to illegal.
A Rush is a surprise! By thinking creatively and employing different tactics we maximise enjoyment and media interest and minimise police control.
A Rush does not directly antagonise the police (though doesn’t ask for their permission) and doesn’t seek mass arrest, although it provides a context in which individuals may choose to get arrested. Facing authority through arrest is an important tool for those taking direct action and an empowering experience in itself, but it is always an individual choice.
A Rush is open to all to participate in different ways, and provides a portal into environmental activism. A Rush is a safe way of taking a step beyond petitions and marches, and uses numbers as a source of protection.
A Rush takes inspiration from the Suffragettes, and is based on the faith that soon a tipping point in public consciousness will be reached and taking action on environmental issues will become as obvious as women having the vote. While open to men, women are encouraged to take active roles, to be those who speak publicly at protests and to lead the spontaneous elements of the actions.
The Future of the Climate Rush
We want to build the Climate Rush into a movement able to mobilise numbers for mass actions on a par with the Suffragettes. We believe that protest can and should be an integrated part of everyone’s lives. While voluntary work will always play a large part in the Climate Rush’s works anyone that wants to do it full time will be supported in looking for funding to cover their living costs. In the longer term we would like the Climate Rush to contribute practically to the process of mitigation and adaptation to climate change – e.g. by insulating lofts or helping with climate disaster relief.
Climate Rush and the Media
While the media is an important tool for getting our message out to a wider audience, media attention is not an end in itself. Our ultimate aims are to bring an end to the practices that are causing climate change and to empower those who participate in our protests. We will always provide our own media, and our primary focus will always be on the event itself rather than its media portrayal – no amount of press coverage is worth doing a Rush which is not fun, engaging and effective. We will also not escalate our activities purely for media attention. While we recognise the dangers of individual personalities taking the spotlight we also recognise that they are a useful tool for gaining media interest, and that most of these dangers can be avoided by having multiple ‘faces’ to the group and consistently countering assumptions in the media that these faces are the ‘leaders’.
