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    XR Rebel Daily #4 Archived Message

    Posted by Ian M on September 6, 2020, 8:53 am

    Following the Owen Jones / Monbiot critique of the 'billionaire-owned press'. Guardian/Independent/BBC?

    *****

    https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2020/09/05/rebel-daily-4-dont-read-the-news-be-the-news/

    Rebel Daily 4: Don’t read the news, be the news

    September 05, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

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    Dear rebels,

    Welcome to Rebel Daily #4 – some of the only news available today!

    A team of over 100 rebels blockaded newspaper printers overnight, successfully preventing The Sun, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and Times from reaching newsstands all over the country.

    In one of our most coordinated and disruptive actions to date, rebels simultaneously took sites in Broxbourne, Liverpool and Glasgow with fantastically effective roadblock structures.

    Bamboozled. Credit: Gareth Morris

    In a truly international rebellious effort, rebels in Sydney, Australia dumped a pile of manure outside Newscorp offices yesterday, calling for Murdoch to ‘Quit the Bullshit’.

    At Broxbourne, two huge bamboo structures surrounded by two vans and several ‘lock-topusses’ proved too much for the police to handle. While they eventually untangled the 46 rebels locked onto concrete lock-ons and vans, the climbers atop the bamboo ‘Beacons’ remained very much out of the officers’ reach.

    The blockade held strong from 10pm to 11am, at which time the climbers made their willing descent and were arrested.

    A ‘lock-topus’ in action, partway through arrests. It’s almost too good.

    Meanwhile, 200 miles to the north-east, a yellow boat dropped anchor at Knowsley in Liverpool, and police arrested 21 courageous rebels over several hours. As one rebel in Liverpool put it: “The entire institution of the media follows the same toxic rulebook, dehumanising marginalised groups and perpetuating inequality. It has become necessary to block lies in order to free the truth.”

    Banners reading ‘Free the Truth’ and ‘5 Crooks Control our News’ drew attention to the disgraceful true colours of our ‘free’ press: what we read in the papers is controlled by a handful of powerful billionaires who feed us stories that suit their interests.

    The Truth about the terrifying emergency we face has been locked up for too long by corrupt media moguls and dodgy politicians, who jostle for power and undermine our democracy.

    Glasgow rebels made their own newspaper: The Sin.

    Today, we threw a spanner in Rupert Murdoch’s business as usual. He, along with his billionaire buddies, have failed to tell the truth about the climate crisis (see graph here). To be fair, Murdoch has a lot on his plate: manipulating the ‘free’ press, meeting up with politicians, influencing elections in the UK, US and Australia, and sitting on the board of an oil & gas company. Give the guy a break.

    At the time of writing, this story is trending at #1 and #3 on Twitter in the UK. And it’s not too late to join in and prolong the buzz. Print this flyer and put it on the empty shelves at your local newsagent’s!

    The news industry has a key role to play in the transformation we need to face up to the intersecting crises. We desperately need them to stop spreading hatred and lies, and instead take a real lead to help us hold our government to account.

    Media, your country needs you. Free the truth.

    This team is as impressed as ever by rebel ingenuity and determination, and we are honoured to celebrate a fourth day of Rebellion alongside so many incredible rebels who give so much.

    This roadblock showcased only the most glorious rebel engineering.

    In other news, Lightship Greta has reached London! Having made it to Kennington in South London, the crew was met by the disproportionate police response we’ve now come to expect, including a line of 14 police vans. See the crew’s recent SOS message here.

    [continues...]

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