Bath came to a standstill one Saturday in April 24 when the Red Rebel Brigade and Extinction Rebellion celebrated Earth Say with a massive performance protest: Code Red – A funeral for Nature.
Nearly 400 Red Rebels walked silently and gracefully through the Georgian streets, a coffin to nature decorated so beautifully was carried along to the sound of drums, and mourners dressed in black with the most flamboyant hats followed behind – led by Chris Packham, wildlife tv presenter and conservationist. It was theatre on a huge scale that brought silence to the busy streets and we were all humbled by the size, scale and message being played out. It was a spectacle that everyone I spoke to felt honoured to have witnessed and those that missed it felt sad. Chris Packham spoke from the heart with passion and pure love for our planet outside the front of the abbey, with the coffin laid out in front of the main abbey doors.
Speaking to people afterwards, days afterwards – it was clear that the impact of the event was running deep. Members of the YMCA wondering how they could do more, how the event had really stopped them in their tracks and made them think. A peaceful protest with a profound impact.
As humans we are a part of the natural world and many of us have not been respecting it for a long long time. Our ignorance has been used as an excuse in the past – but we have no excuse now – we know the effect we are having and need to change to help ensure the future of our planet. I have been considering how I can consume less and respect and preserve our planet more. I am honest enough to know that it will be small changes to start with – I have been doing some reading around the subject and thinking – lots of thinking. The off shoot of this thinking is also joy – it feels good to be doing something about it, even if at this stage it is mainly in reading and undertaking small acts of change.
