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'This is an emergency': Extinction Rebellion comes to Dublin as sit-down protest blocks O'Connell Street

The movement was formed late last year and has grown rapidly.

protest 785_90569322 Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

PROTESTERS CALLING FOR more action on climate change blocked O’Connell Street bridge in Dublin city centre earlier today.

It’s the first significant protest in Ireland as part of the Extinction Rebellion movement, which has repeatedly brought London in the United Kingdom to a standstill in recent days, leading to hundreds of arrests.

The movement was formed late last year and has grown rapidly.

This afternoon’s protest in Dublin gathered at the GPO and conducted a slow walk to O’Connell Street bridge, where protesters sat down and blocked traffic.

climate 703_90569325 Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Dublin Bus services are currently unable to serve parts of O’Connell Street due to the protest.

One protester, Anna Bishop from Co Wicklow, said she hopes the demonstration will stop the government “faffing about” on climate change.

“This is an emergency,” she told TheJournal.ie.

It’s probably one of the most important things for us to get angry about.

Anna Anna Bishop from Co Wicklow. Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

“This is the first major [Extinction Rebellion] protest in Ireland so hopefully it will just build from here. It’s a really nice, relaxed atmosphere here.”

“I hope people stay for a long longer.”

Also attending the protest today was Ciarán Cuffe, a Green Party councillor who is now running in the European elections.

Cuffe Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

He described the mix of young and old at the protest as “heartening”.

“I think that’s important for a movement such as this,” Cuffe said, “and I think if it pushes the mainstream parties into further action than that can only be a good thing, so today is a good day.”

There’s a lot of passion here, there’s a lot of conviction, and there’s a lot of knowledge.
I think [this type of protest] puts pressure on Leo Varadkar, on Richard Bruton, and on others to move beyond words, move beyond bird boxes and platitudes to setting carbon target and sticking to them.

Cuffe added that Ireland is already “getting a fail grade” when it comes to action on environmental issue.

Responding to recent questions on climate change policy, Minister for Communications, Climate Action, and Environment Richard Bruton said action is being taken by government on climate change:

I am currently preparing an All of Government Climate Plan which will set out the actions which must be taken to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. I am working with colleagues across Government to develop new initiatives across electricity, transport, heat, and agriculture, as well as a range of other sectors.

“It will also be informed by successful approaches in other countries, where such approaches could be adapted for implementation in Ireland, and by the recently published report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action.”

The climate change pressure group has become a household name in Britain this week amid protests that have brought key parts of London to a standstill and seen hundreds arrested. 

The organisation, formed by academics in Britain last year alongside off-shoots in dozens of other countries, vows an unrelenting tide of protest until governments act more forcefully over climate change.

It wants Britain to declare a climate and ecological emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025, halt biodiversity loss and be led by “citizens’ assemblies on climate and ecological justice”.

With reporting by AFP and from the scene by Cormac Fitzgerald

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    Mute Daniel Fontaine
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    Oct 24th 2016, 8:28 AM

    Delighted that the person was rescued.
    And that the infernal noise polluting machine found its way to the depths of the ocean.
    Good outcome all round.

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    Mute Tom Collins
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    Oct 24th 2016, 8:54 AM

    Christ the summer is over put it back in the shed

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    Mute brian boru
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    Oct 24th 2016, 9:04 AM

    Jet skiers – idiots of the boating world ! Have rescued more of these adrift in Dublin bay then any other craft ! Always someone with no formal training or understanding about how to take a vessel to sea

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    Mute Lucille Ball
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    Oct 24th 2016, 1:20 PM

    @ Daniel.. agreed…

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    Mute Ariana
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    Oct 24th 2016, 8:39 AM

    Glad it ended well, but they shouldn’t have gone out on their own.

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    Mute Kers Neil
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    Oct 24th 2016, 9:23 AM

    @Ariana: I wouldnt have put put my dog out in that wind yesterday. It amazes my how people make decisions such as this. I saw a couple yesterday walking along the top of the prom wall at Clontarf. Whats wrong with the path?

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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Oct 24th 2016, 9:40 AM

    At least they had the good scense to tell someone they were going. Give them credit for that.

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    Mute Mr KnowitAll
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    Oct 24th 2016, 10:02 AM

    Terryglass in Tipperary is a great spot to go jet skiing. Cruise over to Portumna for a couple of pints and back again before dark.

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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Oct 24th 2016, 10:41 AM

    They’re not restricted by calendar dates and people have fun with them. Stop being so cynical, a person could have been lost here, thankfully that didn’t happen, he had a life jacket, someone obviously knew he was out there and well done to the emergency crew.

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    Mute Ian Phillip Creaner
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    Oct 24th 2016, 10:25 AM

    They? Their? How many people?

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    Mute Paddy Lions
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    Oct 24th 2016, 1:12 PM

    @Ian Phillip Creaner: It looks it was one person with many different personalities, a modern day Sybil.

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    Mute dearg doom
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    Oct 24th 2016, 1:32 PM

    The sea was awful yesterday, very surprised they ventured out.

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