Extinction Rebellion crowdfunder nears £1m
Melanie May | 17 October 2019 | News
A crowdfunding campaign for Extinction Rebellion has almost reached its £1 million target, in just over a week.
The campaign, on Chuffed, has now reached over £930,000, and is fundraising to support the rebellion currently taking place in London.
Funds will be used to help Extinction Rebellion maintain the shutdowns, provide food and water to thousands of on-the-ground rebels, and pay for the generators and solar panels it uses.
Extinction Rebellion is currently fundraising through three crowdfunders. As well as its main UK campaign on Chuffed, it is running one on CrowdJustice to help with rebels’ legal costs. This crowdfunder has a current total of just under £340,000 and is aiming to reach £750,000. It will be used to cover legal fees in longer or more complex cases, to appeal verdicts and sentences to help protect the rights of future rebels, and to act as a safety net for rebels whose local group fundraising needs support.
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It also has an international crowdfunder on Chuffed. It says this money will be ‘transparently dedicated to delivering more trainings, facilitating conflict resilience, and expanding and strengthening communications and tech infrastructure. Seed funding will be provided to national groups to become self sustaining, and funds will be given to support the work of the International Support Team in these efforts.’ This has so far raised just over £80,000 of a £150,000 target.
As well as asking for financial support, Extinction Rebellion is also asking for people, space, and items to auction. Those with skills to offer, such as fundraising, graphic design, and accountancy are asked to email in*********@re*******.earth, while anyone with space to offer – either permanent office spaces or temporary meeting places – that it could use to help mobilise the local population, or auction items worth £100 or more such as antiques, promises of services, and quality second hand objects, are asked to contact do****@re*******.earth.
This is the second week of the International Rebellion, and has seen a ban on Extinction Rebellion protests in London by the Metropolitan Police. Yesterday’s activity included around 100 mothers with babies blockading the entrance to Google HQ in London Kings Cross in response to news that Google has donated to organisations campaigning against environmental legislation and questioning the science behind the climate crisis. It also saw XR Youth drop a banner reading ‘YouTube Stop Platforming Climate Denial’ from on top of the YouTube Space in London Kings Cross and delivering a letter to its employees.
Main image: Extinction Rebellion, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Copyright M May
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.