Extinction Rebellion and environmental groups plan mass London protest - when and where

Extinction Rebellion (XR) and a number of wildlife and climate groups will take to the streets in central London in June for a mass demonstration.

The Restore Nature Now march promises to be a “peaceful, inclusive and family-friendly” event, with organisers saying it could be the biggest ever march for nature.

TV presenter Chris Packham will join nature, wildlife and climate groups, from the RSPB to the National Trust, to call on political parties to take action to restore nature and tackle climate change.

The protests on June 22 will include a march through central London to Parliament Square, with people demanding greater funding for climate-friendly farming, new sanctions for big business polluters and a commitment to an Environmental Rights Bill.

“As conservationists and environmental groups, we have to accept that the dire state of nature – both in the UK and globally – has happened on our watch,” said Mr Packham.

“So now’s the time for bolder action, stronger demands, braver tactics and a new way of working…together. Ticking a box, signing a petition, sharing a post - it’s simply not enough when we are facing the collapse of our living systems. It’s time for all of us to take to the streets, shoulder to shoulder, whoever we are and demand our leaders Restore Nature Now.”

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The wildlife and environmental organisations supporting the march are warning that this general election must be a “turning point for nature” before it is too late. According to XR, the UK is one of the worst countries in the world for nature loss, with 1 in 6 wildlife species at risk of extinction.

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) annual report state that the UK is “largely off track to meet its environmental ambitions, and must speed up and scale up its efforts in order to achieve them”.

Beccy Speight, RSPB CEO, said: “Here in the UK, we care deeply about nature. But last year’s State of Nature report laid out a grim picture, finding that there’s been no let-up in the decline of our wildlife over recent decades, with one in six species now at risk of being lost from our shores. But there is hope: while we know the threats, we also know the solutions. But we simply aren’t acting fast enough or at a big enough scale to tackle the nature and climate crisis. We’re calling for urgent action and a much stronger commitment to nature’s recovery from politicians of all parties, because we cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Etienne Stott MBE, Olympian and Extinction Rebellion UK spokesperson, said: “Biodiversity loss, habitat destruction and climate breakdown are now at breaking point. I’m deeply worried and I know huge numbers of others are too. The only way we are going to do anything about it is if we all come together and pull in the same direction. 

“This demonstration, a follow up from The Big One last year, is a start to bringing this fight to the mainstream and getting everyone who cares about our planet and all life on earth to bring about radical and urgent change”.

The Restore Nature Now march will take place on Saturday June 22, where thousands are expected to march through central London to Parliament Square.