Scientist Rebellion & XR Boston join the #OilKills International Uprising

On Wednesday July 24, people from more than 10 countries came together, demanding that our governments protect humanity by signing a treaty to stop burning oil, gas and coal by 2030. Our leaders also need to finance and support poorer countries to make a fast, fair, and just transition. Activists headed to airports to make their demands heard, kicking the day off early with decisive action at Cologne-Bonn Airport in Germany where five people glued themselves to the tarmac.

They stopped air traffic for over four hours, caused around 60 cancellations and forced 11 flights to be diverted - and this was just the beginning.

Not long after, three people in Norway breached the fence at Oslo Airport. They caught security off-guard, but were arrested after occupying the airfield. One of the arrestees is the cousin of Norwegian climate and environment minister - in dramatic scenes he spoke directly from the tarmac demanding bold action to end fossil fuels by 2030

Meanwhile XR Finland introduced a different set of tactics, blocking the security terminal of Helsinki Vaanta Airport.

On the other side of Europe, the time in Spain was now 6:00 in the morning. As five individuals from Futuro Vegetal began their action at Barcelona El Prat Airport, they were intercepted by police. One person was detained while others were fined and expelled from the area.

The major airports that bookend Europe's financial hub, Switzerland, are Zurich and Geneva. Two arterial roads were blocked feeding them with roadblocks that only ended after five arrests.

Around that time, nine people were arrested in the UK at Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport. As they cycled the airfield perimeter, they were forced off the road by rapid response officers driving unmarked cars. This still provided us with a great graphic by the Daily Mail.

As news of the uprising percolated across global media, Austria surprised everyone by taking action before their controversial public demonstration scheduled for the 27th where over 650 police officers are expected to attend. Two people entered a Rome-bound plane departing Vienna airport and delayed it for hours, at the same time as four others splashed orange paint across the length of terminal building and staged an occupation. Scientists from Sweden and Denmark also held a sit-in at Malmö Airport in Sweden where one person was detained.

The uprising became truly international when it reached North America. Scientists also took their lab coats to the airports, joining others in a protest at Logan International Airport in the USA.

In Canada, three people fixed themselves to the road, accompanied by three others, blocking the drop-off carpark in the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Montreal Airport in Canada. Causing serious disruption at this chokepoint, news raged across the country like wildfire.

We will keep resisting our criminal governments who have failed to act against the biggest threat we have ever faced. This summer we are already over 1.5°C of warming. This is the summer of International Uprising. Join us in resistance.

Oil kills, and we refuse to die.

Crowdfunding for the Uprising: https://chuffed.org/project/oil-kills

Website: oilkills.org

Campaign twitter account: @_oilkills

#OilKills #RefusetoDie #FossilFuelTreaty

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