Here’s your April update:

Next XR Leeds gatherings: 5 April, 14 April and 28 April

XR Creative Workshop: Saturday 5 April, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Please sign up to register your interest in Oil Slicks training (check out the photo below to see what an Oil Slick looks like) and a Big Banner workshop. Places are strictly limited, first come first served, so please sign up ASAP. Click here for more information and to register.

XR Leeds Crew Meeting: Monday 14 April, 6pm to 8pm at Imagine Leeds, 9 Blenheim Terrace, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9HX or online on this link. We’ll be doing things a little differently this month by having our main meeting from 6pm to 7pm and, for those able to join us in person, the remainder of the time we will be looking at all the ideas and activities we can do at the summer festivals this year.

XR Leeds Social Gathering: Monday 28 April, 6pm to 8pm, at Imagine Leeds.

Green Drinks: 16 April

Come along on Wednesday 16 April, 5.30pm to 8pm, at Imagine Leeds, 9 Blenheim Terrace, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9HX, for a friendly meetup of people interested in climate, nature and social justice. This month’s guest speaker is Beth Irving from Reclaim The Power. Beth will give a short talk around 6.30pm about Reclaim The Power’s upcoming campaign activities. There will also be an environmentally themed ‘pub’ quiz run by Greenpeace Leeds. More info here.

Celebrate Earth Day with us: 22 April

Join us on Tuesday 22 April, 12.30pm to 2pm, for some much-needed joy and appreciation for our beautiful planet! This is an online Earth Day Celebration Circle – no need to book, just hop on using this link.

XR Mothers Rebellion Global Action: 26 April

On Saturday 26 April, 2pm-3pm, outside Marks and Spencer on Briggate in Leeds city centre, XR Mothers Rebellion will be taking part in a global day of action. From north to south and east to west, groups will demonstrate their love for indispensable ecosystems and precious natural areas in their communities. More info here.

An Introduction to the Art of Listening: 28 April

Join us for a gentle and light-hearted workshop exploring active listening skills and the ancient lineage of the Listening Circle approach to revealing and healing the many aspects of ‘relationship’ in our lives. An Introduction to the Art of Listening (& the Joy of Being Heard!), Sunday 30 April, 10am to 4pm, at Imagine Leeds, 9 Blenheim Terrace, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9HX. Details & sign up here.

Dirty Water Campaign – citizen science throughout April

Can you take part in this citizen science project in April? Every passing moment sees our rivers under siege from pollution. They deserve better but before you begin campaigning for your river, it’s essential to understand what issues it’s up against. River Action UK has collected a range of online tools and diagnosis tools to help you identify what’s impacting your river. Explore the River Rescue Kit to find out how you can take action. If you’re can’t do it in April, there’s another project, the Great UK WaterBlitz – Earthwatch Europe, in September.

Leeds Climate Coalition – meeting with Leeds MPs

We took part in this successful collaboration with other Leeds green groups and are now looking at next steps. You can read all about the event on this Climate Action Leeds blog. Please get in touch if you would like to help plan a similar event in your neighbourhood: xrleeds@protonmail.com.

Leeds Summer Festivals Outreach – want to join in?

Would you like to help run a stall at a local festival this summer? If so, please let us know by putting your name in the “People who can” column in this document.

AXA insurance occupied in Leeds over ‘bloody’ ties

This week, ten people blockaded the Leeds office of AXA, an insurance company with ties to “Israeli” genocide and Drax. This was an action with Leeds Students Against Apartheid Coalition and Axe Drax. It was part of the Boycott Bloody Insurance campaign, bringing struggles together to tackle the backbone of the capitalist machine: the insurers. AXA insurance:

  • Insures Drax, which is complicit in the slow suffocation of entire communities at their wood pellet plants
  • Backs genocide and apartheid in Palestine, with $177 million invested in 12 weapons manufacturers
  • Supports the cruel “hostile environment”
Leeds, UK. 26 MAR, 2025. Axe drax target AXA insurance in central Leeds as part of a national “Boycott Bloody Insurance” movement. Credit Milo Chandler/Alamy Live News

Greenpeace sued by Trump’s big oil buddy

Last week, a jury in North Dakota delivered the verdict in Energy Transfer’s meritless lawsuit against Greenpeace. The jury found Greenpeace liable for more than $660 million in damages. Energy Transfer, a multi-billion dollar oil and gas company led by a Trump donor, is falsely claiming that Greenpeace orchestrated the Indigenous-led protests against its Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016-2017.

This is one of the most important cases in American history. This lawsuit was designed to make people afraid to participate in protests, for fear of being sued. We cannot let that happen – we need to speak out. There is still hope. This case will be appealed and Greenpeace has launched a counter-lawsuit against the company in the Netherlands.

Drax update

At Leeds Crown Court on 25 March, Axe Drax campaigner Diana Warner was found guilty and given a two year conditional discharge and ordered to pay around £4000 in costs. There was a good crowd of supporters present outside the court, where Diana gave a wonderful speech. You can read more here and donate to help Diana pay the £4000 costs here.

Airport campaign update – GALBA

Last week saw the start of a Public Inquiry into unlawful night time flying at Leeds Bradford Airport. GALBA caught the airport flying 2145 unlawful night flights in the summer seasons of 2022, 2023 and 2024. Leeds City Council agreed with GALBA but the airport appealed against the Council’s interpretation of the rules. The Inquiry will end in April but it will be several weeks before a decision is issued.

Next week, GALBA will be in the High Court in London, challenging the government’s reckless and irresponsible Jet Zero Strategy. Jet Zero is supposed to be all about cutting the aviation industry’s emissions but it allows a massive increase in flying long before there are any tried and tested clean fuels for planes. The Labour government is relying on the same false solutions – eg so-called ‘sustainable aviation fuel and carbon capture – as the Tories dreamt up. GALBA wants the strategy sent back to the drawing board. The only way to cut emissions from flying is to fly less!

Good news stories

Historic win for the Save Windemere campaign: the government has pledged to work with the campaign and local partners to eliminate all sewage discharges into Windermere.

Victory for African Penguins: just days ahead of a scheduled court case, all parties reached an agreement. The South African government will implement closures to commercial fishing around six of the last major African Penguin breeding colonies.

Nature friendly solution: a family of beavers in the Czech Republic completed a stalled dam project in just 48 hours, saving the government approximately $1.2 million. This project, aimed at preventing flooding in Prague, showcases how nature can provide effective solutions to environmental challenges.