XR Leeds meetings – on hold for the summer

To make better use of our time during the summer festival season (we’re all feeling the strain lately!), we have decided not to hold our usual XR Leeds meetings and socials for the next couple of months. If you’ve not seen the notes of our April meeting yet, when we made this decision, you can find them here.

Instead, we will be combining our social gatherings with Imagine Leeds’ monthly Green Drinks (details below), so please come and find us there. We will still be holding our weekly Coordinators’ Meeting, usually on Thursday mornings. You can find the link in the April meeting notes and you are always welcome to join us then, if there is anything you’d like us to know or get involved in.

Dates for your diary in May

Disability Protest Against the Cuts – Saturday 3 May, 12.15-2.15, Leeds City Art Gallery: Disability Protest Against the Cuts (DPAC), Leeds, full details here. Our very own Nic will be running a stall there, so please go along and show support if you can.

“Rave On for the Avon” film – Tuesday 6 May, 6.15pm, Hyde Park Picture House: “Rave On for the Avon”is a film about local swimmers, scientists and a mermaid who joined forces in a community’s battle to fight to protect the River Avon. There will be an opportunity to join the discussion afterwards. Full details here.

Roots of Change – Wednesday 14 May, 2-9pm, Leeds Caribbean and African Centre: Roots of Change: A Community Climate Action Celebration. Hyde Park Source have been working to revamp the outdoor area of the centre and the Lord Mayor will be opening the new space at 5pm. Full details here.  

Green Drinks Leeds – Wednesday 21 May, 5.30-800, Imagine Leeds, 9 Blenheim Terrace, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9HX: This month we’ll be hearing from Lesley McKay and Tony Herrmann, about how to engage MPs on environmental issues. They’ll be speaking on behalf of a coalition of groups (including XR Leeds) who recently organised an event attended by Alex Sobel (pictured below). If you’d like to join us, you can sign up here. Everyone usually brings a drink or some nibbles by way of contribution… or you can leave a donation in the tin if you’re able.

XR Leeds Fundraiser – Saturday 31 May, 11am till 3pm, outside Imagine Leeds, 9 Blenheim Terrace, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9HX: “Bring & Pay As You Feel” sale to raise money for local climate action. Among other things, we’ll be selling items salvaged from last year’s Leeds Festival and a range of other small quality items (e.g. jewellery, small household decor) and pre-loved clothing. If you’d like to bring your unwanted items to pass on, please arrive early on the day so we can get them set out on our stalls. There’ll be refreshments and a range of games and fun activities. If you’re able to help with running and organising this event, please get in touch: xrleeds@protonmail.com

Local summer festivals outreach – come along!

We will have stalls at the events listed below over the summer and we may decide to do a few more too. Please let us know if you can help, even if it’s just for an hour or two: xrleeds@protonmail.com. If you’ve not joined in on a stall before, it’s usually a fun day out (weather permitting!) and a great way to connect with fellow rebels, as well as reaching out to people in the community. You will not be on your own and full training can be given if needed. Or just make a note in your diary and come along to say hello on the day.

  • Saturday 14 June – Woodhouse & Hyde Park Green Fayre, 12pm-4pm
  • Saturday 28 June – Beeston Festival, 12pm-4pm
  • Saturday 12 July – Kirkstall Festival, 11am-5pm
  • Thursday 14 to Monday 18 August – Northern Green Gathering, Normanton, Wakefield (free tickets available for anyone helping, e.g on our stall, with our workshops and listening circles).

Drax news

Last week Axe Drax stormed Enviva’s HQ, demanding an end to forest destruction and toxic pollution. Enviva is the world’s biggest wood pellet company and a major supplier to North Yorkshire’s Drax power station. The action came just hours after the Public Accounts Committee published their damning report on biomass.

The committee found that the current approach to monitoring the wood pellets supplied to Drax relies heavily on self reporting of their sustainability and third party certification schemes. This gives a sense that Drax and its suppliers are marking their own homework. Neither the energy department nor Ofgem know whether this approach to monitoring is effective in making sure the pellets come from sustainable sources.

Then on Thursday 1 May, activists forced Drax to abandon its AGM! Drax has come under fierce criticism for claiming billions in renewable energy subsidies to generate electricity by burning wood pellets. Yet Drax is the biggest single biggest source of CO2 in England. Read more about the protest in this article: Drax abandons AGM after confrontation with green activists.

GALBA news

The Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport is waiting for two big legal decisions. In March, GALBA challenged the airport for breaking the night time flying rules at a Public Inquiry held in Leeds. Then in April, the group took the government to the High Court in London to challenge the reckless and irresponsible Jet Zero Strategy. We don’t know when the decisions will be announced but we’ll let you know when we know.

Demonstration outside the Royal Court of Justice on the first day a hearing against the Jet Zero strategy on the 1st of April 2025, Central London, United Kingdom. Climate charity Possible and the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport are taking the UK government to court over its controversial Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), arguing that the policy encourages aviation expansion at the expense of legally binding climate commitments.

Local Government Association – Climate Consultation

The LGA is consulting on whether there should be a statutory duty on local authorities to take action on climate change and what such a duty should involve. This really important consultation is particularly aimed at councils and councillors but is open to anyone. There are about 30 questions and the consultation closes on Friday 30 May. Please respond if you can! You can read a brief background to the consultation and find a link to the questionnaire here.

Seeds of Disaster – Global #StopUPOV Campaign

Saturday was International Seeds Day but were you aware of UPOV91 and what it means for small farmers around the world? They face intimidation, fines and imprisonment just for sharing their seeds with their neighbours. Find out more about Transform Trade’s international fightback here and do what you can to help.

CAN Bill update – REAL Change Campaign by Zero Hour

A national coalition of climate and nature groups are organising a mass Lobby in Westminster for Climate & Nature on Wednesday 9 July, ahead of the next stage of the Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill due in Parliament on Friday 11 July. Join Zero Hour’s “REAL Change” campaign launch on Wednesday 7 May, 7.00-8.30pm, online to find out more and get involved, Full details here.

Good news

Court rules anti-protest laws are unlawful: the Court of Appeal has ruled that legislation granting the police ‘almost unlimited powers’ to restrict protests was created unlawfully. Judges dismissed an appeal from the Government, finding in favour of human rights organisation Liberty.

Dawn Chorus Day: get out early on Sunday 4 May and soak up some birdsong on Dawn Chorus Day! Here’s all you need to know to make the most of the experience from the RSPB

We are the majority: the vast majority (89%) of people around the world want their governments to do more about climate change. Find out more here.