THREAD 🧵
Today marks the 52nd anniversary of #EarthDay 🌍
In honour of Mother Earth, we share the story of how UK activists fought a major 1990s road-building plan and started Britain’s environmental rebellion 👇
🔗: aje.io/earthday
In 1989, the UK’s Conservative gov’t announced its $19bn road-building plan, worth $43bn in today’s money.
It was called Roads for Prosperity, “the biggest road programme since the Romans”.
🔗: aje.io/earthday | #EarthDay
However, this meant some of the UK’s most pristine nature would be threatened. From 1992 to 1996, anti-roads activists stood together with determined acts of resistance.
And a new type of protest was born.
🔗: aje.io/earthday | #EarthDay
Protesters set up encampments along routes in the UK that were set for demolition.
They were clinging and attaching themselves to construction vehicles and trees.
🔗: aje.io/earthday | #EarthDay
In Newbury, nearly 800 people were arrested for trying to protect some 10,000 ancient trees which eventually fell to make way for the bypass.
🔗: aje.io/earthday | #EarthDay
A young woman named Cake climbed on a silver birch and stayed there for almost 3 hours in the cold to protect it from being cut down.
🔗: aje.io/earthday | #EarthDay
The protest's goal was to slow down construction, raise their expenses on security & attract public sympathy.
By 1997, when an environmentally-conscious Labour gov’t came to power, the Conservatives had already abandoned the roads plan.
🔗: aje.io/earthday | #EarthDay
With their traffic-stopping acts of civil disobedience, the UK's climate movement has evolved into Reclaim the Streets as well as today's Extinction Rebellion (XR) and Insulate Britain.
🔗: aje.io/earthday | #EarthDay
What lessons does this story hold for today's climate movement and how will you honour #EarthDay 2022?
Let us know below 👇 aje.io/earthday
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.