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Home / Christian climate protestors to turn Lambeth Bridge into 'Faith Bridge'

Christian climate protestors to turn Lambeth Bridge into 'Faith Bridge'

By agency reporter
October 5, 2019

The Christians of Extinction Rebellion, Christian Climate Action, are planning to turn Lambeth Bridge into a Faith Bridge from Monday 7 October 2019 as part a major climate change protest urging the government to take swifter action to tackle climate change.

The protests follow a series of disappointing climate commitments from rich world countries at a summit in New York and a major report from the UN’s expert science panel, the IPCC, which warned of unprecedented consequences to the world’s oceans and ice systems without drastic action from governments. 

Among the activities taking place on Lambeth Bridge from Monday are baptisms, a daily eucharist, a contemplative prayer pool, Taize services and foot-washing sessions. The Community of Aiden and Hilda will lead liturgical worship, the Church Army will be hosting poetry workshops while development charities Christian Aid, Tearfund, and Cafod will be leading a prayer vigil on Monday.  

The Rev Helen Burnett, Vicar at St Peter and St Paul’s Chaldon in the Diocese of Southwark is a member of Christian Climate Action (CCA), the Christian arm of XR. She said: “For many of us this is a spiritual act of witness. So it makes sense to celebrate this part of our faith and bring it into the heart of the protest.”

One of the members of Christian Climate Action, Holly-Anna Petersen, said: “Shutting down roads around Westminster may seem like a drastic step but we believe it’s necessary because of the drastic state of the global climate.

“Extinction Rebellion began last October because it was clear we needed to take urgent action and since then the climate crisis has only got worse.  We’ve had UN science reports showing the damage of climate breakdown is causing to our land and oceans, and we’ve seen climate impacts causing drought and devastation from Africa to Australia.

“The weak pledges made at the New York summit last week shows that our leaders aren’t acting fast enough, despite the demands from the world’s youth climate strikes. So we’re left with the only option we have left; peaceful non-violent direct action.”

* Christian Climate Action https://christianclimateaction.org/

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