62-536: The Chalfont Viaduct (also known as the Misbourne Viaduct ) is the first of two five-arch brick railway viaducts on the Chiltern Main Line in south-east England . It is located between Gerrards Cross and Denham Golf Club stations. The M25 motorway passes beneath it between junctions 16 and 17 at Gerrards Cross near Chalfont St Peter , from where the bridge gets its name. The bridge
124-561: A chance taken ", it prompted mass media commentary which lead to the new artist returning a few days later to change the slogan to " give helch a break!!! ". It has been speculated that the new graffiti may be related to similar slogans being painted on buildings in the London borough of Harrow , and several other bridges along the M25 and M1 motorways all following the similar, heavily serif-ed style/typeface. The reception towards this modification
186-468: A criminal organization and abolished due to a Citizens' Initiative which received over 70 000 signatures within a day, in response to which, members of Extinction Rebellion have fantasized about violence and the collapse of the government. In Britain in 2021 some campaigners considered that XR was being ignored by government (except for legislating against protests) and no longer had the effect needed to create real change, so other groups were formed with
248-438: A decentralised structure. Providing that they respect the 'principles and values', every local group can organise events and actions independently. To organise the movement, local groups are structured with various 'working groups' taking care of strategy, outreach, well-being, etc. A group of health professionals named 'Doctors for Extinction Rebellion' supports XR actions and organises demonstrations on their own, warning about
310-460: A planned visit by school strike leader Greta Thunberg , and statements from former NASA scientist James Hansen and linguist and activist Noam Chomsky . A study conducted during the first two days of the mid-April London occupation, polling 1539 participants, found that 46% of respondents supported the rebellion; however, an opinion poll of 3482 British adults in October 2019 found that support
372-607: A repurposed rail viaduct provides a garden promenade on top and workspace for artisans below. The garden promenade is called the Coulée verte René-Dumont while the workspaces in the arches below are the Viaduc des Arts . The project was inaugurated in 1993. Manhattan's High Line , inaugurated in 2009, also uses an elevated train line as a linear urban park . In Indonesia viaducts are used for railways in Java and also for highways such as
434-626: A section 14 order giving police the power to clear static protests from a specified area, and given a conditional discharge. On 12 April over 30 protesters appeared in court, each charged with being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at various locations on various dates. Some pleaded guilty , and were mostly given conditional discharges . The trials of those who pleaded not guilty are to take place in September and October. In London's April 2019 protests 1130 arrests were made, and during
496-474: A specific geographical locality such as a suburb, city or in some cases a larger region. The movement also organises around affinity groups . Anyone who takes action in pursuit of "XR's three goals and adheres to its ten principles, which includes non-violence, can claim to do it in the name of XR." The Economist identified the group as using the tenets of holacracy to operate more effectively given strong state opposition. Extinction Rebellion has
558-655: A tactic to generate attention to their cause by wasting police time and disrupting others. Extinction Rebellion's founders researched the histories of "the suffragettes, the Indian salt marchers, the civil rights movement and the Polish and East German democracy movements", who all used the tactic, and are applying their lessons to the climate crisis. Co-founder Roger Hallam has said "letters, emailing, marches don't work. You need about 400 people to go to prison. About two to three thousand people to be arrested." In April 2024 Hallam
620-523: A wide valley, road, river, or other low-lying terrain features and obstacles. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via meaning "road", and ducere meaning "to lead". It is a 19th-century derivation from an analogy with ancient Roman aqueducts . Like the Roman aqueducts , many early viaducts comprised a series of arches of roughly equal length. The longest viaduct in antiquity may have been
682-628: Is a subsidiary of Climate Emergency Action Limited, and serves XR UK. Ben Smoke, one of the Stansted 15 , writing in The Guardian, criticised XR's tactic of mass arrest. He wrote for XR to casually speak of imprisonment undermines the negative experiences of incarceration on Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in the UK. He also wrote that for XR to be supporting peoples' court cases risks drawing significant "resources, time, money and energy" from
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#1732775478836744-507: Is built across land rather than water, the space below the arches may be used for businesses such as car parking, vehicle repairs, light industry, bars and nightclubs. In the United Kingdom, many railway lines in urban areas have been constructed on viaducts, and so the infrastructure owner Network Rail has an extensive property portfolio in arches under viaducts. In Berlin the space under the arches of elevated subway lines ( S-Bahn )
806-602: Is built of blue and black engineering brick with additional decorative brickwork. The bridge is approximately 12.5 metres (41 ft) high, although it varies in height due to changing ground level, and it has five semi-elliptical arches, each 15.5 metres (51 ft) wide. It was constructed between 1902 and 1906 by the Great Western Railway (GWR) to carry trains on the Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway between London and High Wycombe across
868-449: Is known as Chalfont No. 1 Viaduct; the longer Chalfont No. 2 Viaduct is a short distance to the west and spans the A413 . The bridge is noted as a local landmark because for ten years it bore a graffiti slogan, " give peas a chance " painted in large white letters on the south-facing parapet. As of March 2024, it bears the slogan " helta▪skelta " (added in 2021). The Chalfont Viaduct
930-401: Is seen as offering insights as to "how we mobilise to cope with emergency", and "strike a balance between disruption and creativity". Roger Hallam has been clear that the strategy of public disruption is "heavily influenced" by the community-organizing tactician: "The essential element here is disruption. Without disruption, no one is going to give you their eyeballs". A number of activists in
992-407: Is used for several different purposes, including small eateries or bars. Elevated expressways were built in major cities such as Boston ( Central Artery ), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seoul , Tokyo and Toronto ( Gardiner Expressway ). Some were demolished because they were unappealing and divided the city. In other cases, viaducts were demolished because they were structurally unsafe, such as
1054-464: The Financial Times wrote that Extinction Rebellion's total fundraising was "just over £2.5m in the past 12 months." Michael Stipe is a supporter, with all profits from his debut solo single "Your Capricious Soul" going to Extinction Rebellion. On 6 February 2020, the environmental organization Mobilize Earth debuted Guardians of Life , the first of twelve short films that highlight
1116-602: The Bloor-Danforth subway line on the lower deck, over the steep Don River valley . Others were built to span settled areas, crossing over roads beneath—the reason for many viaducts in London. Viaducts over water make use of islands or successive arches. They are often combined with other types of bridges or tunnels to cross navigable waters as viaduct sections, while less expensive to design and build than tunnels or bridges with larger spans, typically lack sufficient horizontal and vertical clearance for large ships. See
1178-542: The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel . The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France. It opened in 2004 and is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one pier's summit at 343 metres (1,125 ft). The viaduct Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge in China was the longest bridge in the world as of 2011 . Where a viaduct
1240-645: The Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco, which was damaged by an earthquake in 1989. However, in developing nations such as Thailand ( Bang Na Expressway , the world's longest road bridge ), India ( Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway ), China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nicaragua, elevated expressways have been built and more are under construction to improve traffic flow, particularly as a workaround of land shortage when built atop surface roads. Other uses have been found for some viaducts. In Paris, France,
1302-636: The Jakarta Inner Ring Road . In January 2019, the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle was closed and replaced with a tunnel after several decades of use because it was seismically unsafe. Extinction Rebellion Extinction Rebellion (abbreviated as XR ) is a UK-founded global environmental movement , with the stated aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience to compel government action to avoid tipping points in
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#17327754788361364-626: The Pont Serme which crossed wide marshes in southern France. At its longest point, it measured 2,679 meters with a width of 22 meters. Viaducts are commonly used in many cities that are railroad hubs , such as Chicago, Birmingham, London and Manchester . These viaducts cross the large railroad yards that are needed for freight trains there, and also cross the multi-track railroad lines that are needed for heavy rail traffic. These viaducts provide grade separation and keep highway and city street traffic from having to be continually interrupted by
1426-649: The River Misbourne . It was designed by James Charles Inglis , chief civil engineer of the GWR, and assistant engineer Robert Cherry Sikes. In the mid-1980s the construction of the M25 motorway required the Misbourne to be diverted via underground concrete culverts . The route of the motorway was aligned to pass through the arches of the Chalfont Viaduct, leaving the viaduct largely unaltered apart from
1488-685: The effects of climate change on human health . They are notably present in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. A youth wing—XR Youth—of Extinction Rebellion had formed by July 2019. In contrast to the main XR, it is centered around consideration of the Global South and indigenous peoples , and more concerned with climate justice . By October 2019 there were 55 XR Youth groups in the UK and another 25 elsewhere. All XR Youth comprise people born after 1990, with an average age of 16, and have been as young as 10. Believing humans to be God's stewards of
1550-399: The 3,917,854 total votes cast in the two constituencies . In June 2019, 1,000 healthcare professionals in the UK and elsewhere, including professors, public health figures, and former presidents of royal colleges, called for widespread non-violent civil disobedience in response to "woefully inadequate" government policies on the unfolding ecological emergency. They called on politicians and
1612-969: The Swiss government take measures to address climate change in the country. On 4 November 2021, Extinction Rebellion demonstrators blocked the Schlumberger Gould Research Centre in west Cambridge to oppose the research into fossil fuel extraction by an American corporation. The demonstration was scheduled to coincide with the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, which is focusing on energy. In April 2022, activists from Extinction Rebellion blocked key bridges across London, among them two Olympic athletes. Protestors had been arrested after climbing oil tankers, anchoring themselves to structures, or blocking roads at oil depots. In September 2024 activists from Extinction Rebellion chained themselves to
1674-523: The US. In September 2019 Getty pledged $ 600,000 (£487,000) to the Fund. Christopher Hohn gave £50,000 to the group and the charity he co-founded, The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (TCI), has donated more than £150,000. As of January 2022, TCI was the single biggest individual donor to Extinction Rebellion. In 2019, TCI said that none of its money was spent on civil disobedience. In October 2019,
1736-522: The University of West of England, Bristol, wrote in The Guardian that environmental groups such as Extinction Rebellion are not strongly rooted in working-class organisations and communities, which she said is a problem because building the broad-based support necessary for a radical transition to sustainability requires contributions from all strands of environmentalism, especially working class. Labour Party shadow cabinet member Lisa Nandy criticised
1798-650: The access gates of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, forcing its closure. The activists said they would only leave if the museum cuts all ties with the ING bank . In September 2024, activists from Extinction Rebellion covered the Finnish Parliament House in red paint, which according to testers, may not be able to be removed without damage. Extinction Rebellion is under threat of being classified as
1860-522: The area around Parliament Square . In August 2021, the Impossible Rebellion targeted London. Citing inspiration from grassroots movements such as Occupy , the suffragettes , and the civil rights movement , Extinction Rebellion aims to instill a sense of urgency for preventing further "climate breakdown", as well as the ongoing sixth mass extinction . A number of activists in the movement accept arrest and imprisonment, similar to
1922-412: The artist being repeatedly arrested, and it may also be a play on words in reference to John Lennon 's popular 1969 song, " Give Peace a Chance ". The graffiti became a popular local landmark and was regarded affectionately by motorists and residents in nearby settlements as a reassuring location marker. In 2018, when the graffiti was partially removed and altered by an unknown artist to read " helch,
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1984-422: The bridge, visible to drivers going in an anticlockwise direction was tagged with graffiti from Extinction Rebellion .. Citations Sources Railway viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across
2046-512: The campaign group Rising Up! Grassroots movements such as those of Occupy , Gandhi's Satyagraha , the suffragettes , Gene Sharp , Martin Luther King Jr. and others in the civil rights movement have been cited as sources of inspiration In seeking to rally support worldwide around a common sense of urgency to tackle climate breakdown, reference is also made to Saul Alinsky . His "Pragmatic Primer," Rules for Radicals (1972),
2108-582: The climate system , biodiversity loss , and the risk of social and ecological collapse . Extinction Rebellion was established in Stroud in May 2018 by Gail Bradbrook , Simon Bramwell, Roger Hallam , Stuart Basden, along with six other co-founders from the campaign group Rising Up! Its first major action was to occupy the London Greenpeace offices on 17 October 2018, which was followed by
2170-471: The date specified. A report called "Extremism Rebellion" by Policy Exchange , a UK-based conservative think tank , said that Extinction Rebellion is an extremist organisation seeking the breakdown of liberal democracy and the rule of law, and called for the criminalisation of the group; the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 was based on the 2019 report by Policy Exchange, which received in 2017
2232-667: The earth , XR's Christian wing, the Christian Climate Action, has been involved in numerous direct action campaigns and other protests to bring awareness of climate change and the climate crisis . It has called for churches in the UK to help alleviate poverty and inequality caused by climate change and has also written to Justin Welby , the Archbishop of Canterbury , over the Church of England 's lack of support for
2294-399: The effects of ongoing ecocide to prevent extinction of human and all species, in order to maintain a livable, just planet for all." Extinction Rebellion is a loosely networked, decentralised , grassroots movement, with largely autonomous local groups – which often collaborate on actions – forming the bulk of the movement's organisational capacity. A local group is generally based around
2356-614: The environmental movement, from the individuals involved, and which could otherwise be directed towards people most affected by climate change. Smoke instead recommended tactics that are not only the preserve of those able to afford the expense and time of arrest. He also wrote that though mass arrests may be intended to cause government to focus more on tackling climate change, it might instead cause government to increase anti-protest legislation. The critique of XR's middle class white privilege , that its mass arrest tactic does not consider that people of colour will not be treated as leniently by
2418-629: The group. It has a membership of over 1000 (with around 150 taking direct action ). It is associated with Camino to Cop26 , a women-run faith group that walked 500 miles to the COP26 conference in Glasgow to protest world leaders' lack of action on climate change. Other groups such as Marcha a Glasgow , the Pilgrimage for Cop26 and the Young Christian Climate Network also walked to the conference; they have described
2480-479: The idea of using mass disruption and arrest to draw attention to a very specific demand. Insulate Britain was set up to demand that the government implement measures to fit all homes with improved insulation by 2030 to improve energy efficiency thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Just Stop Oil from 2022 protested against fossil fuels . Both groups carried out disruptive protests, blocking traffic and seeking to be arrested. Extinction Rebellion uses mass arrest as
2542-504: The inaction of governments in the past, it would be difficult to achieve net zero in such a short time frame. It said that one way to go net zero by 2025 would include the scrapping of flying and 38 million petrol and diesel cars would need to be removed from the roads. Twenty-six million gas boilers would need to be disconnected in six years. The Rapid Transition Alliance and the Centre for Alternative Technology are more positive about
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2604-473: The journey as a pilgrimage . Extinction Rebellion originated in the United Kingdom at a meeting of activists including Gail Bradbrook , Roger Hallam and Simon Bramwell in April 2018, at which they drew up a number of goals. About one hundred academics signed a call to action in their support in October 2018, and XR was launched on 31 October by Hallam, Bradbrook, Simon Bramwell, and other activists from
2666-543: The mass arrest tactics of the Committee of 100 in 1961. The movement uses a stylised, circled hourglass , known as the extinction symbol , to serve as a warning that time is rapidly running out for many species. Extinction Rebellion has been criticised as alienating potential supporters. Extinction Rebellion's 2019 protests cost the Metropolitan Police an extra £7.5 million. Activists identifying with
2728-496: The most pressing issues facing humanity and the natural world. Funds raised by the project went to Amazon Watch and Extinction Rebellion. In September 2021, YouGov asked 3,296 British adults for their opinions on Extinction Rebellion, of which 19% were "fairly positive" or "very positive", and 49% were "very negative" or "fairly negative". The XR UK web site list the terms of service are under “Extinction Rebellion UK (Compassionate Revolution Ltd)”. Compassionate Revolution Ltd
2790-483: The movement accept arrest and imprisonment, similar to the mass arrest tactics of the Committee of 100 in 1961. On 9 December 2018, a second open letter of support signed by another hundred academics was published. Extinction Rebellion has taken a variety of actions since 2018 in the UK, United States, Australia and elsewhere. On 5 October 2021, the group blocked streets in Zurich , Switzerland , demanding that
2852-570: The movement have also defended causing property damage, such as smashing windows. Extinction Rebellion has said such tactics are sometimes necessary and that they are careful not to put anyone at risk. In a YouGov poll of 3,482 British adults conducted on 15 October 2019, 54% "strongly opposed" or "somewhat opposed" Extinction Rebellion's actions of disrupting roads and public transport to "shut down London" in order to bring attention to their cause, while 36% "strongly supported" or "somewhat supported" these actions. Extinction Rebellion's website, at
2914-634: The news media to face the facts of the unfolding ecological emergency and take action. They supported the school strike movement and Extinction Rebellion. In July 2019 Trevor Neilson , Rory Kennedy and Aileen Getty launched the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), inspired by Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion protesters in the UK in April. It donated almost half a million pounds to Extinction Rebellion groups in New York City and Los Angeles and school strike for climate groups in
2976-442: The organisation in The Guardian in October 2019, saying "calls for individual action can't just be modelled on the lifestyles of middle class city dwellers". George Monbiot has also written in The Guardian that "Extinction Rebellion is too white, and too middle class." The Canning Town protest, in which two activists scaled a train at Canning Town station , then kicked working class commuters who attempted to remove them from
3038-447: The painted legend " peas06 ". Originally, the graffiti on the south parapet simply read " peas ". It is thought that "Peas" was the tag of a London graffiti artist which can be seen on other locations. Google Streetview images suggest the words " give " and " a chance " were added at some point between June and November 2008; it is unclear whether these were painted by the same person as peas . The altered slogan may refer to
3100-571: The public launch at the "Declaration of Rebellion" on 31 October 2018 outside the UK Parliament. Earlier that month, about one hundred academics signed a call to action in their support. In November 2018, five bridges across the River Thames in London were blockaded as a protest. In April 2019, Extinction Rebellion occupied five prominent sites in central London: Piccadilly Circus , Oxford Circus , Marble Arch , Waterloo Bridge , and
3162-403: The raised ground level and the addition of concrete supports and crash barriers. The viaduct is the only brick-built bridge on this section of the M25. Between 2008 and 2018, the Chalfont Viaduct bore a graffiti slogan, " give peas a chance " painted in large white letters on the south-facing parapet , visible to M25 drivers heading in a clockwise direction. The north side of the bridge bears
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#17327754788363224-777: The system as white people, was also highlighted in an open letter from Wretched of the Earth , an environmental group that focuses on black, brown and indigenous voices, to XR. The group responded to this critique with a thank you, pointing out their solidarity and commitment to diversity of membership as well diversity in styles of engagement (for example, one does not need to volunteer for a prison term in order to be an active member of XR). Some in Extinction Rebellion have also called attention to Martin Luther King Jr. (one of XR's guiding inspirations ) in this regard, noting that his call for civil disobedience to end segregation
3286-598: The time of the group's inception in the UK, stated the following aims: When the movement expanded to the United States , a further demand was added to that group's list: "We demand a just transition that prioritizes the most vulnerable people and indigenous sovereignty; establishes reparations and remediation led by and for Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour and poor communities for years of environmental injustice , establishes legal rights for ecosystems to thrive and regenerate in perpetuity, and repairs
3348-564: The traffic load, necessitating a viaduct for "through" traffic. Such bridges also lend themselves for use by rail traffic, which requires straighter and flatter routes. Some viaducts have more than one deck, such that one deck has vehicular traffic and another deck carries rail traffic. One example of this is the Prince Edward Viaduct in Toronto, Canada, that carries motor traffic on the top deck as Bloor Street , and metro as
3410-463: The train before being dragged onto the platform and mobbed, focused attention on class issues and led to an apology from an XR spokesman. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit , which supports XR's course of strong action and demands, the time frame being urged by XR is "an ambition that technically, economically and politically has absolutely no chance of being fulfilled." Due to
3472-445: The train traffic. Likewise, some viaducts carry railroads over large valleys, or they carry railroads over cities with many cross-streets and avenues. Many viaducts over land connect points of similar height in a landscape, usually by bridging a river valley or other eroded opening in an otherwise flat area. Often such valleys had roads descending either side (with a small bridge over the river, where necessary) that become inadequate for
3534-581: The two-week October 2019 actions in London as part of "International Rebellion", 1832 arrests were made. This included the Green Party Member of European Parliament for the West Midlands , Ellie Chowns , as well as Green Party co-leader and Leader of the opposition on Lambeth Council , Jonathan Bartley . On 16 November 2023, a jury acquitted nine members of XR who together had caused £ 500,000 worth of criminal damage to
3596-428: The windows of the London headquarters of HSBC bank two years prior as a climate protest. The defendants did not dispute the facts of the case. The jury deliberated for just two hours before returning a verdict of not guilty. During the "International Rebellion", which started on 15 April 2019, actions and messages of support arrived from various sources, including a speech by actress Emma Thompson ,
3658-526: Was a call directed toward all who were willing and able, regardless of race or colour. When the movement expanded to the US, a fourth demand was added to that group's list of demands: for a "just transition that prioritises the most vulnerable and indigenous sovereignty [and] establishes reparations and remediation led by and for black people, indigenous people, people of colour and poor communities for years of environmental injustice." Karen Bell, senior lecturer in human geography and environmental justice at
3720-471: Was given a suspended two year sentence for attempting to block Heathrow Airport with drones, and in July 2024 he was convicted of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance by blocking the M25 motorway and sentenced to five years' imprisonment. In June and July 2019 some of the Extinction Rebellion supporters arrested that April appeared in court in the UK. On 25 June a 68-year-old protester was convicted of breaching
3782-447: Was largely negative, to the point that a petition to Network Rail to reinstate the previous slogan and make the bridge a listed building was produced, and received over 2,000 signatures. In March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic , an unknown artist replaced the graffiti with one reading " thank you NHS ". At some point between July and November 2021, the graffiti was replaced again with " helta▪skelta ". The north side of
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#17327754788363844-648: Was lower and that 54% of respondents strongly or somewhat opposed actions aiming to "shut down London" The protests on 17 April had blocked access to means of transport including buses, alienating travellers. In May 2019, Roger Hallam and eight others stood as candidates in the European Parliament elections in the London and the South West England constituencies as Climate Emergency Independents. Between them, they won 7,416 out of
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