Extinction Rebellion to hold mock funeral outside Leeds Magistrates in Leeds Bradford Airport expansion protest

There protestors will hold a mock funeral for Leeds' carbon budget and right to protest.

At lunchtime today (February 15), climate campaigners will protest against the proposed expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport and against the government’s Policing Bill.

The protest centres around £150m rebuild and expansion plans at Leeds Bradford which have previously faced criticism with scientists warning the expansion would be 'catastrophic' to the climate.

Sam Townson, spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Leeds and member of Our Future Leeds, said:

“We’ve had some very good news lately. There’s going to be a public inquiry into the airport’s expansion plans and some of the worst proposals in the Policing Bill have been rejected by the House of Lords.

"There’s a lot more work to be done to protect our climate and our rights. We will send a powerful message to the government that Leeds Bradford Airport cannot be allowed to expand and that they must drop plans in the Policing, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would damage our democracy.“

Supporters of Extinction Rebellion, GALBA and other trade union and environmental groups will carry a coffin outside the court to symbolise the death of Leeds' carbon budget that would be caused by increased emissions from airport expansion, as well as the death of rights to protest proposed in the Policing Bill.

They will then walk from the Magistrates Court via the Town Hall steps where campaigners will unfurl six long rolls of red cloth down the steps with messages including "code red for humanity", "airport expansion kills" and “kill the bill, save our liberties”.

The procession will continue to Millennium Square where the banners will be unfurled again down the Civic Hall steps.

“Everyone knows, including the government, that we have to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 to give us a realistic chance of preventing climate breakdown. Expanding Leeds Bradford Airport would take us in the opposite direction - it would double its emissions by 2030." Sam Townson, added.

"On top of that, the government’s proposals in the Policing, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would make it illegal to protest against the madness of allowing the climate crisis to get worse. We are here today to stand up for our fellow campaigner, the climate and natural world, and our democratic right to protest - we WILL be heard!”

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