‘Public preachers using a public address system were encouraging anyone listening to take action.’

The Exctinction Rebellion movement is young, rebellious and urgent. Sound familiar? Judith Roads wonders whether early Friends operated the same way

by Judith Roads 28th June 2019

Sitting in Meeting for Worship last Easter – on the ground at Marble Arch in London, as it happens – I was struck by similarities between the Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement and the early Quaker movement in Britain. We were worshipping beside the XR climate camp, where public preachers using a public address system were encouraging anyone who might be listening to take action. They made clear why this was necessary, and urgent. ‘Repent!’ (as they didn’t say!). These speakers didn’t see themselves as preachers of course, XR is not an ‘end times’ religion.