XR Cambridge activists return to Trinity College, Cambridge, on day of court hearing into lawn-digging protest

Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists returned to Trinity College this afternoon, following the first court hearing relating to the week of activism during which they dug up its lawn.

They called on the University of Cambridge college to end its investment in fossil fuels - which the group claims amounts to £16million - and delivered speeches on the damage being caused to the planet.

Cambridgeshire police officers were present to ensure the protest remained peaceful.

Earlier today, as the Cambridge Independent has reported, nine members of XR attended court in relation to the week of activism in February, with two fined for digging up Trinity College’s lawn.

XR claimed it should be the college on trial for its “harmful investments”.

One member said: “Humanity is sleepwalking into a catastrophe of unimaginable horror on an incomprehensible scale, with many, many species becoming extinct, very possibly including our own.

“The action we took was to wake people up - especially members of this college - to the fact that while there is still time to mitigate this catastrophe, which is already upon us, we are now being exposed to an unprecedented stream of climate disasters: fires, floods, droughts, hurricanes, plagues of locusts - even combinations of these such as the fire tornadoes in California.

“We know that many people were shocked and outraged by what we did to this lawn back in February , but we would ask you to contrast that to the damage we are trying to prevent, the damage being done to our beloved planet by the fossil fuel emissions supported by this college. We would ask you to think on where your shock and outrage truly belong.”

Another member of the group added: “Just last year, here in Cambridge, we recorded the highest ever UK temperature: 38 degrees.

“Even more disturbingly, just two months ago, this same temperature was recorded in the Siberian Arctic. This is especially frightening since these extreme temperatures cause melting of permafrost, and a massive increase in Arctic wildfires, releasing vast quantities of greenhouse gases, and potentially tipping the climate into catastrophic and uncontrollable runaway overheating - just one of many such tipping points to which the Earth is vulnerable.

“Arctic heating is much worse than scientists predicted, with British Antarctic Survey researcher Michael Meredith commenting that it is as though some of the worst predictions for the future are being played out before our eyes.

“And on June 1, Russian president Vladimir Putin declared a regional emergency due to a 21,000 tonne oil spill caused by the undermining of a storage tank by melting permafrost.”

“All this underlines the urgency for cutting emissions right now, and yet fossil-fuel companies continue prospecting for yet more climate-destroying oil and gas, as well as lobbying against effective action to protect our planet. They are clearly driving breakdown of our climate, and so we ask Trinity College to send a clear and unequivocal message by fully divesting and cutting all ties with these toxic companies.”

The activists said they were going to give Trinity College porters wildflower seeds to help reseed the lawn

And they recited a Native American proverb:

“Only when the last tree has died;

and the last river been poisoned;

and the last fish been caught;

will we realise we cannot eat money.”

The campaigners, accompanied by their samba band, had banners with slogans including “Divest now! No more excuses”, and “System change, not climate change”. They were also accompanied by their now-famous samba band.

Trinity College has been approached for comment.

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Extinction Rebellion protesters fined for digging up lawn of Trinity College, Cambridge

Extinction Rebellion Cambridge activists dig up Trinity College lawn