German artists join Extinction Rebellion call to action

The logo is an hourglass and the message is clear: We are running out of time. Extinction Rebellion fights for goals similar to Fridays for Future — but they are more radical than the student movement launched by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. 

Extinction Rebellion — abbreviated XR — is "rebelling against extinction" through civil disobedience.

An open letter to the German goverment calls for "immediate drastic measures against the deteriorating ecological crisis." The XR letter points out that "We face floods, wildfires, extreme weather, crop failure, mass displacement and the breakdown of society. "

Over 90 celebrities from the German arts and cultural scene have signed the letter, including filmmaker Fatih Akin, theater director Anna Bergmann, actors Peter Lohmeyer and Bjarne Mädel, cabaret artist Michael Feindler, as well as other directors, authors and musicians.

"Hopefully it will motivate politicians," film producer Iris Sommerlatte, a signatory of the letter, told DW. "When I was a kid, it still snowed in winter," recalls the 45-year-old. "Climate change is in plain sight today.

Climate actions starting October 7

In a new wave of "rebellion" actions starting October 7, Extinction Rebellion is planning on blocking Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Paris and New York through a "peaceful uprising," the activists' website states. "We will rebel together in streets and squares and remain there — peacefully, creatively and colorfully."

Spraying fake blood and staging funeral marches with coffins are some of the Extinction Rebellion actions.

The activists' promotional video for the Berlin actions states "This is an emergency" and shows images of worldwide environmental destruction, adding, "It's going to get worse, our civilization is threatened." The video issues a call to join actions on Monday.