XR targets Amazon centres in Black Friday demo

Extinction Rebellion (XR) demonstrators have organised a series of protests outside Amazon fulfilment centres across the UK and Europe in order to block Black Friday deliveries on one of the retailer’s busiest days.

The group has blocked a total of 15 fulfilment centres across the UK, Netherlands and Germany with the protests being kicked off at Amazon’s largest UK centre in Dunfermline this morning (26 November). 

The group revealed it is blocking the entrances of the sites using bamboo structures, lock-ons and banners. The 12 other UK sites include; Doncaster, Darlington, Newcastle, Manchester, Peterborough, Derby, Coventry, Rugeley, Dartford, Bristol, Tilbury and Milton Keynes.

According to a post on the group’s website the protesters plan to stay for 48 hours. 

Clarissa Carlyon, who is taking part in the action, said: “I have joined this action because we must address the toxic consumerism that is driving the ecological crisis, and trapping us in business as usual. If we don’t talk about what consumerism is doing to our planet and our society then we will not address the planetary emergency that’s happening now.”

Last month, Amazon was among the first of a number of retailers to sign up to a first-of-its-kind target to progressively switch all of its ocean freight to vessels powered by zero-carbon fuels by 2040.

Through a new collaborative, cargo owner-led network facilitated by the Aspen Institute,it said  the move is designed to send an “important demand signal” to the maritime value chain and bunker fuel producers that freight customers want zero-carbon shipping and they “expect the industry to rapidly accelerate its decarbonization efforts in the years ahead”.