Extinction Rebellion co-founder Roger Hallam's writings on civil disobedience were central to the movement. Hallam has been criticized by his fellow activists for relativizing the Holocaust.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
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XR co-founder Roger Hallam's remarks on Holocaust cause outcry in Germany
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The German branch of Extinction Rebellion distanced itself from Roger Hallam on Wednesday, the co-founder of the movement, after he said the Holocaust was "just another f--kery in human history."
The environmental activists called Hallam's comments "harmful" and "relativizing" in both content and teminology, in a statement posted on Twitter.
His comments were "not representative of XR Germany and he did not discuss his comments with us in any way," said the group in a statement posted on Twitter. This applies to his views on democracy, sexism and racism, the statement continued.
The group also sought to minimize Hallam's importance to the movement, pointing out that he was just one of 15 founders.
Hallam's harmful Holocaust comments
Extinction Rebellion Germany was responding to an interview published in German publication Die Zeiton Wednesday.
In the interview, 53-year-oldHallam spoke about the Holocaust, saying genocides were "to be completely honest, almost a completely regular event," using the example of the Belgians who "decimated" the Congo.
He also said that German attitudes towards the Holocaust were holding Germany back.
Hallam, who comes from the UK, wrote the paper "Common sense for the 21st century" — the Extinction Rebellion movement had previously called this significant in its contribution to its tactic of widespread civil disobedience, such as large numbers of participators setting out to get arrested.
Extinction Rebellion protests go global
The activist group organized worldwide protests on Monday to force radical action on climate change. Police arrested hundreds of protesters for disrupting traffic or violating bans on demonstrations.
Image: picture-alliance/PA Wire/V. Jones
London, UK
Police arrested 217 people in London on Monday. Extinction Rebellion protesters blocked traffic and glued themselves to cars. Sarah Lasenby, an 81-year-old retired social worker among the arrested, told the Associated Press, "It is imperative the government should take serious actions and put pressure on other states and global powers to radically reduce the use of fossil fuels."
Image: picture-alliance/AP/J. Brady
New York City, US
Protesters in New York City doused the famous statue of the bull near Wall Street with blood and staged a "die-in" in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Police arrested around a dozen demonstrators.
Image: Reuters/M. Segar
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
More than 100 people were arrested in Amsterdam after blocking a road in front of the Rijksmuseum. The city had banned the activists from protesting there, but demonstrators went ahead with the protest anyway. One poster read, "SORRY that we blocked the road, but this is an emergency."
Image: Imago-Images/Hollandse Hoogte/S. Joosten
Sydney, Australia
Hundreds of people staged a sit-in on a busy road in Sydney before the police began making arrests. Activist Jane Morton told AFP, "we have tried petitions, lobbying and marches, and now time is running out." Australia's conservative government has been reluctant to improve environmental policy, choosing instead to support the continued exporting of coal.
Image: Getty Images/L. Maree Williams
Dublin, Ireland
With a march through Dublin, Extinction Rebellion demonstrators in Ireland kicked off a "week of action" calling for a greater response to climate change. Protesters held a mock funeral for the planet and parked a pink yacht in front of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's office.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/N. Carson
Berlin, Germany
Around 1,000 protesters in Berlin blocked the Grosser Stern, a roundabout in the middle of the German capital. 300 more blocked a central square with couches, tables, chairs, and flower pots. In total, over 3,000 people joined demonstrations in Berlin. The protests come as the German government is on the brink of passing a climate bill that many have criticized for being too weak.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Sohn
Paris, France
In central Paris, around 1,000 protesters blocked the area around Chatalet. Some chained themselves to barrels while others swore to stay there overnight in makeshift tents. Protesters waved banners with slogans like "Burn capitalism, not petrol."
