Extinction Rebellion Tāmaki Makaurau actively supports the disruption to the traffic in Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington caused by the nonviolent civil disobedience taken by Restore Passenger Rail.

‘It is terrible that nonviolent disruptive action is necessary. As ordinary citizens we are driven into nonviolent disruptive civil disobedience’ says Caril Cowan. ‘Decades of protest of marches, delegations, lobbying petitions and more and successive government have not prevented this climate crisis. We are desperate for real action on the climate crisis’.

Last year UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “We are on a highway to Climate Hell with our foot on the accelerator”.

Labour’s 10 Year Transport Plan keeps us on the four lane Highway to Hell. National’s Transport Policy is even worse. Act worse again! Labour, National and Act are leading us closer to Guterres’ Climate Hell with every new four-lane expressway.

It is only Te Pati Māori and The Greens that have sufficient empathy for the people internally displaced and the bereaved whanau/families to have policies sufficiently addressing the climate crisis to have policies that are consistent with the science.

Transport emissions are the greatest cause of emissions in Aotearoa New Zealand. Affordable nationwide electric passenger rail and free urban public transport is a no brainer: cost of living and significant drop in emissions, with one intervention. Imagine not needing to pay for private transport and getting around as needed.

While wishing such actions were not necessary, Extinction Rebellion Tāmaki Makaurau understands and actively supports the actions of Restore Passenger Rail.

© Scoop Media