Mobilizing in a time of crisis: Extinction Rebellion and COVID-19

Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a transnational, decentralized environmental movement formed in the United Kingdom in 2018. It is renowned for its tactics of non-violent direct action, road blockades, performance art, mass arrests and civil disobedience. It also has a significant social media presence and has developed innovative forms of digital activism to further public engagement. This article employs Facebook as its ‘field site’ and analyses 282 posts from XR’s main Facebook page from June to July of 2020. The research was carried out during COVID-19 restrictions and marked a pivotal moment when XR’s strategy moved from direct action to online mobilization. This article draws upon the analytical concepts of ‘social movement framing’ and ‘connective action’ to uncover the meanings, motivations and tactics employed online. XR not only relied upon communicating emotions of anger and despair but aimed to build a strong collective identity around emotional support, relational connection and community. The article concludes by exploring how far digital activism can create unique spaces for the emergence of new environmental languages, framings and tactics.