“One day I want to have kids. But I don’t think I can. I don’t see a future that’s livable at the moment.”

by Eoin Higgins, staff writer for Common Dreams

Activists across Europe blocked off major streets and public areas Monday as they called for immediate action from world leaders to deal with the climate crisis.

The movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), is holding protests across the world from April 15 to 22 for an “International Rebellion” against a climate crisis that is escalating rapidly.

Importantly, XR stresses that it “doesn’t rely on false positivity or hope.”

A London protester bemoaned the fact that she found it unlikely she’d have children due to the climate crisis.

“One day I want to have kids,” said the woman protester. “But I don’t think I can. I don’t see a future that’s livable at the moment.”

“XR communicates precisely about the climate emergency we face and then asks people to act accordingly,” said the group in a statement announcing the week’s action. “It’s working.”

The protest movement was endorsed by writer and activist George Monbiot in a Guardian column Monday.

“The time for excuses is over,” wrote Monbiot. “The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun.”

That militant posture is leading to real actions with real consequences.

In London, protesters shut down the Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus with marchers and floats.

Swedish protesters held a die-in to occupy the country’s Parliament.

The Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin was shut down by protesters as well.