Extinction Rebellion: Worthing mother-of-three goes on hunger strike

Emma Taylor from Mendip Crescent, Worthing, began on Monday, November 18, as part of global action by Extinction Rebellion.

Speaking on Friday, the 38-year-old said she was feeling the cold more and got ‘very light-headed’ after day two, but was now fine: “I’m a very healthy person, so it doesn’t overly concern me, but the longer this goes on, the more it will effect me day to day.

“It is a very symbolic action; talk is cheap.”

Emma recently joined Extinction Rebellion’s Worthing branch due to ‘serious concerns about the environment’, and said the group had ‘people from all walks of life, not just old crusties’.

The strike’s aim is to ‘force governments across the world to tell the truth about climate change, act now and go beyond party politics’.

While she admitted it was not comparable to what many were experiencing globally, Emma was also doing it to show solidarity with the ‘820million people starving due to climate change’.

Emma, who works in London for a company that makes renewable energy heat pumps, said she would be on strike until Monday, but it could be extended if the group’s goals were not met by then.

The group has been criticised for unsafe tactics such as protesters jumping on London tube trains in rush hour.

While it ‘never spoke to her to disrupt public transport’, Emma felt this was a peaceful way to get the point across.

The last thing she ate was a fruit salad at 7am on Monday, and since then survived on water infused with mineral and salt sachets.

She said her twin 17-year-old boys and 10-year-old girl were supportive of her, but added: “It isn’t much fun cooking their dinners!”

Speaking on Monday (November 25), Emma said she intended to end her strike that afternoon as she was ‘too weak now to lead her normal life’.