TWO schoolgirls from Gillingham were among some 20 people who joined Extinction Rebellion (XR) Shaftesbury’s peaceful demonstration outside Shaftesbury town hall in support of XR’s international students Global Strike day on 24 May.

Despite the absence of any pupils from Shaftesbury schools, organiser Kate Richards, of Shaftesbury, who is an ex-teacher, said she was pleased with the turnout for the event that was only set up ‘at the last minute’. XR Shaftesbury, that formed Planet Shaftesbury earlier this year, said it is now working with people in Gillingham who want to set up a Gillingham branch of XR.

Both XR Shaftesbury and Planet Shaftesbury are planning a series of events between now and the autumn in support of action to prevent climate breakdown and the mass extinction of species widely forecast.

This includes lobbying the town council to declare a climate emergency in line with Dorset Council through newly-elected town councillor Julian Prichard, of Save Our Beds! fame, who has already expressed sympathy for their cause and attended their last meeting at the Grosvenor Arms hotel last month.

For more information on XR Shaftesbury and Planet Shaftesbury see www.planetshaftesbury.org.