Riz Possnett

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Elliot "Riz" Possnett
Born2003 (age 20–21)
Cambridge, United Kingdom
EducationHockerill Anglo-European College
Known forClimate and social activism

Elliot "Riz" Possnett (born 2003) is a British activist involved with climate change demonstrations as part of the UK Student Climate Network and Extinction Rebellion since 2019. Possnett has been involved with the anti-monarchy activism group No More Royals. As of 2023, Possnett is a student at Wadham College, Oxford.[1]

Biography[edit]

Elliot "Riz" Possnett was born in 2003. Posnett's parents are council executive Liz Watts and businessman Robert Possnett.[1][2] Robert Possnett has worked as a business development manager, and served in the Parachute Regiment, where he was a lance corporal.[1] He developed an interest in environmental issues in the late 1980s, actively participating by signing petitions and writing about environmental concerns. Initially on the outskirts of the green movement, his involvement gained momentum after he discovered Extinction Rebellion and decided to join as a climate change protester.[3] Liz Watts is chief executive of the South Cambridgeshire District Council, where she is running the first UK public sector trial of a four day working week.[1][4]

Possnett attended Hockerill Anglo-European College feepaying boarding school in Hertfordshire, achieving A*/A equivalent GCSE grades in 2019.[5] A successful undertaking of International Baccalaureate qualifications in the politics department at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong followed in 2021.[6][7] They were later admitted to an undergraduate PPE degree at Wadham College at the University of Oxford.[8]

Publicly known as Riz Possnett, and identifying as transgender, they also use the name Elliot.[2] [9]

Climate activism and social justice[edit]

In January 2019, Possnett became an organizer for UK Student Climate Network, with student climate justice demonstrations throughout the UK and is part of the international Youth Strike for Climate movement.[10][11][12] Later that month, they attended the Women4Climate conference held by Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris.[12] In March that year, Possnett said in a CNN interview that they were "expressing [their] frustration that as a teenager [they] cannot vote on climate-related issues."[10] Later that year a Vice News website documentary featured Possett [13][14]

Whilst a member of Extinction Rebellion, on 8 April 2022, Possnett and colleagues blocked London's Tower Bridge as part of a climate change protest for four hours, causing major traffic disruption on the bridge.[2][15] As a consequence, Possnett and others were taken to appear in front of Westminster magistrates' court, and on 9 November, they pleaded not guilty whilst standing accused of committing wilful obstruction of a highway at the landmark in April. It was then reported that "Possnett, of Bury St Edmunds... stood to confirm [their] name, age and address in front of a packed public gallery"[16] and that all defendants of Extinction Rebellion were released on unconditional bail pending trial which began on 10 February 2023.[2]

Possnett has appeared on GB News and Talk TV's Piers Morgan Uncensored to debate anti-monarchy positions.[1][17] The Times described Possnett as a leader of No More Royals, a group formed in February 2023 which Possnett describes as the "more radical, critical and controversial wing of the anti-monarchy movement in Britain" with members that are mostly youth and queer activists.[18] Possnett and other activists have performed stunts prior to the coronation of Charles III and Camilla in May, notably one performed during a tour of Windsor Castle.[18]

Possnett was also one of the LGBT activists protesting a talk by academic Kathleen Stock at the Oxford Union on 30 May 2023 due to Stock's gender-critical views.[1][19][20] Shortly after the talk began, Possnett glued their hand to the floor, wearing a shirt which said "No More Dead Trans Kids", while two other protesters waved pride flags and distributed leaflets. Possnett and the other protesters were removed by police officers after 20 minutes.[1][19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Dixon, Hayley; Stephens, Max; Smith, Benedict (2 June 2023). "Trans activist who disrupted Kathleen Stock is daughter of four-day-week council boss". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Four deny deliberately blocking Tower Bridge during climate protest". BBC News.
  3. ^ Taylor, Matthew. "'Time is running out': Extinction Rebellion activists on why they risked arrest". The Guardian.
  4. ^ Stephens, Max (2 May 2023). "Four-day week council boss writing thesis on flexible working". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  5. ^ Corr, Sinead. "GCSE Results 2019: Hockerill Anglo-European College". Bishop’s Stortford Independent.
  6. ^ "Li Po Chun United World College - Members". Li Po Chun United World College – via ResearchGate.
  7. ^ Seven, Zuva (10 December 2021). "Vaccinated in Zimbabwe, unvaccinated in the UK; how geopolitics are holding the Global South hostage – gal-dem". gal-dem. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  8. ^ University, Oxford (2022). "New Undergraduates 2022" (PDF). Wadham College Gazette. p. 155.
  9. ^ "@rizpossnett" (Elliot (they/them)) on Twitter
  10. ^ a b Gerretsen, Isabelle. "Global Climate Strike: Meet the teenagers skipping school to fight for a greener planet". CNN.
  11. ^ Fishwick, Samuel (15 February 2019). "How Gen Z led a climate change youthquake". Evening Standard. p. A25. Retrieved 3 June 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b Morrison, Rhoda. "YouthStrike4Climate organiser Scarlet Possnett invited by Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo to attend Women4Climate conference". Suffolk News.
  13. ^ "Scarlet Possnett". VICE Video. VICE Media.
  14. ^ "Scarlet Possnett". Entertainment.ie.
  15. ^ Holden, Michael. "Climate change protesters block London's Tower Bridge, vow more disruption". Reuters.
  16. ^ Amos, Johnny. "Bury St Eds woman denies blocking road at London protest". Bury Mercury.
  17. ^ Billson, Chantelle (11 May 2023). "Trans person asked if they're 'boy or girl' during GB News coronation debate 'totally expected it'". PinkNews. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  18. ^ a b Parker, Charlie; Woode, David (3 May 2023). "Radical anti-royalists head to London for coronation protest". The Times. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  19. ^ a b Bhutani, Anvee. "Activist glued to the floor derails Kathleen Stock talk". The Oxford Student.
  20. ^ Hayes, Andy. "Trans rights protesters interrupt talk at Oxford Union by 'gender-critical' academic Kathleen Stock". Sky News.
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