GAIL BRADBROOK is the co-founder of Extinction Rebellion.
In April 2023, the environmental activist was slammed after she was spotted stocking up on Waitrose goods that had travelled thousands of air miles.
Who is Extinction Rebellion leader Gail Bradbrook?
Gail Bradbrook was born on April 30, 1972, in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire.
At the age of 14 she joined the Green Party.
She studied molecular biophysics at Manchester University and obtained her PhD.
Extinction Rebellion ends disruption demos…piling pressure on Just Stop Oil
In 2018, Bradbrook co-founded Extinction Rebellion, also known as XR, after returning from a psychedelic retreat in Costa Rica.
She said the 11,000 mile round trip gave her the clarity to refocus her life on reducing carbon emissions from the likes of the aviation industry.
Bradbrook has been at the forefront of many protests across London.
In November 2018, she organised an XR blockade of five bridges across the Thames as the group urged then-PM Theresa May to tackle climate change.
In October 2019, she was arrested for smashing a window at the Department of Transport with a hammer and screwdriver.
A trial date has been set for July 17, 2023.
The former biophysicist has also been criticised for driving a diesel car which emits 112g per km in Co2 emissions.
While she has admitted to not being able to afford an electric car, she stated that the vehicle was a necessity to drive her children to sporting events.
In April 2023, she was spotted shopping in Waitrose buying products from all corners of the globe, and wrapped in non-recyclable packaging.
She has been married twice and has two children.
World’s first tractor powered by cow dung could help tackle climate change
When was Extinction Rebellion founded?
She co-founded Extinction Rebellion on October 31, 2018 with Roger Hallam and her ex-husband Simon Bramwell.
Many of the founding members of the group were previously part of Rising Up.
According to their website, their aim is to use "non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse".
In October 2018 the group staged one of its first actions, at the Greenpeace offices in London.