Bury St Edmunds Extinction Rebellion activists celebrate the planet with Carnival for Life procession

A climate change action group held a carnival in Bury St Edmunds on Sunday to celebrate the planet's biodiversity.

Members of Extinction Rebellion and other like-minded individuals and organisations came together in a celebration of life on Earth, whilst also recognising the climate crisis.

Known as the Carnival for Life, the procession saw about 100 people walk through the town.

Charlotte Kirin, who is part of the movement, said: "It went really well. It was very bright with lots of art and music.

"People from all over the region came to support and contribute. We had a really good reception from people and on the whole, people were very responsive and interested in what we were doing."

The carnival route started in the Abbey Gardens and finished in St John's Street where the celebrations continued with a samba fusion band and family-friendly activities.

Along the route, there were also speeches and performances from Extinction Rebellion members and the carnival paused for a moment of silence to acknowledge those suffering around the world.

It also featured many colourful costumes, props and banners including a giant globe, animal puppets and marching drums.

Charlotte said: "We have so many talented artists in the movement and a lot of their work was made specially for this but will be used again in other events around the country."

Although the carnival was a celebration of Earth, Charlotte said a lot of the movement's members are 'terrified' for the planet's future.

She said: "I think the recent heat temperatures are unprecedented.

“People do recognise that it's a threat to the way we live and that it's going to impact all of us in some way.

"From crops not growing to our houses not being adequately insulated or road and rail networks breaking down in the heat - we're a group of terrified people who are doing everything we can to raise awareness of these issues."