Riz Possnett

Riz Possnett was born to Liz Watts and Robert Possnett in 2003.[1][2] Liz Watts is chief executive of the South Cambridgeshire District Council, and she studied at the Hockerill Anglo-European College, a boarding school in Hertfordshire.[1][3] 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.[4]

Riz Possnett was accredited A*/A equivalent GCSE grades in 2019 as a recognition of completing secondary school qualifications at Hockerill Anglo-European College.[5] A successful undertaking of International Baccalaureate qualifications in the politics department at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong led to the provision of necessary grades for higher education by 2021.[6][7] They were later admitted to an undergraduate PPE degree at Wadham College at the University of Oxford.[8]

Possnett is transgender.[9]

In January 2019, Possnett became an organizer for UK Student Climate Network, a student-led organisation which has held 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, Possnet said in a CNN interview that they were "expressing [their] frustration that as a teenager [they] cannot vote on climate-related issues."[10] Before the end of that year, a documentary featuring Possnett was published by Vice News.[13][14]

Whilst a member of Extinction Rebellion, on 8 April 2022, Possnett and their colleagues were involved in which they blocked London's Tower Bridge as part of a climate change protest. This lasted 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 "[Riz] 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 that stormed the debating room of the Oxford Union on 30 May 2023 to disrupt a talk by academic Kathleen Stock 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 rainbow flags and distributed leaflets. Possnett and the other protesters were removed by police officers after 20 minutes.[1][19]