EXTINCTION Rebellion has arrived in the Borders.

The country-wide protest group has been raising the issue of climate change by holding high-profile demonstrations over the past year.

Tens of thousands of concerned eco warriors have taken to the streets in a bid for the UK and other governments to speed up action on countering climate change.

And on Saturday a new branch of Extinction Rebellion was born in the Borders.

Around 70 locals from across the region signed up during the first Green Gathering at the MacArts in Galashiels.

Secretary of the new group, Tim Clancey, told us: "I've come to realise that we can't leave this to our governments any more.

"They're not going to sort it out unless we all come together to make them.

"It's up to us now."

With more than 80,000 fires in the Amazon rainforest reported in August as well as Greenland's ice-caps melting at an ever faster rate, it is widely accepted that urgent action is required to prevent global catastrophe.

During Saturday's meeting Sam Fuller from Extinction Rebellion Edinburgh highlighted the group's three demands to the government - to tell the truth about the climate emergency and act on it; to act now to stop diversity loss and commit to a target of zero carbon by 2025; and to establish Citizens' Assemblies to decide how to do this and commit to abide by their decisions.

He also spoke about Extinction Rebellion values, including a shared vision for creating a world that is fit for generations to come and of being committed to a non-violent strategy.

Kate Duncan from Extinction Rebellion added: "As a result of human activity, we face the sixth mass extinction.

"Meanwhile governments all over the world make promises but do little or nothing at all.

"The realisation that our governments will not act to save us or the planet, led to the birth in 2018 of Extinction Rebellion and on Saturday upwards of 70 folks, full of urgency, rage, love and frustration, converged on MacArts Centre to bring Extinction Rebellion Scottish Borders into being."

Extinction Rebellion Scottish Borders will meet again at the MacArts on Monday, September 9 at 7pm.

Anyone who is concerned about the environment is invited.