At times, it may seem that amid the ongoing wars and global conflicts, protesting about water quality may seem misplaced or even trivial. However, there are clear links between the political interests that privatise shared resources like water for profit and greed and the polarising narratives which legitimize violence and repression. Drawing connections between these seemingly unrelated forces is a meaningful political act.

Surfers Against Sewage have been one of the most visible organisations in the campaign for clean water. It has grown from its inception in 1990 by a small group of surfers in Cornwall into a marine conservation charity with over 20,000 members. On 17 May, 2025 Surfers Against Sewage oversaw a ‘Paddle Out Protest’ in over 40 locations across the UK: https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/our-water-quality-campaigns/paddleoutprotest/

One of these took place at Leeds Granary Dock. Although smaller in scale and quieter in volume, it had its own humble power. It was also a ‘dry’ protest due to concerns about water quality. See the following link for Sky’s video coverage of various paddle out protests: https://news.sky.com/video/surfers-against-sewage-thousands-across-the-uk-take-to-the-water-in-paddle-out-protest-against-water-pollution-13369671

In the days leading up to the protest, Leeds was not among the planned locations, as no one had stepped forward to organise one. That changed thanks to the efforts of a committed group who took it upon themselves to ensure the city was included. The group invited passersby to contribute to a list of things that they loved about water which created a sense of non-confrontational protest. Quiet, but effective.