Caroline Lucas MP at climate rally in Brighton, 20 September 2019. Photo: Office of Caroline Lucas
DrillOrDrop’s picture round-up of climate rallies in the UK.
Belfast
Climate rally, Belfast, 20 September 2019. Photo: UKSCN
Birmingham
Climate rally, Birmingham, 20 September 2019. Photo: Rophotographs
Brighton
Caroline Lucas MP addressing climate strikers in Brighton, 20 September 2019. Photo: still from video by Alexander Sallons
Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas, spoke to the crowd in the city.
“You are here because you know the time for talking is over and the time for action is now.
“We have less than 12 years in which to halve global climate emissions, less than 12 years to get off the collision course that we’re on with climate catastrophe. And that’s why it’s so important my friends that you are here today.
“The shameful thing is that my generation has let you down. My generation and the politicians at Westminster are not talking about climate change. There is a real scandal that in the last 12 months there has only been on debate on climate change at Westminster
“It is easy to feel powerless. But you are not powerless. Your actions here today is adding up with actions right across the country. It is adding up with actions right Europe and right across this world. All of us are saying that there is a better way forward.”
Bristol
Climate rally in Bristol, 20 September 2019. Photo: used with owner’s consent
Cardiff
Climate march in Cardiff, 20 September 2019. Photo: Simon Ayre
Chester
Climate rally outside Chester town hall, 20 September 2019. Photo: Frack Free Upton
Chesterfield
Early morning banner drop followed by rally in the town centre.
Climate protest in Chesterfield, 20 September 2019. Photo: James Eaden
Climate rally in Chesterfield, 20 September 2019. Photo: Anna Wright
Doncaster
A huge model owl, which has featured in anti-fracking protests in south Yorkshire and the east midlands, joined the rally in Doncaster. Yesterday, Doncaster Council unanimously approved a motion declaring a climate emergency.
Climate rally in Doncaster, 20 September 2019. Photo: Doncaster Green Party
Edinburgh
Large crowds joined a march through the centre of Edinburgh.
Climate rally in Glasgow, 20 September 2019. Photo: Sutton Hibbert
Dylan Hamilton, a member of Scottish Youth Climate Strike which organised today’s protest, said:
“We are making history by standing up for our future.”
“The people have protested, we marched and then we rallied. We have made our position clear; the government needs to act for the future of humanity. Politicians have spent decades sitting around talking, but if your house is burning down you wouldn’t stop to talk about money, you would act. All those protesting today have shown that action has an impact.”
“There has never been a more important issue facing humanity than the climate crisis. With the week of action to come we will show that we won’t go away, today’s protest will show the world that the people want action that responds to what climate science demands.”
Climate march in Edinburgh, 20 September 2019. Photo: Sutton Hibbert
Glasgow
Climate strikers in Glasgow, 20 September 2019. Photo: Leda Bartolucci
Climate strikers in Glasgow, 20 September 2019. Photo: Leda Bartolucci
Erin Curtis, a 15-year-old striker from Glasgow said:
“It’s absolutely amazing to see so many people striking with us today. The fact that our streets have been filled with everyone demanding action sends a clear message to those in power that the public want to see change.
“The momentum from people is there, we want a better future, and all of us uniting for this protest will drive home to the Government that we won’t stand for platitudes any longer.”
Ipswich
Leeds
Climate march in Leeds, 20 September 2019. Photo: Mike Short
Climate march in Leeds, 20 September 2019. Photo: Mike Short
Climate march in Leeds, 20 September 2019. Photo: Mike Short
London
Climate strikers in London, 20 September 2019. Photo: Steve Mason
Climate strikers in central London, 20 September 2019. Photo: Shared by Scottish Youth Climate Strike
Manchester
Thousands of people were reported to have marched through Manchester.
Climate march in Manchester, 20 September 2019. Photo: Helen Rimmer
Climate strikers in Manchester, 20 September 2019. Photo: Lucy Cartwright
Petersfield
Students from schools around the West Sussex town of Petersfield gathered in the Square to stand up for climate change.
11-year-old William Ponsonby said:
“I’m striking because climate change is a very big problem and we need to make a difference now. If we don’t act immediately our future will be in a lot of trouble.”
Mark Philiips, head of seniors at Ditcham Park School said:
“Education doesn’t just happen in the classroom. It’s happening here today, in the town squares and streets of England and in towns and cities right across the globe. And its our young people who are doing the education, who are teaching these urgent lessons.
“The older generation, those in power, need to sit up, pay attention, take notes and respond to what is being taught. Learn to change.”
Preston
Local anti-fracking campaigners joined youth strikers for an early morning march from Preston railway station through the city centre. A small group gathered for more than three hours in the entrance of Lancashire County Council asking to speak to a member of the authority. The strikers have said they will return every day after school until the demand is met.
Youth climate strikers outside Preston railway station, 20 September 2019. Photo: Still from video by Tina Rothery
Anti-fracking campaigners joining the climate march through Preston, 20 September 2019. Photo: still from video by Tina Rothery
Sit-down protest in the entrance of Lancashire County Council, 20 September 2019. Photo: Still from video by Tina Rothery
Sheffield
Climate strike rally in Sheffield, 20 September 2019. Photo: Natalie Thomas
York
Categories: Opposition
DRILL OR DROP? 
Well good morning ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, what an amazing day it was yesterday!
The energy and enthusiasm of everyone was simply inspiring. We made many friends and contacts that are working towards real change in their own lives and are determined to extend that to our political representatives.
It is clear that everyone is fed up with proffered pretty petty words and empty assurances but see no actual action or progress to address the situation. In fact many people were saying that what we felt was entirely the opposite, that there was a deliberate move back into a petty petulant regression, a sour and bitter recidivism and desperate inertia to stifle any real action and preserve the greedy self stisfied status quo.
There was an estimated 4 million people striking for the climate worldwide and still counting. There are some great photographs of the events worldwide here.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/20/world/gallery/climate-strike-2019/index.html
I think what struck me most whilst I walked amongst at least tens of thousands of children and adults, and listened to the speeches and the singing and chanting and even laughter was that I saw no fear, people seem to have overcome the initial fear and have moved on to actually doing something about it.
What I did see in that respect was anger, fury even, at what had been done to their future, and all of our futures on this criminally beleaguered life of everyone and everything on this planet.
Most of all we agreed that we felt a very real and powerfully tangeable atmosphere of grim determination to turn the entire suicidal trend towards climate destruction back to an ecologically responsible planet friendly change in everything we do.
What many people I spoke to said yesterday was that we need to make damn sure that our governments, politicians and the corporation’s actually do what is necessary to answer what the science is telling them.
The message is that real change must transcend and supercede the dreadfully bitter empty rhetoric that the crows and harpies and warmongering and fear mongering politics and their compromised media everywhere, but particularly here in UK.
Have a great weekend.
Just around 7 BILLION PLUS who were not striking!
Interesting how some of those who were, were also some of those who was so desperate to keep HOP working. Almost as bad as the Lib. Undems. who wander off to their Conference and grumble about HOP being closed, which they rarely attend when it is open.
I did note the excitement about the numbers in Australia. This is the same Australia who just voted AGAINST a party who wished to limit the exploitation of fossil fuels? Oh yes it is.
“Humanity really does need to pay attention to arithmetic and the laws of physics.” Professor Sir David McKay.
Not much chance of that for those missing their education. Maybe the other 7 BILLION PLUS will make up for it.
Meanwhile, some of those still working announce new off shore wind projects for UK sufficient to power 7 million homes at decreased costs. As ever, those who can, will do. Those who don’t want to/can’t, will preach.
[Image removed due to copyright concerns]
Yes, indeed, Passepartout. Those who use fossil fuels, and admit they do, were elsewhere-many of the 7 BILLION plus, getting on with their lives. Some watching the Rugby World Cup, taking place on an island where it seems a great number of people from all over the world had managed to get there without resorting to infantile gestures to do so.
Others were busy organising the delivery of drilling rigs to enable others to get on with their lives too. Watch this space.
Curious isn’t it ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that of all the assumed 7 billion all of whom this person apparently claims to agree with this person and him alone, as if he bizarrely knows them and the real opinion of every single one of them?
That the only person he seeks to converse with in this respect, or rather in a total lack of respect, is an imaginary fictitious character from Jules Verne’s French 19th century novel “Around the World In Eighty Days” published in 1873? A £20,000 wager (£2,242,900 in 2019).
Incidentally, In 1872, Thomas Cook organised the first around-the-world tourist trip, leaving on 20 September 1872 and returning seven months later.
Now 20th September is a curious coincidence of events isnt it? The demise of Thomas Cooke today is somewhat poignant in that respect too isnt it?
Perhaps Greta Thunberg is doing her own version of Around The World in Eighty Days? The strikers for climate achieved it collectively in one day.
Perhaps Serve Jim will offer his numerous carbon fibre yachts and private jets to bring them all home?
However we see the Fawley Fog has dismally desperately descended to obscure everything in a frankly fitful frumpy miserable miasma of miserly maundering misinformation….no change there is there.
[Image removed due to copyright concerns]
Apparently the Fracking Fantasy Fawley Fog is rolling up to obscure all those 7 billion (+ or -) invisible fictitious pro fossil fuel fanatics? Less the 4 million + children and adults who struck for the climate on Friday 20th September of course and the many many more who could not attend on the day.
Maybe this imaginary fictitious character and its possibly equally imaginary fictitious “contributor” and its 7 billion fictitious invisible supporter friends, can only manifest themselves if no one else can see them? That would explain a lot wouldn’t it?
Meanwhile the rest of us, including the real unfogged 7 billion will actually do something about the sixth extinction event in history, or the photos of empty streets will be an unfortunate and very deserted legacy of the fossil fuel industry in the middle of the 21st century in reality?
Always a pleasure!
Have a nice day!
[Image removed due to copyright concerns]
[Image removed due to copyright concerns]
For all those who enjoyed Sunday without cars.
We all had a great day.
Meanwhile, outside of the Phileas Fog, and his little helper, Passepartout, the science is being conducted with Nice Sir Jim progressing with regard to recycling polystyrene, and other children from UK and Holland not on the streets but honouring those who lost their lives at Arnhem. Seems there are many more, not only in Japan, who decided there were other things important to them.
Just like in Australia where an election was lost because some thought the majority would vote against more fossil fuel, because a minority shouted loudly.
“Humanity really does need to pay attention to arithmetic and the laws of physics.” Professor Sir David McKay.
Looks as if the majority do, the minority don’t and just shout or try and create fog. Ever thus.
PS.
And, the rig is now being put together!
A few more of the majority been busy whilst others are glued to their own devices. Oops.
Meanwhile, 155,000 being flown back from their holidays as ONE company ceases trading. How many others still booked through other companies still able to enjoy their holidays? Good job the rig being put up will help produce some aviation fuel to assist. Hot air, much loved by Phileas Fog, can only go so far.
Flying needs to be restricted/rationed globally to cut emissions fast!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and empty glass fibre vessels make the most noise with words, whilst some of us prefer a quiet picture full of meaning and relevance.
This is another type of picture, a moving one with real words, and those moving pictures and words put us all to shame, at least those of us who live in the real world:
UN 2019 Climate Action Summit