Climate Hundreds march through Bristol on global day of protest
ACLIMATE march involving hundreds of protesters took place in Bristol city centre on Saturday.
The protest, held a College Green, was part of Global Day for Climate Justice saw demonstrations across the world as activists demand action from the United Nations, which is currently holding its COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.
Organisers, stewards and people from various organisations began setting up stalls at around noon as people are beginning to gather on College Green, while health workers and campaigners had a minimarch down Park Street ahead of the main event.
All age ranges were represented at the event, from the elderly to babes in arms.
And the prospect of what the world will look like when today’s toddlers are in their 70s or 80s was the focus point of the rally, as one poster succinctly put it: “When I grow up I want to be an astronaut alive.”
Speeches took place before the march. One of those speaking was a nurse, who said: “Climate crisis is a health crisis. 2020 was the hottest year on record. Extreme heat leads to forced migration which leads to poor health services as they are overwhelmed. Toxic air in our cities kills 300 people a year in Bristol.”
There was also a flash mob dance to a climate song sung by children.
Salena Williams, an organiser for the Bristol protest, gave a ballpark figure of 5,000 when asked in October how many would take part in the march through the city.
However, the turnout on the day was estimated to be around 700.
One demonstrator from No to Bristol Airport Expansion (BAAN), Peter Kalmus, said: “As a climate scientist, I am terrified by what I see coming. I want world leaders to stop hiding behind magical thinking and feel the same terror. Then they would finally end fossil fuels.”
And Jo from Bristol and Christina from Stroud were at the protest bearing a sign reading: “Grandmas for the planet and our grandchildren.”
They said: “We are here to continue our support for climate change, to save our world for our children, grandchildren future generations. We did it in the 70s, and we’re really glad that young people now have really got the impetus to try again.”
The march got underway at just after 1pm, with slow traffic reported around the city centre as protesters left College Green.
The Global Day for Climate Justice, which is supported by groups including Extinction Rebellion and Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate, as well as a coalition of organisations, charities and trade unions, promised on its website there would be “actions across the UK and the world to demand the system change we need to avert climate catastrophe”, urging those taking part to “make enough noise that our voices cannot be ignored”.
A spokesperson for the Bristol protest said: “It will be the usual [Bristol climate protest] march along Broadmead, up around Castle Park and back to College Green. It’s important to make the event is Covid-safe and we’re encouraging people to wear masks.”
Dozens of Bristol protesters travelled to Glasgow to campaign outside of Cop26.
Around 50,000 demonstrators took to the streets to demand action on the climate emergency.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg had some stern words for world leaders after marching through Glasgow on Friday in protest
against investment in fossil fuels and failure to tackle the climate crisis.
Speaking to protesters, Ms Thunberg denounced the Cop26 conference, where countries are meeting in a bid to increase ambition on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as a “failure” and a “PR exercise”.
Thunberg further lambasted the summit as “a global north greenwash festival, a two-week long celebration of business as usual and blah blah blah”.