By TCN News,
New Delhi: India saw its largest ever Climate Change Mobilisation with over 1500 people coming out into the streets on New Delhi to press for stronger action on climate change on Saturday, 20th September 2014.
The People’s Climate March from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi saw participation from citizens across the board. From College students to rickshawallahs, from school students to daily wage workers, from artists to working professional, irrespective of background their one voice in unison demanded – Action on Climate Change!
We would like to greatly acknowledge the efforts put in by ordinary citizens who came out in drove with colourful banners, placards and costumes.
“It was very heartening to see so many people come out for the cause of Climate Change. It shows people understand the urgency of the situation. It’s high time that the government recognizes the same too,” said Soumya Dutta, Convener of Bharatiya Jan Vigyan Jatha.
A memorandum on Climate Change was submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office detailing our demands so that India by itself can take swift action on Climate Change.
“The memorandum contained what we call The Citizen’s Climate Agenda. We spoke to as many people as possible from experts to climate change affected persons to organizations working in the domain and have come up with actionable solutions,” informed Chaitanya Kumar, Organiser of People’s Climate March and South Asia Campaign Co-ordinator, 350.org.
Across the world
On September 20th and 21st, thousands of rallies, marches and protests will take place simultaneously across the world, delivering the biggest ever global demonstration for climate action in history. The largest will be in New York where over 150,000 people are expected to come together to demand leaders take action in advance of the Ban Ki Moon climate summit that takes place two days later.
“There’s a vast latent constituency of people out there who are alarmed about climate change. But for years, nobody has put up a banner that said ‘this is the time, this is the phenomenal response to it,” said Ricken Patel, Executive Director of the 38-million member civic organization, Avaaz.
More than 1,500 “People’s Climate” events are now planned worldwide in 136 countries. Highlights include:
● In New Delhi, thousands took over the streets on September 20 to demand a renewable energy revolution. This is the first peoples protest against any decision of the new government and will be pressing for India’s participation at the Heads of Government meet on Climate Change at the UN.
● In rural Papua New Guinea: students from a primary school will march to a nearby lighthouse which has recently become semi-submerged due to rising sea levels.
● The border between Vancouver and Seattle will be the location of a truly international rally where thousands of people will link hands across the boundary line to show that climate change knows no borders.
● In Lagos, plans are underway for a historic climate march through the streets of Africa’s largest city. They will be joined by solidarity events in rural areas throughout Nigeria.
● In Tanzania, the Maasai plan to march calling for action from their ancient homelands in the Serengeti.
● In London, the bells will ring out across the city and the crowds will be addressed by actress Emma Thompson and musician Peter Gabriel outside the Houses of Parliament.
● In Rio, thousands are expected to march on the beaches of Copacabana, while images will be broadcast on the statue of Christ the Redeemer in the week building up to the march. The film director, Fernando Mereilles will also be present.
● In Australia, an epic Climate March will begin when people will march all the way from the Melbourne demonstration and walk 700 km in 30 days to Parliament House in Canberra.
● In Bogota, Colombia, up to 30,000 people are expected to join the march through the capital calling for action.
● In Berlin, a silent parade, a stream of cyclists and a march for children will converge on the Brandenburg gate.
● In Paris, local groups will create the “Paris Marche pour le Climat,” with parades, marches, and bicycle rides planned across the bridges of the Seine.
Over 30 celebrities have also begun showing support for the march, including actors Edward Norton, Susan Sarandon and Keifer Sutherland as well Argentine footballer Lionel Messi.
The worldwide mobilization and march in New York City will take place just two days before world leaders are set to attend a Climate Summit at the United Nations hosted by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The summit is designed to build momentum for national and international climate action, including a new global climate treaty that will be finalized in Paris next year. Mobilization organizers say they are looking for “Action, Not Words” at the summit.
“The scale, pace, and power of the organizing happening right now is something that we haven’t seen before,” said May Boeve, executive director of the international climate campaign, 350.org. “People realize that we can’t leave the fate of the planet up to our politicians. We need to come together, raise our voices, and apply pressure where it counts.”