With the G20 meeting getting under way in London, the many faces of protest have been revealed. Over the last 48 hours, we’ve seen a range of tactics and messages from police and protesters. A call for justice and equality, for peace and safety has been issued to the rulers locked in their meetings.
I’ve been involved in many forms of protest, in rallies, actions, sit ins and street theatre, each one is important and each one has it’s place in the toolkit of the social change movement.
Whether it is the crush of riot police and protesters in Knightsbridge or the calm atmosphere of a climate camp in Bishopsgate, people are taking to the streets to demonstrate their outrage. I too have joined my voice to theirs in scenes similar to these ones.
It is heartening to see so many different groups, using so many tactics to make social change. In Australia the grassroots movement is picking up momentum following the Climate Summit in February of this year.
Closer to home on the 27th of March I saw actions across Australia to protest against the governments Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS). Over 30 sit ins, and direct communications took place, targeting politicians across Australia and calling for an emissions trading scheme that would deliver cuts in carbon pollution, not hand out permits to big polluters.
Friends of the Earth in Victoria also held a direct action on Hazelwood coal fired power station on the 28th, to highlight another flaw in Rudd’s proposed scheme; the 5% emissions reduction could be achieved by simply switching this power station off. One power station, it is one of the biggest point sources of pollution in the world, and it is equal to the 5% that the Government seems to think is an adequate target for Australia.
Every time I protest, march, participate in peaceful action I do it with hope in my heart. Just like these protestors I can see the flaws in our system, the inequality, the destruction. Most of all though, I believe the world can be a better place, no one would take to the streets to face riot police, tear gas, batons and horses, sleep in a tent in cold London air, if they did not think that things should, and can, be better. I believe we can take the best of what we have made and make something amazing.
Right now I am gearing up for a huge day of rallies across the nation in June. The organising has begun in earnest, and the events are shaping up to be monumental. Watch this space for more details.
Related links
» Australian blog community for action on the CPRS
