In Sydney, streets were awash in a sea of red on Saturday as thousands of Sydneysiders joined the national climate rally. We were there to demand the government step up its response to the climate emergency. Polar bears and families mingled with people dressed in red (to symbolise urgency). Others marched in groups: climate justice, trade unions, multifaith, Greenpeace, students, The Greens.
The rally began with moving speeches and a sense of community spirit was strong as we marched through The Rocks and Circular Quay. There was intense interest from tourists enjoying a sunny winter’s Sunday. When we arrived at Kevin Rudd’s office on Phillip St, people spontaneously sat down in the road, their gesture protesting the government’s sellout to big polluters and calling for an urgent transition to renewable energy.
The scene was similar in climate rallies held simultaneously in capital cities across Australia. In Melbourne, 4000 people turned out on a chilly 12-degrees day, stopping mid-march to sit down outside the ALP Conference and rattle their keys to make their protest heard. Another 1200 took to the streets in Hobart, despite the cold and wet, with a great vibe among the crowd.
In all state capitals, people stood for a minute’s silence for the past, present and future victims of climate change, and wrote messages to Kevin Rudd on long strips of red fabric. These messages will be delivered to the Australian delegation to the Copenhagen global climate talks.
