Extinction Rebellion Disrupt John McDonnell and Richard Leonard Talk in Glasgow
December 07, 2018
On Friday 7th December 2018, Extinction Rebellion Glasgow activists interrupted a talk by John McDonnell and Richard Leonard to protest the Labour Party’s inaction on climate change.
At 6pm, seven Extinction Rebellion Glasgow activists entered the meeting being held at the Unite offices on West Regent Street, Glasgow. As the talk was beginning and John McDonnell was beginning to speak, the activists interrupted – unveiling a banner that read “12 Years to Save the Earth. Act Now.” They called on John McDonnell, Richard Leonard and the rest of the Labour Party to “rise to the catastrophic climate emergency” facing the world.
The activists went on to demand that the Labour Party “push to enact legally-binding policies to reduce carbon emissions in the UK to net zero by 2025” and “tell the truth about how deadly our situation is by declaring Climate Emergency”.
Extinction Rebellion Glasgow are part of the international Extinction Rebellion Movement that aim to drive radical change to avert climate breakdown through non-violent, disruptive direct action.
Extinction Rebellion Scotland demand;
- That the Scottish Government tell the truth about the climate and wider ecological emergency, acknowledge and reverse any policies that help drive the climate crisis, and commit to enabling a rapid and just transition to a sustainable and fair society.
- That the Scottish Government enact legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025, including by replacing a system based on accelerating consumption with one based on ensuring the wellbeing of all.
- The creation of a Scottish Citizens’ Assembly to oversee the changes, as part of creating a democracy fit for purpose and a society that cares for all.
John McDonnell responded “We’re doing everything we can. Our target is a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 but that was the last manifesto. We’re now talking about how we go forward with that in the future.” He pointed towards Labour’s industrial strategy, planned revision of the Green Book and his own constituency’s campaign against the third runway at Heathrow, as ways that Labour were trying to tackle climate change.
Images: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GUw1m6H8mp_EtpS39pU61gcohIXU7Whv