Over one hundred thousand march in Glasgow, as over 300 demonstrations take place across the world
- Organisers say that around 300 demonstrations have taken place worldwide, with over 100 in the UK alone.
- Glasgow’s demonstration saw over 100,000 people march, despite driving wind and rain
Download photos, videos and speeches from Glasgow, London and across the world
Around 300 simultaneous events took place today as part of a ‘Global Day of Action for Climate Justice’ – with a march through Glasgow attracting thousands of people, despite driving rain and winds.
People from across the world attended the Glasgow demonstrations – which included a march through the city and a number of rallies with high profile speakers such like Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Vanessa Nakate and Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner.
Other demonstrations took in every corner of the world – with people taking action on every continent. The marches take place as the first week of the global climate conference comes to a close, giving people a chance to have their voices heard on what’s been happening at COP26.
Asad Rehman, a spokesperson for the COP26 Coalition, said:
‘“Many thousands of people took to the streets today on every continent demanding that governments move from climate inaction to climate justice. We won’t tolerate warm words and long term targets anymore, we want action now.
Today the people who have been locked out of this climate summit has their voices heard – and those voices will be ringing in the ears of world leaders as we enter the second week of negotiations.
“The climate crisis has resulted from our broken, unequal societies and economies. We must transform our global economies into ones that protect both people and our planet instead of profit for a few.”
Speaking at the rally, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Marshall Islands Climate Envoy to the United Nations, will say:
‘We need the biggest emitters to be held responsible. We need financing to implement the solutions we are currently developing ourselves through our national adaptation plan. We contribute 0.00005% of the world’s global emissions – we did nothing to contribute to this crisis, and we should not have to pay the consequences.
‘We need to keep up the pressure that COP26 doesn’t allow offsets or endanger human rights and the rights of indigenous people.”
ENDS.
Download photos, videos and speeches from Glasgow, London and across the world
Photo credit for Glasgow photos Credit: Oliver Kornblihtt/ @midianinja
SPEAKERS AND BIOGRAPHIES – GLASGOW GREEN RALLY
Hosted by Mitzi Jonelle Tan
Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a full-time climate justice activist based in Metro Manila, Philippines. She is the convenor and international spokesperson of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP), the Fridays For Future (FFF) of the Philippines. She is also active in FFF International, advocating for climate justice and making sure that voices of Most Affected Peoples and Areas (MAPA)’s strikers are heard, amplified, and given space. She first became an activist in 2017 after integrating with indigenous leaders of her country which pushed her to realize that collective action and system change is what we need for a just and green society.
Minga Indigena
The Minga Indigena are a collective of groups, organizations and communities from indigenous nations throughout Abya Yala (the American continent). Minga is the coming together of people when there is a calling. This is an Indigenous Calling for everyone to come together. The leaders of Indigenous Minga come from the highest communities in the Andes, the deepest forests of the Amazon, the islands farthest away from the continents, the driest desert in the world, the northernmost territory in Alaska and the largest reserves of water in southern Patagonia. They come to help humanity remember what it is to be ‘human’ and to invite them to join the cause for climate and biocultural diversity from a new perspective.
Tuntiak Katan – Global Alliance of Territorial Communities
Indigenous leader from Ecuador, General Coordinator of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities and vice-coordinator of Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin River (COICA). Tuntiak Katan is an indigenous leader who was born in the Tuutinentsa Shuar community, Morona Santiago Province, in the Amazonian region of Ecuador. Since 2000, he has worked on social, cultural and environmental projects among different cultures in the Amazon Basin. Currently, he is vice-coordinator of COICA and general coordinator of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities.
Paula Gioia, is a peasant farmer and a beekeeper, working on a community farm in Germany. Also she is a representative of La Via Campesina, which is an international movement bringing together millions of peasants, small and medium size farmers, landless people, rural women and youth, indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers from around the world.
Bette Billiot, tribal member of United Houma Nation, Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy
Yvette Arellano, Fence-line Watch
Tiffany Fant, Red, Black and Green New Deal + Black Climate Alignment Network
Peniel Ibe, American Friends Service Committee.
The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy is proud to move with the COP26 Coalition and lift up the Indigenous voices from the frontlines of the US Gulf South and voices that represent the Movement for Black Lives Red, Black & Green New Deal. Please welcome from the Gulf South for Green New Deal Bette Billiot, tribal member of- United Houma Nation, Yvette Arellano, Fence-line Watch; and from the Red, Black and Green New Deal Tiffany Fant, Black Climate Alignment Network and Peniel Ibe, American Friends Service Committee.
This Is It
This Is It brings together six of the city’s finest local emcees to rap, covering a range of topics including class, poverty, isolation and climate change. An educated look at the problem which hopes to build on the political pressure and inspire a wide range of people to continue creating engaging art.
Roz Foyer STUC / Glasgow Communities
Roz Foyer is a Scottish Trade Union Leader. She has over twenty-five years’ experience in the trade union movement. As General Secretary of the STUC, she represents over half a million trade unionists in Scotland.
Vanessa Nakate – FFF MAPA
Vanessa Nakate is a Ugandan Climate Justice Activist. Starting in 2018, she began solitary strike action against inaction on the climate crisis. Vanessa is part of Fridays for Future MAPA, and has spoken out about the interlinking crises of climate, food and capitalism.
Yvonne Blake – Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment
Founder and organisers with MORE, a group of migrants and members of the community campaigning for the right to work, study, good housing and to be treated with dignity.
Marvina Newton – Black Lives Matter
Co-founder of Black Lives Matter (BLM) Leeds and CEO of charity Angel of Youths, which helps young people build their dream careers and positively impact their communities.
Kathy Jetnil-Kijner
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner is a Marshall Islander poet, performance artist, educator. She received international acclaim through her poetry performance at the opening of the United Nations Climate Summit in New York in 2014. Kathy co-founded the youth environmentalist non-profit Jo-Jikum dedicated to empowering Marshallese youth to seek solutions to climate change and other environmental impacts threatening their home island.
Dizraeli
Dizraeli is a British rapper, poet and musician from Bristol, England. Though rooted strongly in hip-hop traditions, his work draws inspiration from old folk music, recognising the common ground shared by songs of the people from any point in history.
Ana Tijoux
Ana Tijoux is a celebrated Chilean singer and musician, famous across Latin-America for her crossover between hiphop and latin pop. She is here at the invitation of the Minga Indigena, to support and celebrate them during this summit.
Sonia Guajajara – Global Alliance of Territorial Communities
Sonia comes from the Guajajara/Tentehar people, who live in the forests of the Araribóia Indigenous Land in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. Her indigenous and environmental activism began in her youth, in grassroots movements, and soon reached the National Congress – where Sonia Guajajara was in the front line against a series of projects that withdrew rights and threatened indigenous peoples and the environment. Sonia Guajajara was born Sonia Bone and her trajectory as an indigenous woman, warrior, following in the fight for the environment and for the native peoples has made her known worldwide as Sonia Guajajara the name of her people that she carries with great pride.
Asad Rehman – COP26 Coalition
Asad Rehman is a co-founder of the COP26 Coalition and an executive director of War on Want, where he organizes to put an end to poverty and injustice.
Media Contact: +44 7835 929778 or [email protected]
About the COP26 Coalition The COP26 Coalition is the biggest UK-based civil society coalition of groups and individuals organising towards mobilising around climate justice during COP26. Coalition members include environment and development NGOs, trade unions, grassroots community campaigns, faith groups, youth groups, migrant and racial justice networks.
7th – 10th November 2021: The People’s Summit for Climate Justice, 200 hybrid in person and online across Glasgow.