The group known as Extinction Rebellion rallied approximately 50 people to perform a “die-in” — demonstration in which people drop to the floor to imitate dying — on Ste. Catherine Street at the corner of McGill College.
It was how the group of climate activists who scaled a Montreal bridge and overtook a downtown street last week ended their “Rebellion Week” on Sunday.
Their message to Montrealers was to stop drinking the “Kool-Aid of denial, despair, inaction, and guilt when it comes to climate change facts”.
READ MORE: Quebec climate protesters disrupt traffic, swarming intersections
Activist and group leader 14-year-old Bea Mellett said the idea behind the demonstration was to sensitize and educate the public.
“(We’re) educating people about the psychological barriers that stop them from taking action and to encourage them to finally come with us as a group because we’re here to support them and we’re all in this together,” said Mellett.
Saturday, the group raised banners and flags at pedestrian crossings, aiming to “sensitize” drivers and pedestrians to the urgency of climate change.
READ MORE: Legault condemns Québec Solidaire’s position on climate protest action
“Everyone is being very insincere about their actions,” Mellett said. “For example, our current prime minister declared the climate emergency in Canada and a day after approved the trans mountain pipeline and I’m sick of seeing people lead our country down such a bad path.”
The group said their aim is to continue protesting through non-violent civil disobedience demonstrations until governments take serious climate change action.
— With files from The Canadian Press