Around 100 Londoners gathered in front of city hall Friday afternoon for the third time this year to demand immediate action to address climate change.
The mass call to action, led locally by youth and Indigenous groups, is part of a global movement that has seen millions of young people take to the streets to demand climate justice for all.
“For decades we have looked out for our own interest and turned a blind eye to the precious environment that surrounds and sustains us,” said Audrey Haydn.
“My future is crumbling in front of my own eyes, I see it in Venice, I see it in Australia, I see it in Texas, I see it everywhere, and yet those that have the power to facilitate change putter in idle complacency.”
Hayden, a grade 9 student at H.B. Beal Secondary School, was one of several youths who spoke at today’s rally.
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People started assembling in front of city hall at 3 p.m. with youth and Indigenous speakers addressing the group before starting a march through downtown London.
In the previous global climate strike on Sept. 27, over 300 Londoners rallied and marched from city hall.
“Climate change is a huge issue, and it impacts First Nations in a unique way, as many of our communities are isolated and dependent on seasonal roads to get to and from our communities,” said Brandon Doxtator, Oneida Nation of the Thames environment coordinator.
Doxtator was at the rally today to continue drawing attention to the ongoing water crisis in Oneida Nation of the Thames.
“Since 2006 the water treatment in Oneida has not met the minimum standards set out by the clean water act or the federal relegations,” said Doxtator.
“We cannot let another generation of our children grow up without access to clean water.”
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This week’s demonstration coincides with city staff’s submission of a report to London city council recommending specific actions to match council’s declaration of a climate change emergency in April.
That report was presented to council Nov. 26.
The next Global Climate strike is set to take place on April 3, 2020.
With files from Jake Jeffrey 980 CFPL.
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