Thousands march in Glasgow as global climate protest comes to city
The march was held to coincide with the Cop 30 summit in Brazil.
Thousands of people marched through Glasgow as a global day of climate action arrived in the city.
The Glasgow protest mirrored similar demonstrations across the UK and in Belém, Brazil where the UN’s Cop 30 climate summit is taking place.
Groups including RSPB, Global Justice Now and Extinction Rebellion marched under the slogan “a better world is possible” with demands calling for global solidarity, a fair transition away from fossil fuels and increased care for our planet.
Organisers said it was biggest climate march in Glasgow since the UN climate conference took place in 2021.
A choir sang Christmas carols, with the lyrics changed to object against the Rosebank oil field, west of the Shetland isles.
An activist wearing a Donald Trump mask carried a placard reading “it’s capitalism, ya eejits”, while a group of children chanted “Stop Rosebank, the planet is for everyone” as they marched through the city centre.
Many protesters carried Palestinian flags to show solidarity with the people of Gaza, and grassroots organisations involved included the Climate and Migrant Justice Organising Group and the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee.
Father-of-two Ben Williams, 36, attended with his two daughters, aged six and three.
The university worker, who lives in Glasgow, said he hoped politicians would listen.
Mr Williams said: “I have come today to show my children about activism and support in numbers. They enjoy going to protests.
“I’m hoping this will make politicians listen.”
Emma Henry, 41, who lives in Glasgow, said: “I came today because this is so important.
“I feel so helpless about what is happening with the climate crisis, it is terrible.
“It is good to be together at a time which is so isolated and divided.”
Speakers at the rally include leading trade unionist Dave Moxham, Chief Executive of the Poverty Alliance Peter Kelly, as well as local transport and migrant justice campaigners from Glasgow.
Caroline Rance, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “People are coming out to show that a better world is possible and that there is the energy and enthusiasm to make that happen – all it requires is the political will.
“Public concern about climate remains really high and people recognise that the challenges communities face from Palestine to the Amazon are connected. The same systems that devalue life, destroy our environment and prioritise profit above all else are harming people everywhere.
“Positive climate action will transform people’s lives in Scotland, tackling poverty by ensuring every home is well insulated, that bus services are reliable and affordable and that the energy transition is creating decent green jobs in our communities.”
Brock Lueck from RSPB Scotland said that climate change and loss of wildlife were “deeply connected”, with species being lost at an “alarming rate”.
By protecting nature, we are protecting the water we drink, the air we breathe and the land that provides our food. Nature holds the solutions we need and through its restoration we can reduce floods, droughts and fires whilst bringing our landscapes bursting back to life,” he added.
READ MORE: Sign up to our newsletter and get all the best breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is at risk of “losing the trust of a generation of young people” over climate change, the Scottish Greens have claimed.
The comments come after the Government refused to support or oppose the development of the Rosebank oil field in the North Sea this week in a vote brought by the Greens.
Green co-leader Gillian Mackay said ministers should reconsider their recently-published climate plan.
Described by the Greens as a “damp squib”, the plan outlined 150 actions as Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said the Government’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2045 was “unwavering”.
Ms Mackay said: “The climate crisis will be the defining environmental challenge for this generation and every generation that follows. We need bold action, but too many governments are in retreat.
“Unfortunately that includes Scotland, where the SNP has shelved targets but hasn’t replaced them with any meaningful action.
“The fact that they can’t even bring themselves to oppose a plan as destructive as Rosebank tells us everything we need to know.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.