On Friday, Sept. 20 a group of approximately 80 people gathered outside the Abbotsford City Hall to get the attention of the public and of politicians and raise awareness over the looming threat of climate change.
This protest was a local manifestation of a worldwide movement led by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, a climate activist from Sweden. Over 150 countries are carrying out protests between Sept. 20 and 27 to demand change and raise awareness of the climate’s critical condition.
Climate protests have been happening for the past 25 Fridays outside the Abbotsford City Hall on South Fraser Way, led by the local branch of the “Fridays for Future” movement. This grass-roots movement, instigated by Thunberg, encourages students around the globe to strike outside their local city hall every Friday afternoon in order to engage citizens and get the attention of local politicians.
Angie Calhoun, 14, said she joins the protest herself so that the government will actually do something about climate change, like declare an emergency.
Several UFV students joined Calhoun and the other youth protesters last Friday, armed with homemade signs with phrases such as: “The house is on fire,” “Like the sea level we rise,” “Keep the Earth clean, it’s not Uranus,” as well as a sign that simply read “SCIENCE.” The protesters encouraged passing cars to honk their horns in support and chanted phrases such as “No more coal, no more oil, keep that carbon in the soil!”
Emily Rettich, the president of the UFV Physics Students Association, was among the student protesters. According to Rettich, the biggest thing you can do to be part of the change and be a part of this global revolution is to vote.
“The protest is to hopefully get the attention of local politicians and show them that people in Abbotsford do care about the climate,” Rettich said. “It’s a very conservative city, so just to show that there are people here that are passionate about climate change and science. That is something, as politicians, they should care about too.”
“The kind of change that needs to happen is on a legislation level to actually make a difference. If climate change is a priority to you, then when voting comes around do your research and vote for a candidate that represents that.”
These local protestors were among the millions who gathered around the world last Friday to get the attention of the world leaders gathered at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the climate summit. The protests started in the Pacific Islands, which are the countries most at-risk of flooding due to rising sea levels.
Protests will be happening every Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. outside City Hall at 32315 South Fraser Way.
Images: Andrea Sadowski/The Cascade
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
