Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (XR BCP) and allied groups will march through Poole on Saturday October 11, calling for climate justice and standing in solidarity with communities around the world on the frontlines of the climate and ecological crisis.
The march will begin at Poole Park at midday and finish at Poole Quay with a rally and speeches, highlighting the town’s colonial past and its continuing connection to global systems of exploitation and inequality.
This action, taking place during Black History Month, will bring together green, racial justice, social justice and animal rights groups to demand justice for people, animals and planet.
Participants will raise banners and voices against Big Oil’s destruction in Africa, the eviction of indigenous peoples in the name of conservation, and the systemic inequalities in the UK that leave people from ethnic minorities far less likely to have access to green space.
Daniel Glennon, XR BCP spokesman, said:
“Colonialism is not a thing of the past – it is alive today in the climate crisis.
“From Perenco’s harmful oil operations in Africa to the continued murder of indigenous land protectors, the exploitation that fuels environmental breakdown is built on the same systems of injustice that enriched towns like Poole through slavery and empire.
“Communities in the Global South have done the least to cause the climate crisis but are suffering its worst impacts. Climate justice must mean reparations, debt cancellation, and solidarity with those fighting for survival, justice and liberation.”
Messages on the march will include:
“Climate Justice – Debt Cancellation”
“No More Evicting Indigenous People in the Name of Conservation”
“Indigenous Defenders’ Lives Matter”
“Reparations for People in the Global South”
“Decolonise Climate Activism”
XR BCP is calling on people across the region to join the march, bringing banners, drums and their voices, to help make visible the often-erased truths at the heart of climate breakdown.
About Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a decentralised, international and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the climate and ecological emergency.
Time has almost run out to address the climate and ecological crisis which is upon us, including the sixth mass species extinction, global pollution and increasingly rapid climate change. If urgent action isn’t taken, we’re heading towards 4 degrees Celcius warming, leading to societal collapse and mass loss of life.
The younger generation, racially marginalised communities and the Global South are on the frontline. No-one will escape the devastating impacts.
