Climate Protesters Disrupt Wimbledon Tennis Matches, Shut Down ... - Democracy Now!
Climate Protesters Disrupt Wimbledon Tennis Matches, Shut Down Welsh Coal Mine | Democracy Now!
In the United Kingdom, members of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion shut down operations at the nation’s largest coal mine Wednesday in a nonviolent civil disobedience action. The open-pit mine in South Wales had been operating without a license. Elsewhere in the U.K., climate protesters disrupted play at the Wimbledon tennis tournament twice on Wednesday, throwing orange confetti on the court and displaying T-shirts reading “Just Stop Oil.” On Thursday, youth climate activists disrupted a speech by U.K. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, accusing him of U-turning on his pledge to fund a transition away from fossil fuels.
Climate activist 1: “Young people want action.”
Climate activist 2: “Which side are the Labour Party on?”
Keir Starmer: “We are on the side of economic growth.”
Climate activist 2: [inaudible]
Keir Starmer: “Will you just let me” —
Climate activist 1: “We need a Green New Deal right now.”
Keir Starmer: — “please, get on with this? Thank you very much.”
Climate activist 1: “Stop making U-turns, Keir. We need a Green New Deal.”
Keir Starmer: “We have already — will you just let me finish this, and I’ll come and talk to you about it? Thank you very much.”
Climate activist 2: “We spoke” [inaudible] —
Climate activist 1: “We’ve tried to speak to you about it, but you haven’t replied to us, Keir.”
Climate activist 2: “You haven’t replied. Give us an opportunity.”
Climate activist 1: “We need a Green New Deal right now.”
In Sweden, Greta Thunberg and other youth climate activists have been charged with “disobeying the police” for peacefully blocking oil tankers at a port in Malmö last month. If convicted, the protesters face fines and up to six months in prison.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate diplomacy
Talks are well underway in preparation for the next major international meeting on climate change, 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), scheduled to begin Nov. 30 in the United Arab Emirates.
Much like last year’s COP27, finances — specifically, aid to developing nations — will be at the center of conference deliberations.
The conference faces an even greater sense of urgency brought on by the Sept. 8, 2023, release of the first global stocktake, which calls for accelerated action to meet the goals set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement (COP21).
Climate diplomacy: COP 27 | Climate diplomacy: COP 28 | Climate diplomacy: COP 29