About 100 young protesters gathered in the courtyard of the Federal Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. to press for a drastic swing in climate-related policies. The police accompanied each participant to the gates and recorded their identities in all calm. There were no arrests.
The action came in response to a citizens’ call to “Act for climate justice” ahead of the 24th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP24.
Members of the "Time for climate, time for people" collective who were able to enter the courtyard before the gates were shut carried banners with messages such as "Now" and "Act Climate & Social Justice". They also chanted slogans to make sure their demands were heard.
“It is urgent to ensure a real ecological transition, but it is just as urgent to ensure a worthy life for all,” said one participant. “Everyone must play their part, but it is up to the big CO2 emitters in particular to assume the disastrous consequences of their modes of development and consumption.”
The collective denounced a lack of action on climate issues by the Belgian Government and, calling for citizens’ action, they encouraged Brussels residents to flock to the climate march on Sunday.
The group stressed that since 1988, 71% of greenhouse gases are emitted by just 100 companies. It charged that measures such as increasing excise on diesel placed an unfair share of the weight of ecological transition on the shoulders of those who contribute the least to cglobal warming.
The Brussels Times
