Student climate activists tell Labor to stop funding fossil fuels

November 15, 2023
Issue 
Victorian Greens MPs and the climate banners. Photo: @GabrielledeVie/X

Climate activists dropped three banners in the public gallery of Victorian Parliament on November 14, before 20 police forced them to leave.

Their stunt was aimed at encouraging support for the (SS4C) on November 17.

Myles Wilkinson, an organizer with SS4C told 91自拍论坛: 鈥淲e asked them, in song, if they stand with us or the wealthy few 鈥 by which we mean the fossil fuel industry which is profiting from the exploitation of the planet and putting so many people at risk.

鈥淥ur future matters. Everyone is going to be affected by this climate crisis. We need to use our voices and that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important to come to the strike on Friday.

鈥淭here is nothing more dangerous than not using your voice on issues that affect you when the climate crisis inevitably escalates鈥, Wilkinson聽said.

鈥淭ens of millions of people will be put at risk of becoming refugees by 2040: everyone is at risk in a climate emergency driven by government funding of fossil fuels.鈥

Scientists have criticised Australia for continuing to approve聽fossil fuels, but 鈥淎nthony Albanese doesn鈥檛 listen and Tanya Plibersek doesn鈥檛 listen.聽So students do need to stand up.鈥

Wilkinson said we need to help each other 鈥渂uild a collective movement鈥.

鈥淲e are not going to stop fossil fuels in one day, by one strike, but through civil disobedience and peaceful protest we鈥檒l get there.鈥

Wilkinson said Australians have more of a responsibility to demand change.

鈥淭he countries that have fewer resources to deal with this climate crisis are also the ones that emit less carbon emissions.鈥

He accused Australia鈥檚 government of putting Pacific Islanders into their 鈥渄eath beds鈥. More than 48 communities are already 鈥減lanning to vacate鈥 because of the climate crisis.

Any fossil fuel project approved makes Labor more 鈥渞esponsible for the death and suffering鈥 in the North Pacific because of climate change鈥, Wilkinson said.聽

鈥淲e need change and students have that power; that鈥檚 why we need to strike on November聽17.

[Find your nearest climate strike .]

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