Thousands took to the streets of London on Saturday 16 November, joining a major alliance of climate justice organisations demanding the UK government end its reliance on fossil fuels, commit to paying climate reparations, and end its complicity in the genocide in Gaza. This was for the March for Global Climate Justice. There was a small counter demo of pro-Israel Zionists who carried banners saying ‘stop lying, there is no genocide in Gaza’.
March for Global Climate Justice
The March for Global Climate Justice brought together more than 60 organisations, including Extinction Rebellion, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Amnesty International UK, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, War on Want, and Just Stop Oil:
Demonstrators gathered outside the British Museum and marched to 10 Downing Street via SOCAR. Organisers claim the route exposed corporate and governmental ‘complicity’ in both the climate crisis and the genocide in Gaza.
Deputy Green Party leader Zack Polanski was one of the politicians supporting the march:
He said:
The first thing is, it’s about crisis with humanity. There’s a very obvious link where, if you have fossil fuel companies that don’t care about trashing the planet, then of course they don’t care about funding weapons and funding the military, which are enabling a genocide and killing people.
And if we’re going to divest away from fossil fuels, oil and gas, as we absolutely should, we should also be divesting away from weapons and the military.
Banners against BP and SOCAR were out in force:
The BTC pipeline, co-owned by BP and SOCAR, supplies nearly 30% of Israel’s oil — fueling the military vehicles and jets used in its ongoing war crimes against Palestinians. BP has also been granted gas exploration licences in occupied Palestinian waters by the Israeli Ministry of Energy. BP is a major sponsor of the British Museum.
Zionists come out to cause trouble
People were also calling out some countries’ refusal to address Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Specifically, the march focused on those leaders who condemn Israel’s action – but are still supplying it with the energy to fuel its army:
Predictably, pro-Israeli Zionist showed up to cause trouble:
The march took place amidst widespread disillusionment amongst activists with the COP process:
COP-out
This year’s summit, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, has already faced outrage after the COP29 President was caught promising to broker fossil fuel deals. The failure of political leaders to address the escalating climate crisis and end their complicity in Israel’s genocide has galvanised a global wave of mobilisations – with more than 150 actions taking place on the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice.
Across Great Britain and Ireland, 25 actions were organised in towns and cities from Manchester to Edinburgh, Dublin to Sheffield under the same demands.
Angus O’Brien, National Coordinator at the Climate Justice Coalition, said:
Thousands of us united today in a historic mobilisation on the streets of London, across Great Britain and worldwide to demand an end to the era of fossil fuels and an end to the genocide in Gaza. The issues we face are global, and so is our response. We won’t stop until political leaders divest from war and destruction – and invest in a just, ecological and equitable transition.
Driven to the brink of collapse
Tyrone Scott, Senior Movement Building and Activism Officer at War on Want, said:
Right now, millions of people are facing the worst effects of climate breakdown, predominantly in countries across the Global South. Our global reliance on fossil fuels have driven our climate and ecosystems to the brink of collapse whilst earning trillions for the fossil fuel industry.
At the same time, these same fossil fuel companies that are profiting from extracting and polluting – driving climate breakdown – are also profiting from funnelling oil to Israel; oil that Israel is then using in its genocide of the Palestinian people. We must end our reliance on fossil fuels, ensure the UK pays its fair share in finance and demand an end to the genocide. There is no climate justice without human rights.
This woman has been a well-known face at climate and democracy protests for many years:
Dr Charlie Gardner, a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, said:
Whether it’s the floods that have devastated Spain and dozens of other countries, the record rainfall affecting British farmers, or the fires, droughts and storms ravaging other parts of the world, climate breakdown is here and it’s always the poorest and most vulnerable communities who are hit first and worst. We need to throw everything at ending the fossil fuel age as quickly as possible, and pay our climate debt to poorer nations. As a global community we have to adapt to what’s coming, and take care of each other as we do.
The only way forward is to tackle this emergency collectively and cooperatively. So it is shocking that, in the short period between their election and COP29, Keir Starmer’s government has already promoted airport expansion, succumbed to the Carbon Capture and Storage snake oil promoted by the oil and gas industry, and continued to support Israel’s war crimes.
Across the UK and Ireland, there were other protests too:
Thanks to everyone for attending our demo today in Dublin. We had amazing speeches from @ailbhes, Johnny from @IrishDocsEnv, Pádraig from @saveloughneagh_ , Dearbhla from @fossiltreaty, Ellen from @TCD_Envirosoc, @Westyeddy from @love_leitrim, & @RubyFree8 pic.twitter.com/jxU82JWGhs
— Climate Justice Coalition Ireland (@ClimatJusticIE) November 16, 2024
Hundreds marching for climate justice in Newcastle today. pic.twitter.com/iRjEW5BptO
— Climate Action Newcastle (@ClimateNCL) November 16, 2024
In Birmingham today climate justice activists united with Palestine solidarity activists to target Barclays, demand global climate justice and to say #EndFossilFuels #StopArmingIsrael #EndTheGenocide #BoycottBarclays @PSCupdates @CJ_Coalition #COP29 pic.twitter.com/SDvHSgI2np
— Birmingham Climate Justice Coalition (@BrumCJC) November 16, 2024
A global march for climate justice
Lauren MacDonald, Lead Campaigner at Stop Rosebank commented:
Everyday we are witnessing the worsening effects of climate change as they creep closer and closer to home. All this while governments insist on pandering to the demands of mega-polluters in an endless cycle of ignorance that endangers us all.
Oil money has been linked to violence throughout history – and this is no different now. Even the Rosebank oil field here in the UK will see £253 million in revenue flow towards a company that has been flagged by the UN for human rights violations in Palestine.
If we want to maintain a liveable climate, and sever the toxic links between fossil fuels and atrocities across the globe, we must do everything we can to make a rapid and fair transition away from oil and gas.
Joanna Warrington, Campaigner at Fossil Free London, said:
In gleaming London offices, fossil fuel giants like BP line their pockets while our planet burns and millions suffer. Every day, they stop at nothing to maximize their profits, fueling genocide, corrupting politics and pushing our climate closer to collapse.
We are marching today to demand that the UK Government breaks free from the grip of mega polluters, stands up to their relentless greed, and stops enabling the violence and destruction they profit from.
Another world is not just possible – it’s essential, and it starts with holding fossil fuel corporations accountable.
Around the world, the March for Global Climate Justice took place in multiple cities, too.
Featured image and additional images via Denise Baker
