Listen to the People, Not the Polluters

The Verb at the Global Day of Action Rally.

“We are with you,” UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, reassured the crowd that gathered at the Global Day of Action Rally on Saturday morning.

Police estimated over 6,500 people – from civil society groups, labour and trade unions, faith-based organisations and local residents – flooded the streets of Durban for the rally, united in calling for climate justice and urging leaders who assembled for the UN climate change negotiations in Durban to take action.

Flags, banners and homemade placards floated above an energetic crowd as it moved towards the Durban’s International Conventions Centre, where the negotiations are held.

For many it was a key opportunity to voice frustration about lethargic climate action. “We want the multi-national companies to stop their anti-climate action campaigns,”  local resident Hilek Prapahan asserted. “We want our government to become a green government, and start acting for the people, not the polluters.” Senzo Mchune, Skills Village 2030, added, “Instead of creating solutions, the government is just adding to the problem.”

Prince Wilondja, a young student from the Democratic Republic of Congo, insisted people need to have a say in how their money is spent. “The problem is that our people do not profit from the United Nations funds. It is important that I am here to fight for justice.”

Many participants also showed up to fight for their jobs. “Some activists here are calling for coal mining companies to be shut down. But we don’t want that! If you close down these companies, people will lose their jobs,” Njabulo Ntlovu from the Trade Unions Office said. Nina Larrea from the Swedish International Trade Union Development Cooperation came to support Ntlovu in his struggles. “Issues around climate change are not just ecological. There are social dimensions,” she said. “We feel they have already achieved great solutions and proposals for a just transition to a greener economy and we are actively working with them to formulate alternatives that would create more jobs instead of losing jobs.”

Uniting their divergent agendas, was an underlying concern for the environment. Frans Monye, representing the South African Waste Pickers Association, explained, “I am here to stop the government building the waste incinerators they are planning in South Africa. As a waste picker, these facilities threaten my livelihoods. It’s bad for the environment, and its bad for our workers.”

Halting at the entrance to the ICC, representatives from key groups gave speeches and collectively handed over a position paper to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Figueres. Figueres commended the crowd warmly on their participation. “I thank you for raising your voice for millions of people around the world who have no responsibility for climate change.” COP17 President, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane also accepted the statements promising to “read this very carefully.”

Local resident Richard Parker summarised his feeling at the rally, “It’s great to see the range of people who care about climate change and feel the need to take action now.” Drawing attention to the links between climate activism and social justice he observed, “People have been singing the songs of the apartheid struggle, to show that the injustice of the apartheid struggle match the injustices of climate change.”

For more photos, click here.

By Awa Momtazian, photos by  Julian Koschorke.