What Protesting Means for COP17

Out of nowhere, the quiet halls of the COP17 conference centre erupted. An unexpected crowd of four hundred protestors from a variety of causes, along with delegates from some of the most vulnerable countries, filled the COP17 hallways singing, chanting, and listening to speeches from activists and national representatives.

The action on the last day has brought COP17 to life. For two weeks, negotiations have dragged; an air of inertia has prevailed; and the talks have avoided media attention by avoiding the big questions. Instead, talk on vital but “unsexy” details and constant discussion revolving around delay, rather than immediate action, have been the focus.

Now, the protest has injected life into the conference. The urgency of the protestors was not missed on anyone who could hear them—and at times, the noise carried all the way around the building.

The protest may be the kick the conference needs. It certainly would have woken up delegates who were negotiating until the wee hours this morning.

Support for the protest, despite it’s at times mixed messaging, has been broad. Mostly however the support is simply for creating immediacy and urgency at the conference.

One delegate from an AOSIS state said the protest, “ended too quickly.”

Another delegate said the message didn’t end when the protestors were kicked out.  “I’m taking it into the meetings.”

“The world is standing in solidarity with those here in Durban who are taking action,” said Avaaz Senior Campaigner Iain Keith in reference to the 700,000 people who have signed petitions calling on major emitters to resist attempts to delay climate action until 2020.

“Any agreement to delay real climate action until 2020 would be a death sentence for millions of people in Africa and around the world,” said Landry Ninteretse of the international climate action group 350.org. “We are tired of waiting for progress.”

So too, it seems, are many people here at COP17. Time is running out at the conference—and time is running out on the world. Delay here at Durban is delay on saving the planet. The protest has allowed civil society to roar, and nations cannot miss, or resist, the urgency of all those voices. Not now.

By Tim Hall, photo by Julian Koschorke.