{"id":2027,"date":"2019-09-21T14:12:32","date_gmt":"2019-09-21T13:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amazonnewsmedia.com\/articles\/?p=2027"},"modified":"2019-09-21T14:15:21","modified_gmt":"2019-09-21T13:15:21","slug":"swansea-global-youth-strike-for-climate-sectarian-clouds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/amazonnewsmedia.com\/articles\/2019\/09\/21\/swansea-global-youth-strike-for-climate-sectarian-clouds\/","title":{"rendered":"Swansea Global Youth Strike for Climate – Sectarian Clouds"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ANM<\/a>

The crowd at the event, organised by Youth Strike for Climate and the Trades Council.<\/p><\/div>\n

Well over 500 people comprising children, Unions, and environmental and community groups, met in Castle Square Swansea on Friday for Youth Strike for Climate, beginning a week of global climate strike action.<\/p>\n

In the run up to the event, there was some tension between groups as the organisers tried to define their own event, risking causing offence by refusing some, now traditional, Extinction Rebellion (XR) style elements, such as Samba, children\u2019s activities, and a public address system.<\/p>\n

XR eventually voted to respect the wishes of the Youth Strike for Climate and to let them completely direct the event. Gratitude for XR support was expressed, and some samba playing was agreed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Following the rally, protesters marched to Brangwyn Hall, for another rally, and the setting off of alarm clocks to mark the late hour for action to curb climate change.<\/p>\n

.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ANM<\/a>

Pete Anderson of Extinction Rebellion Swansea at the start of the event with organisers Gareth Bromhall, of the Trades Council and Sam Barrett of YS4C.<\/p><\/div>\n

Divestment Campaign<\/h3>\n

There was an XR song, sung by Maddy Adams, and mention of the divestment campaign to persuade the council to immediately drop all fossil fuel investments from their pension fund, which are the largest single area in its portfolio. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is on the back of this campaign, which has been active for a few months now, that the Council has issued an invitation to the group to begin the process of setting up peoples\u2019 or citizens\u2019 assemblies. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Youth Strike organisers thanked the crowd, said goodbye and people began to drift away.<\/p>\n

It was then that members of Extinction Rebellion \u201cstormed\u201d the council chamber, piling in en masse with some children to \u2018demand\u2019 action. This was then reported as \u201cchildren take over Council chamber\u201d<\/em> by the BBC. See here for more inaccurate reporting of XR by the BBC<\/a>, again at the expense of the work of young activists. <\/span><\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Organiser’s Comments<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"ANM<\/a>

Not all public comment has been positive following the unsanctioned actions.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Youth Strike for Climate (YS4C) commented:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not agree with this type of action and as a movement we don\u2019t take any illegal actions, the choice to go into the council chamber was not ours.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Swansea Trades Council made this statement:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand a group, led by Extinction Rebellion carried on after our rally at the Guild Hall, and went on to storm the building and occupy it and police were called. This was against the wishes and advice of both groups involved in the organisation of today\u2019s event.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Organiser Gareth Bromhall said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess for us it\u2019s about keeping the kids safe (the police were called) and not antagonising low paid council workers who could be supporting the cause [\u2026] I saw at least half a dozen councillors marching with us even. It\u2019s just like… pick your battles you know?\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ANM wasn\u2019t there at this point as the event outside the council was up two kerbs with no dropdowns anywhere, therefore not accessible. We did stay until the announcement of the end of the event had been made, not expecting unsanctioned actions.<\/p>\n

\"ANM<\/a>

Swansea Extinction Rebel Peter Anderson on Facebook after the misleading BBC article. <\/p><\/div>\n

Storming Open Doors<\/h3>\n

Extinction Rebellion are almost certainly one of the only groups ever, if not the only group, to be made an offer of brokering a new type of local democracy based on environmental justice, on behalf of everybody. It\u2019s just not something you hear of that often.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s a puzzling move from them to barge in unplanned and unannounced when the council had just made this frankly historic invitation.<\/p>\n

As a result, some young people in Swansea, their parents, teachers, and possibly the Council itself, may be asking themselves what the new co-operation is really going to look like.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n