The crowd at the event, organised by Youth Strike for Climate and the Trades Council.
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.
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’s activities, and a public address system.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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’ or citizens’ assemblies.
The Youth Strike organisers thanked the crowd, said goodbye and people began to drift away.
It was then that members of Extinction Rebellion “stormed” the council chamber, piling in en masse with some children to ‘demand’ action. This was then reported as “children take over Council chamber” by the BBC. See here for more inaccurate reporting of XR by the BBC, again at the expense of the work of young activists.
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Not all public comment has been positive following the unsanctioned actions.
Youth Strike for Climate (YS4C) commented:
“We do not agree with this type of action and as a movement we don’t take any illegal actions, the choice to go into the council chamber was not ours.”
Swansea Trades Council made this statement:
“We 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’s event.”
Organiser Gareth Bromhall said:
“I guess for us it’s about keeping the kids safe (the police were called) and not antagonising low paid council workers who could be supporting the cause […] I saw at least half a dozen councillors marching with us even. It’s just like… pick your battles you know?”
ANM wasn’t 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.
Swansea Extinction Rebel Peter Anderson on Facebook after the misleading BBC article.
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’s just not something you hear of that often.
So it’s a puzzling move from them to barge in unplanned and unannounced when the council had just made this frankly historic invitation.
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.
Related:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-49775471/climate-protestors-take-over-swansea-s-guildhal
No waste incinerator in Llansamlet – Sweet Victory for Young Activists
Climate Emergency Demands Swansea Declaration
Global School Strike – Swansea
Extinction Rebellion Swansea – Rebel for Life
@Amazonnewsmedia, Amazon News Media, ANM, Extinction Rebellion, featured, Gareth Bromhall, Global Youth Strike for Climate, Maddy Adams, Peter Anderson, School Strike for Climate, Social Workers Party, Swansea Council, Swansea Pension Committee, Swansea Trades Council, Swansea Young Socialists
The sit in was one of the highlights of the day across the uk . Youth4climate do us no favours by disowning it, especially on the grounds it was illegal (so is every single bit of Nvda …doh)
Is the key question whether the council is now going to say they won’t talk to XR now? Or is it “will they stop investing the pension funds in fossil fuels and other dodgy businesses”
Well done to all , including the kids who occupied the chamber. The future looked more hopeful for a while!
Thanks for taking the time to share your opinion Martin. I’m sure, or I hope, you will agree that having one piece of journalism that simply tries to accurately document the event, including from the point of view of the organisers, isn’t going to hurt anybody.
We are allowed our own opinions, but not our own facts. If everybody in the country agrees that it was fine to ignore the organiser’s organising, then we’ll know where we are won’t we. Respect is a value that can’t be bought, but it is worth promoting in our view. I’m sure members of the Council each have their own views as well, as we are all just people aren’t we.
It’s actually great to know that XR are ready to drop their heavy branding and control of demos, and other events 👍, to allow anyone to take any unplanned and unknown action under any banner. That hasn’t always been the case, and we’ve listened to a lot of chat about that right from the off.