Youth and Indigenous Peoples Lead Significant Edmonton Climate Action

– Dougal MacDonald –

About 10,000 people rallied very enthusiastically in Edmonton on Friday, October 18 as part of the continuing youth-led climate actions taking place around the world. This was twice the number which gathered on September 27. Students of all ages, Indigenous peoples, workers, and seniors all participated in the latest Edmonton action. Local MLPC candidates and supporters took part and distributed the Renewal Update issue on the environment and collected signatures from new subscribers.

The demonstrators gathered first at Amiskwaskehegan (Beaverhills Park) in downtown Edmonton. The huge crowd then marched on the streets for a kilometre to the Alberta Legislature waving signs and chanting. Signs included: “There is No Planet B”, “Solutions Not Pollution”, “System Change Not Climate Change”, “Oceans are Rising and So are We”, and “Respect Indigenous Rights!” Chants Included “What Do We Want? Climate Action! When Do We Want It? Now! and “Hey Hey Ho Ho Jason Kenney’s Got to Go!”

At the Legislature, a number of speakers, mainly Indigenous, gave short speeches calling for action on climate change. Chubby Cree, an Indigenous hand drumming group, performed some music. The final speaker was Swedish activist Greta Thunberg who was well received. Thunberg said, in part: “Today is Friday. And as always, we are on climate strike. Young people all around the globe are today sacrificing their education to bring attention to the climate and ecological emergency […] We are doing this because our future is at stake.” In the course of her remarks, Thunberg included a special shout out to the youth and Indigenous people at the rally, asserting, “You are the hope.”

Dr. Dougal MacDonald was the MLPC Candidate in Edmonton-Strathcona.

(Photos: RU)

This article was published in:

Renewal Update No. 43, October 24, 2019

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Youth and Indigenous Peoples Lead Significant Edmonton Climate Action – Dougal MacDonald