Youth Strike 4 Climate returns to Bristol this month to protest the lack of progress by Bristol City Council in tackling the climate and ecological crisis.
Organisers of the strike, Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate (BYS4C), are particularly concerned about Bristol Airport expansion and delays to improvements in air quality. They also include the fight for climate justice as a key theme.
This is the 11th Youth Strike from BYS4C since they began in February 2019, and the first since the pandemic began. Organisers say they are looking forward to returning to in-person protest but do not yet know whether the group will pursue regular strikes as was the pattern in early 2019.
BYS4C activist Torin, 16, said: ‘It is vital that we keep up the pressure on politicians, locally, nationally, and globally, to act on the climate and ecological crisis.
‘Almost no progress has been made since we last went on strike in February 2020, so we are again fighting for our futures. We are still trying to stop airport expansion, still campaigning for clean air, and most importantly still fighting for social, racial, and climate justice across the world.’
It was at a Youth Strike in February 2019 that Greta Thunberg drew crowds of thousands to march in central Bristol. Thunberg praised North Somerset Council’s decision to refuse airport expansion plans. The threat of expansion still hangs over Bristol as the airport pushes through a planning inquiry.
On the issue of clean air, action by Bristol City Council to reduce illegal air pollution levels in the city has been limited to foot-dragging with the proposed clean air zone postponed by one year.
The Strike will take place on Friday, September 24. Young people are encouraged to walk out of education to join fellow strikers on College Green for 11am. Speakers have been arranged and a march will be led through the city centre.
A Facebook event can be found here.
Simultaneous protests will take place in Cardiff, Manchester, Oxford and Glasgow.
Feature image: Christy Nunns (http://www.christynunns.co.uk/)
So what happened ?
Did thousands turn out to march ?
Or have they realised the skies have been cloudy and the wind has not been blowing ?
So we will freeze to death this winter !