Sunday, October 31, 2021

Five more climate activists arrested in Vancouver on final day of 'October Rebellion'

Three Extinction Rebellion protesters locked themselves to a block structure in the middle of a busy intersection downtown Vancouver.

Author of the article: Tiffany Crawford
Publishing date:Oct 30, 2021 •
Several climate protesters were arrested late Friday after they chained themselves to a cement block in the intersection of Burrard and Pacific streets in Vancouver.
 PHOTO BY EXTINCTION REBELLION /PNG


The action comes as delegates from around the world meet Sunday at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, where members of the group Extinction Rebellion are planning high impact “deliberate disruption, according to the BBC.

Three men and two women were arrested after refusing to leave the intersection at Burrard and Pacific and blocking traffic for several hours, said Vancouver police spokesman Sgt. Steve Addison on Saturday.

Extinction Rebellion, the climate activist group that has been staging the series of protests, says three of its members locked themselves to a block structure early Friday evening. The block was covered in chicken wire and blue tarps, painted to represent Earth.

The group alleges police were “rough” with the protesters when removing them from the intersection.

Addison said three protesters had locked themselves together using some sort of device, but they freed themselves after the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services arrived to cut them out.

Two protesters lying in the middle of the road were removed from the area and arrested, he added.

Several climate protesters were arrested late Friday after they chained themselves to a cement block in the intersection of Burrard and Pacific streets in Vancouver.
PHOTO BY EXTINCTION REBELLION /PNG

Friday’s protest marked the end of 14 consecutive days of action in Vancouver, including several roadblocks downtown Vancouver and disrupting traffic to the Vancouver International Airport.

A total of 54 people were arrested over the two weeks, including one arrest in Nanaimo, according to the group.

Extinction Rebellion Canada said it wants a commitment from the provincial and federal governments to end fossil fuel subsidies at the conference in Glasgow.

The group says it is unacceptable for leaders to claim to be climate leaders when they are still funding companies that are contributing to human-caused climate change.

A recent report from the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change that UN Secretary-General António Guterres called a “code red for humanity,” says crossing the 1.5 C warming above pre-industrial levels threshold is close and will be exceeded unless the world drastically cuts its CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade.

“This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet,” said Guterres, adding there must be no new coal plants built after 2021 and countries should end all new fossil fuel exploration and production and shift to renewable energy.

The IPCC has been been producing reports that assess the science on climate change since 1988. The reports are the consensus of the world’s scientists and governments.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND -Pilgrimage groups who have walked to Glasgow are joined by members of the group, Extinction Rebellion as they walk to raise awareness of the climate crisis on October 30, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. 
PHOTO BY IAN FORSYTH /Getty Images
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – Extinction Rebellion Blue Rebel Brigade members join pilgrimage groups who have walked to Glasgow to raise awareness of the climate crisis on October 30, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. 
PHOTO BY IAN FORSYTH /Getty Images

ticrawford@postmedia.com

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