Wanderfull's Wanderings: march

Showing posts with label march. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

#strike4climate - Youth Climate Strike rally

Interesting Friday - I yelled at a driver, followed a youth climate change protest, and spoke with a couple of female Mormon missionaries. The yelling I will save for another post that will probably turn into an idiot-driver rant. This posting is mostly about the mass of young people who decided to skip school to protest climate change. It was actually a worldwide event that I guess not many people knew about, but because I subscribe to a few environmental news sites I learned that Montreal had approx 100,000 kids in the streets. Other cities had more, others less. Being that Calgary is a petroleum-dependent city, I wasn't expecting to see many kids there. There weren't hundreds, but there were enough to make a point. The enthusiasm of youth. Gotta love it. Treehugger has an excellent article, posted March 15, of news Tweets from around the world: Young people take to the streets around the world in the #strike4climate.

Protesting at the doors of City Hall.

"Come on out! Come on out!" No one came out of City Hall.

Peas for the planet. This girl told me that last summer her family went away and when they came back the peas they planted were too far gone to eat. So at her birthday party, she gave everyone peas to plant. She brought her pea plant to the protest.

Later, I had a sit-down in Olympic Plaza to check out my photos. I was approached by a couple young ladies who happened to be missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS); one from the US and the other from Japan. We had a nice chat. I told them that they were the first young women missionaries I had ever seen, that usually, I've seen young men LDS missionaries. They asked what I was taking photos of and I told them about the rally. They then ask why I take photos of activists.

Two men discuss the appropriateness of pontificating out of turn. The bald guy on the right felt entitled to share his opposing opinions to the climate change movement. The man on the left had to remind him that the protest was for the kids. That it was their moment, not his.

I told the LDS missionaries that while the kids were rallying a single adult male decided to counter the kid's chants of "what do we want" by shouting "we want jobs." He was promptly told to cease and desist by someone's father. That almost got out of hand too when the father told the entitled-one that his opinions would be best shared with Yellow Vesters. Enough of that or I'll be starting an idiot-male rant.

I told the missionaries that at most rallies I've attended there is the one person, usually a man, who feels entitled to steal the soap-box for his own agenda. I take photos for the people who share his view, who cannot change their perspective, and who need to know that their opinions aren't shared by everyone. Call me Don Quixote. Calgarians are a comfy, complacent bunch.

I told them that most of the protesters at the climate rally were girls and that if there is going to be any meaningful change in the world that it would be done by women. This particular rally was inspired by Greta Thunberg the young Swedish girl who started a solo climate strike last year. According to The Guardian, 20,000 students worldwide have joined her.

Word has it that Calgary kids are going to try to rally every Friday.

On Social Media:

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Walk for Reconciliation 2017

The above poster was pinned to a bulletin board at the downtown Central Library.

This morning I took part in the Walk for Reconciliation that started around 8:00 a.m. from the Harry Hayes Building and ended at Fort Calgary. I asked Charlotte, an elder carrying the American flag, if it would be okay to take photos of the walk. She laughed heartily when I said I'd post them to Flickr.

After Charlotte's opening prayer, a fellow wearing a Metis belt gave brief directions of the route. The walk was led by drummers, then banner carriers, then residential school survivors and elders. Some carried walking sticks representing each of the residential schools in Canada. Some wore feathers. I followed the diverse group of fifty or more people along the river bike path, under Reconciliation Bridge, and through East Village. At Fort Calgary the group was met by one lone videographer from Global News.

Here are some of my images. Click on the photo to see a larger slideshow version.

Participants walk under the newly named Reconciliation Bridge. Originally the bridge was called the Langevin Bridge, named after Sir Langevin one of Canada's Father of Confederation who is considered on of the architects of residential schools.

Links:

Reconciliation Canada
Reconciling Canada's 150th: Why 2017 should start with tears - CBC December 2016
Fortney: Calgary Marks Aboriginal Day with solemn ceremonies, song and dance - Calgary Herald, June 21, 2017

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Standing Rock

A small group of activists met in Olympic Plaza tonight to stand in solidarity for the Standing Rock Sioux of North Dakota.

The Standing Rock Sioux are trying to block a pipeline from being built on their land. They are concerned about it contaminating their water. Plans also have it running very close to their burial ground.

National Geographic calls what's happening in North Dakota a "national disgrace".

I've seen videos of peaceful protesters, water protectors, being roughly arrested by ND police. One of particular interest happened on Black Friday. Posted live to Facebook by the Ingenious Environment Network, it showed a small group gathered at the local mall for a prayer circle. They were being treated like terrorists by the local police; forced to their knees and placed in handcuffs. Some of the women were crying. The police officer claimed they were being charged with trespassing. Technically, the mall is within their rights to have people arrested for being on private property. However, in contrast, on that same day in Calgary, fifty or more people gathered for a solidarity flash mob circle dance in Chinook Mall. No police. No problems.

The cause is gaining speed with celebrities and even military veterans giving their support.

Tonight in downtown Calgary there were a few bicycle police watching the speeches and prayers from a distance. Again no problems. When the group marched down Stephen Avenue to Bankers Hall the police acted as an escort, stopping traffic when needed. All I had on me was my point & shoot camera, but when has that ever stopped me?

Word has it that military veterans plan to join the protest in Standing Rock on that same day. Wish I could be there. Still, there's going to be another gathering in Calgary. This time it's a Grandmother's walk starting at the Peace Bridge on Sunday afternoon (December 4, 2:00 p.m.).

Canada is also having it's own conflicts over pipelines. Corporations and politicians need to realize that the time is long past where relying on pollutants to live is no longer viable and makes no sense.

I cannot join the many protesters assisting the Sioux in North Dakota, but I can lend my support here. Sunday I will be walking with grandmothers.