Climate activists held a socially distanced protest by the Hove beach huts on Saturday to call for more say in how the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
Extinction Rebellion Brighton is calling for a citizens’ assembly to decide how to restructure the economy, and says the majority of the public believes addressing the climate crisis must be at the forefront of government policies.
Activists stood in silence for an hour, three metres apart, in front of the beach huts.
They held signs which said Decide together, No going back, Profit or people? and New Roads or new bike lanes?.
An Extinction Rebellion Brighton spokesperson said: “We are at a turning point in human history. The Government is driving a return to ‘normal’ as quickly as possible. But ‘normal’ is killing us.
“Our Government has a choice: prioritise profit or prioritise health. Bailout destructive industries or bailout people and the planet. Mass extinction or mass participation.
“It’s time to trust the people. As part of coronavirus recovery, we demand a binding citizens’ assembly on how to rebuild our economy, our democracy and our future.
“As we have recently seen, Brighton and Hove City Council was able to act in a matter of days in response to a crisis threatening the health and wellbeing of our communities.
“Why then, with a crisis of such enormous magnitude and consequently much greater risk to people, have they done so little in relation to the climate and biodiversity crises?
“Extinction Rebellion Brighton recognises that they have made positive steps, for example the new Old Shoreham Road bike lane, but say there is still so much more to be done.”
Similar protests took place in other areas of the country – including Parliament Square in London.
The gang from Ex Stinky Rebellion then left and returned to their big Hove pad and planned their next exotic break once Covid is over. Until then will have to just be a trip to Cornwall in the petrol glugger. Oh well the mums will be well impressed I protested!
Profit and new roads please. There you go
I don’t really care about profit – probably because I have never made any – but I do care about jobs and employment. In my own case, I care about the fact that I just spent 8 weeks+ in lockdown with no income and with no help from the government.
I see now that several people seem to be on holiday, either on the furlough scheme, or else off school because the schools are closed. If you have just spent several weeks in your own home, whilst still being paid, then you might think, oooh, wouldn’t it be lovely if we could live like this all the time? – Children running in the streets with no traffic. No airplanes overhead. Fresh food on the table after a day at the beach. Every road could be a cycle lane.
Unfortunately, without jobs there is no money. And no food. And no money to buy bicycles – which is a shame because my current cross-city bike, needs replacing.
I understand climate change and am very green in the way I live, but to think now that we can all live some hippy, lovey lifestyle, at the very point when we are about to go into the biggest recession in living memory, is a bit naive.
Some people have maybe lost touch with reality during this pandemic lockdown, or maybe for them nothing has actually changed. I also wish I had time to stand – with social distancing – outside Hove beach huts. Looks like a nice day out.
We should not forget about climate change, but we need to be realistic about basic human needs first.