Big Ben (for pedants the Elizabeth Tower or Clock Tower) and the Houses of Parliament are both under wraps, and Portcullis House playing dead with its chimneys like legs up in the air and a police ‘Liasion Officer’ spy in his pale blue waistcoat rubs his eyes as young students link arms sitting and blocking Westminster Bridge call for ‘System Change Not Climate Change’.
There is an infectious energy from these young protesters that gives me hope while our government seems to lack any real appreciation of the urgency of our situation – as well as any concern for those struggling to get by in an increasingly unequal society. Perhaps things will change at least a little if we get a change of government in the coming election. At least Labour sometimes seems to be saying the right things even if some Labour councils are seriously failing, pursuing policies of social cleansing rather than social justice.
You can see more pictures on My London Diary, along with this short text:
Students marched in London again over the climate crisis, blocking Westminster Bridge. They are inspired by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg.
They ask again where the government is, as it fritters away its time over Brexit and internal party squabbles while failing to take the urgent action needed to give life on this planet a future.
Police attempted to clear the roadway, but had little success as students simply moved around.
The students who use the hashtags #YouthStrike4Climate, #GlobalClimateStrike, #ClimateJustice, #FridaysForFuture and SchoolStrike4Climate were still sitting on the bridge when I left to go to an appointment elsewhere. I think at some point they decided to get up and march around London some more.
All photographs on this and my other sites, unless otherwise stated, are taken by and copyright of Peter Marshall, and are available for reproduction or can be bought as prints.
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Tags: #fridaysforfuture, #SchoolStrike4Climate, #YouthStrike4Climate, climate change, climate crisis, school strike, school students, students