A rainy afternoon didn’t stop local climate activists from partaking in this week’s Fridays for Future.
The movement encourages the public to participate in demonstrations, and demand action to prevent further global warming and climate change.
It boomed after Swedish student Greta Thunberg protested outside the Swedish parliament in August 2018.
This was also the first Fridays for Future since the federal election.
Mary Ann Hodge, Green Party candidate for London West.
The Green Party candidate for London West, Mary Ann Hodge was demonstrating, and says she’s disappointed in the federal election results.
“We were [especially] disappointed with the major parties saying that there’s really no choice but to only vote for the major parties. There were a lot of voices that were silenced during the election, and people who really wanted to support the Greens felt that [their] vote was hijacked.”
Hodge encourages for more communication between politicians and the public in order to move forward together.
“Check in with your MP [monthly] and let them know that [climate change] is a priority for you…. Continue that conversation so politicians [will] realize that this is an issue that Canadians are concerned about.”
A little rain won’t make these climate activists go away! Local activists hold their signs loud and proud outside London City Hall on the first #FridaysForFuture since the Canada federal election. #LdnOnt #elx43 pic.twitter.com/nkUqWVqHmA
— XFM News (@XFMNews) October 25, 2019
Artist Allyson Proulx was waving her homemade sign Friday afternoon at the demonstration.
Proulx, who voted for the Green Party says it’s the citizens’ responsibility to hold the government accountable.
“Whoever gets voted into power, we have to protest and stand on-guard and hold them to account…. Voting is one part of democracy, but protest is another part.”
Allyson Proulx.
For Proulx, protesting has become a form of therapy.
“I have a lot of anxiety around the state of our environment, and what we can do as human beings. The only time my anxiety goes down is when I’m politically active, so being out here is a matter of personal health.”
London’s local activists protest each Friday between 3-5 p.m. outside City Hall at the intersection of Dufferin Avenue and Wellington Street.
