Global Climate Change March, London Dec 8, 2007

Around 10am a small group of activists against bio-fuels started a picket of Tesco Metro in Lower Regent Street. Police pushed them into a small pen by the roadside, while allowing two people to hand out leaflets at the store entrance. Several hundred cyclists arrived around 11am, filling the road outside as they stood listening to a short speech, which was followed by a minute or so of silence before they cycled off past Eros and down Picadilly.

The main march was gathering in Millbank, and despite the wind and rain it was an impressive gathering. At the front of the march was the greenhouse containing the globe of the Campaign against Climate Change, led by the 'Statue of Taking Liberties'. The march began at the Houses of Parliament to emphsize the need for a strong Climate Bill that will really cut emissions rather than simply fudge the issue with carbon trading and offsets, and went to Grosvenor Square, and US Embassy. America remains the major opposition to any progress over tackling the problem as well as being the worst per person emitter.

Among the marchers were numerous Santas, Reindeer, Polar Bears and a few elves as well as our favourite mermaid, reminding onlookers of the problem of the melting of polar ice and the resulting rise in sea level, as well as raising the spirits of the marchers.

Prominent in the march were groups of protesters carrying placards 'No Third Runway', protesting against the madness of airport expansion at Heathrow - as well as other protesters from Stanstead.

There were also large groups making clear that the crisis is a political one, caused by capitalism, and that political change is needed to solve it. Vegans were also present to point out that the farming of animals is a major world-wide source of carbon dioxide.

Although the speeches at the end of the rally showed some differences in approach to the problem, what was clear was a wide opinion behind urgent action and an end to government policies that continue the ruination of the environment.

More pictures shortly on 'My London Diary'  http://mylondondiary.co.uk which also has pictures of the Summer 2007 Climate Change demo - and most earlier Climate Change events in London since 2002.

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