More than 500 climate activists marched on the COP27 site to call for more climate justice and protection of human rights, following “majority consensus” that they would not use the space provided by the Egyptian presidency for protests.
Environmental organizations estimate that more than 500 people mobilized in Sharm el Sheikh for different protests that took place at the UN climate summit, which is taking place in that Egyptian city.
The demonstrators demanded financing commitments, that the damages and losses caused by climatic impacts be repaired, in addition to maintaining the objective of not exceeding a degree and a half of global warming.
As the coordinator of mobilizations of the Greenpeace association, Pablo Chamorro, explained to Efe, most of the actions and marches took place inside the COP27 headquarters, after a “majority consensus” of civil society not to use the place that in this climate summit – -contrary to the previous ones, where it was possible to protest in the street- it had been reserved for protests.
“We are very limited in terms of freedom of expression due to the guidelines established by the UN” to protest within the official zone of the summit, due to regulations that, for example, prevent the naming of specific governments, Chamorro explained.
The rules do not differ from those normally established by the UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – for protests at a climate summit, he added, but it is usual for demonstrations to take place in the street, so that activists They can claim what they want to consider important.
At this summit “everything was very limited in time, space, slogans…”, criticized Pedro Zorrilla, from Greenpeace, while the young activists who participated in the march also complained about the lack of freedom to raise their voices and request climate action from the countries gathered at COP27.
“We ask the countries of the Global North to pay for the losses and damages caused by climate change,” Indian activist Janmejai Tiwari, delegate of Global Young Greens, summarized to EFE, stating that he was satisfied with the number of people mobilized. today. to demonstrate with his group in Sharm el Sheikh, although he believes that, if they were able to demonstrate in the streets, there would have been “many more”.
Climate justice “cannot be achieved without human rights,” said Tiwari, who called for “the release of all political prisoners in Egypt,” estimated at some 60,000.
“We do not see enough pressure on mitigation actions,” explained Pablo Morente Acale, who traveled to Sharm el Sheikh with the Spanish delegation representing the Spanish Youth Council.
“We ask that the debt of the countries vulnerable to the climate crisis be cancelled, so that they can strengthen their economies,” he said, in addition to “more proactivity and strength in the negotiations” and expedite the processes for damages, considering aspects such as the mentality of the health, for example, because climate change has made young people lose the ability to project their future, he argued.
What the protesters would like, he added, is that the demonstrations, which “seem somewhat symbolic, but have a lot of power in a space like the United Nations,” also include part of government, scientific and other delegations.
Climate activist Irene Vivas, who is at COP27 with the Young Greens European delegation, also expressed the importance of protesting, despite the fact that “the Egyptian government does not want” protesters to be “in their streets” to exert pressure. on climate negotiations.
Source: TSF
