Drumming and chanting could be heard downtown on September 20 as people in the community gathered to have their voices heard during the Global Climate Strike.
Between the old court house and Kumsheen Park, members of the community gathered to make signs and come together to speak up about the urgency of climate action.
Trevor Hamre organized the march from the old court house to Kumsheen Park where Fridays for Futures, a student-led group, had their strike. Hamre spoke to people striking, along with NDP incumbent MP Wayne Stetski and Kootenay-Columbia Green Party candidate Abra Brynne. Youth and adults spoke at the gathering. People were also given the chance to make signs and information was available about climate action.
When the gathering at Kumsheen Park ended, people marched once again through downtown to the old court house, where some people hosted a free market, Jita’s Cafe gave away free soup and cookies, and chalk drawings covered the sidewalk. Everyone was invited to vote on a list of demands that were most important to them, which will be shortlisted into 10 demands.
The afternoon was wrapped up with speakers and drumming at the old court house. The Global Climate Strike is a worldwide action happening between September 20 and 27 to coincide with the UN’s climate emergency summit. The strike is intended to show politicians what action in line with climate science means. The Global Climate Strike and Fridays for Future were inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg after she began striking from school every Friday to protest climate inaction more than a year ago.
