SEAD (Scottish Education and Action for Development)

On December 6th 2008, four hundred people from all over Scotland filled the streets of Glasgow to call for just solutions to climate change. The march, part of a Global Day of Action, was one of 70 international demonstrations coinciding with the UN Climate Talks in Poznan, Poland.

The Scottish event kicked off at the Amphitheatre on Clyde Street, on a sunny winter’s day, with samba beats and performance from the Glasgow Rebel Clown Army. The demonstrators then marched through Glasgow city centre, carrying banners and placards saying ‘It’s Time to Walk the Climate Talk’, ‘Stop Airport Expansion’, ‘Deliver a strong Scottish Climate Bill’ and chanting the slogan ‘Plan it for the Planet, Just Solutions Now’.

The march ended at Glasgow Caledonian University with music from ‘Protest in Harmony’ and speeches delivered by a range of campaigners, academics and trade unionists including: Billy Boyd, founder of Earth First! Scotland, Prof. Sue Roaf, internationally acclaimed eco-architect and Richard Leonard, GMB Scotland Political Officer.

After the rally, workshops gave demonstrators the opportunity to gain new campaigning skills. World Development Movement and Plane Stupid shared skills for political lobbying, whilst SEAD and Transition Towns offered the space for discussing ideas and getting support for community action to tackle climate change.

The event was organised by the Scottish Climate Change Campaign (SCCC), a group of activists that came together in response to the call for the Global Day of Action. SCCC will continue planning activities aiming to build a strong movement to tackle climate change across Scotland, in the run-up to the next round of international negotiations in Copenhagen, November 2009. These important talks are expected to reach a new global climate deal to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.

During the December 6th day of action, protesters from around the world were demanding that world leaders and their UN representatives take urgent action to prevent the catastrophic destabilisation of the global climate. The Global Climate Campaign urged for the entire world to ‘move as rapidly as possible to a stronger emissions reductions treaty which is both equitable and effective in minimising dangerous climate change.’

In Scotland, protesters were also calling on the Scottish Parliament to adopt a strong Climate Bill that would put the country at the forefront of the drive to bring down emissions and ensure climate justice for those in developing countries who are the most threatened by climate change.

To be kept up to date with SCCC activities and/or added to the discussion e-group, please email contact.sccc@googlemail.com or write to them at:

Scottish Climate Change Campaign
c/o Peace and Justice Centre
St John’s Church
Princes Street
Edinburgh EH2 4BJ

You can see some footage of the march on Youtube

This entry was posted on 12 January 2009 at 8:34 pm and is filed under General news, SOCC News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.