Oxford Residents To Yet Again Protest Climate Change
Residents Look To March On The Capital With Hundreds of Thousands of Other Activists
Oxford looks to be involved for yet more climate change protests following the previous action in the city centre following weeks of previous climate change protests.
On April 15th, residents of the city will see marchers begin a 57-mile pilgrimage on the Capital to continue raging protests and strikes regarding Global Warming and Climate Change.
Following the raging success of the Youth Strike 4 Climate, whereby across two successive weeks, students were allowed to miss school to protest following a report made by the IPCC, giving humanity a mere 12 years to prevent global warming from increasing by 1.5 degrees Celsius. Nationwide protests were made simultaneously, with Oxford playing host to such protests.
On February 15th and March 15th, Bonn Square was the meeting point for hundreds of students coming together to raise awareness for the IPCC report. According to the Oxford Climate Justice Campaign, February’s march saw over 2,000 people congregate in the City Centre, with estimates for March’s protests gather around 1,000.
The marches were truly an amazing sight to behold, to see thousands of Oxford’s youths and future generations raise awareness for sophisticated and life-changing issues that, in truth, should not be the issues that younger generations are bestowed with. Not only were protests in Oxford, but reports suggested that protests happened in over 100 countries all simultaneously on the given Fridays, with very little evidence to suggest any protests look to stop.
Protestors were met by notable speakers and leaders of the marches, with important groups being present such as Oxford Young Greens, SESI Refill and Oxford’s branch of Extinction Rebellion, with the latter being the group organising the latest of strikes in the country.
According to Extinction Rebellion Oxford on Twitter, @XR_Oxford, April 12th will see Earth Marchers pass through the city, with marchers from the Extinction Rebellion group meeting up with the group and following the group on their journey to the Capital, alongside a send-off from protestors and residents alike who are not taking part in the protest in London. Oxford’s marchers should be joining up with a rumoured 100,000 people in London, who look to protest in iconic places such as Oxford Street and Edgware Road in a peaceful, civic protest.
Of course, issues come at hand for other residents of Oxford, for example, the ongoing congestion issues in and around the city centre. With thousands of people congregating around Bonn Square, just outside the Westgate shopping centre, tourists, shoppers and workers may find delays to their day. Moreover, a heavy police presence is expected in the city, with such a high volume of people in one small space brings a high terror threat level, along with perhaps opposers to the marchers on the day.
Whatever the case, residents of Oxford can be proud of the contribution that their city and their inhabitants are making towards making this planet a much better place. Moreover, there is hope that such a strong volume of people, city-wide, nationwide and worldwide, cause real change to take place in our planet regarding Climate Change and Global Warming, and that it is not too late to save our planet.
By Matt Warren
