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'Make the '60s look like a rehearsal'

Carmel McGlinchey & Paul Benedek, Brisbane

27 September 2008

“We need a genuine people’s movement like this planet has never seen”, Friends of the Earth’s Dr John Mackenzie told the launch of Climate Emergency Week at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) on September 22. “We need a global movement that will make the sixties look like a rehearsal!”

Fifty activists attended the event, which helped to plan the week of campus actions, a cycle demonstration, a rally, a festival and a picket of the “Coal ’08" conference.

The Change Agency’s James Whelan explained that some 20,000 such meetings were occurring around the world, laying the groundwork for a movement to address the climate emergency. Local climate group organiser Emma-Kate Rose described how Brisbane’s West End could be turned into a self-reliant neighbourhood where residents can work, play and live within walking distance.

Tristan Peach from Community Action for Sustainable Transport discussed alternative transport options, from public transport to guerrilla actions to paint bike lanes into areas lacking them. MacKenzie told the meeting: “Queensland is the biggest coal exporting state in the biggest coal exporting country in the world. We are literally at the coalface.”

Earlier that day, 20 activists occupied PM Kevin Rudd’s Morningside office with signs declaring, “Great Barrier Reef — not negotiable” and “Kevin Rudd — missing in climate action”.

On September 24, 20 QUT activists resisted the university management’s attempts to shut down their climate emergency campaign stall. Later that day, activists at the University of Queensland dressed up as the tooth fairy, Santa Claus and “clean coal”, all of which, they pointed out, “don’t exist”.

On September 25, students, local residents and Save the Mary River campaigners gathered at Griffith University’s Nathan campus to raise awareness of the dying river systems and other environmental issues. The afternoon concluded with an eco-political film festival.

On September 26, more than 50 supporters of alternative transport joined the “Coal-free Critical Mass”, one of the largest Critical Mass protests ever, involving bike riders, skateboarders and joggers. Chants, T-shirts and bike decorations highlighted the need to move beyond fossil fuel-based transportation.

The week of action culminated on September 28 with a rally, march and festival. To contact the Climate Emergency Network, email <climate.emergency@gmail.com>.