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Several hundred people marched through the streets of Parramatta for climate action on January 14 in one of the largest rallies there in years.

As catastrophic bushfires continue and the climate emergency escalates, speakers called on Western Sydney councils, including Parramatta, to declare a climate emergency, for a swift transition away from fossil-fuels to renewable energy and for proper support and funding for firefighters.

The first Activist Report for 2020 focuses on the huge climate rallies across Australia on January 10, instigated by University Students for Climate Justice.

As the country has been engulfed in catastrophic bushfires for weeks with lives lost, homes and businesses destroyed and air quality readings in cities reaching toxic levels it was no surprise that so many people attended.

There was palpable anger towards Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his refusal to take action on the climate emergency. Anti-Morrison chants spread through the marches like wildfire.

As the bushfire emergency drags on, with large parts of the country devastated, unions are demanding the government provide greater support for the firefighters, more assistance to the affected communities and to confront the climate change reality.

Australia Institute poll Jan 2020

Poll results released on January 9 by the Australia Institute think tank show that even before the bush fire emergency peak around the week following New Year's eve,  66% of people in Australia believe the country "is facing a climate change emergency and should take emergency action".

Around 100 people formed a circle at the Queen Victoria Building on January 5 to call for urgent government intervention on the fire emergency, support for the firefighters, and real action to combat climate change. The vigil was organised by Extinction Rebellion Sydney.

XR vigil outside NSW Parliament

Sydney Extinction rebellion began an indefinite vigil outside NSW Parliament House on January 6 to demand that the NSW and federal governments declare a climate and ecological emergency.

"Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the fire crisis had escalated to an unprecedented level.

East Gippsland is one region among many affected by disastrous bushfires. Three quarters of it — stretching about 250 km from west to east and 150 km from south to north — has been burned as I write this: about 700,000 hectares.

Bill Ryan, one of Australia's foremost environmental activists, has died in Sydney at the age of 97.

Climate activists, led by School Strike 4 Climate, protested and set up tents outside Kirribilli House to demand Prime Minister Scott Morrison return from his holiday and take action on the climate emergency and catastrophic bushfires.

Then the police moved in.

Video: Zebedee Parkes

Extinction Rebellion hosted a graduation march on December 11 for current, past and future graduates and their families and supporters to take a symbolic stand for climate action.

"This march is an opportunity for emerging professionals to declare they will not sit idle as the climate crisis looms, but will approach their lives with the health of the planet at the forefront of their minds," according to the event description.

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