Protesters marched through Sydney on September 24 to call on the Anthony Albanese Labor government to take urgent action to address the climate crisis. This demonstration took place as, for the second time this year, parts of New South Wales wasonce again suffering severe flooding.
The protest was initiated by Workers for Climate Action and demanded an urgent program of publicly-funded and owned renewable energy and funding for jobs and a just transition to rapidly cut emissions. It also opposed all new fossil fuel projects, including Kurri Kurri, Narrabri, Beetaloo and Scarborough; condemned gas corporation Santos’ attack on Gomeroi Native Title; and condemned the criminalisation of climate protesters.
Speakers included Wiradjuri, Yuin and Gadigal multi-disciplinary artist and activist Nadeena Dixon; Greens Senator David Shoebridge; Sarah Ellyard, from the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association; Marie Flood, from Sydney Knitting Nanas and Friends; Anastasia Shevchuk, from the Environmental Defenders Office; and Michael Wright, the acting national secretary of the Electrical Trades Union. A statement by Gomeroi woman Suellyn Tighe was read out when the march ended outside the HQ of Australian oil and gas corporation Santos.
School Strike for Climate organiser Kayla Hill co-chaired the rally with Caitlin Doyle from Workers for Climate Action.