Nothing but a deal can save the planet: activists

By: Aregu Balleh on December 12th, 2009

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated today in Copenhagen to urge world leaders to push forward the climate-change negotiations that began on Monday.

The demonstrators gathered from non-governmental organizations and civil society groups from around the world and demanded world leaders to seal a legally binding climate change deal.

According to organizers of the demonstration, 70-80,000 participants marched from the city center to the Bella Centre, the venue hosting the UN climate conference.

“Climate justice now! Action now! Nature is not compromising! Save the planet now!” read some of the placards carried by the demonstrators.

Danish police had been preparing for days and were massively present both on the streets and above them in helicopters, ready to suppress any potential violence.

Rita Jere, an environment activist from Kenya said the demonstration was meant to convey a strong message to the developed nations.

Jere say these nations should accept their historic responsibility for climate change and save the world by signing the climate deal under negotiation.

She said that in Kenya drought linked to climate change has destabilized the whole economy and reduced people’s wellbeing, adding that it has now become an issue of national security.

“I am here to add my voice to the global movement that says that we need to reclaim our world from the greed and recklessness of the [profit-driven] powers of the world”

Demonstrators from Ethiopian civil society group joined the large crowd calling for an urgent climate deal.

“We Africans are already suffering from climate change impacts,” said Negash Teklu, from the Consortium of Population Health and Environment. “People are dying. So we are urging industrialized nations to come forward for a successful climate deal.”