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I have a confession to make. I was a no show at the XR protest outside the BP building in the Melbourne CBD this morning. Despite my good intentions.
I was hanging out to go, to help convey to Australia's biggest coal producer that its days are numbered. And via today's dress rehearsal to put BP on notice that the blockade planned for the
International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne (28 -31 October) is going to be a whopper.
I knew there was a 7.30 start this morning, but as the protest was scheduled to finish around noon I reckoned a 9.30 arrival was safe. Wrong! This was the scene that greeted me on arrival at the BHP building:
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Luca (left) had miscalculated too. The security guard was helpful, explaining that we had missed the protest, which had only just ended. But he had no idea where the activists were heading next. Disconsolate, we wandered down to the intersection, where we ran into 2 other latecomers:
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After a few turns around the intersection, and no luck finding the protestors, we decided to make our way to
base camp at Carlton Gardens. And this proved a very good move.
Luca, who is new to XR, got to meet Jane Morton, a spokesperson for XR, who plays a primary role liaising with the media:
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I got to soak up the atmosphere of the camp, home to so many activists and their families this very big week. It was great to get to talk with some of them. There has been some rain, and the weather has been changeable, so camping out hasn't always been easy, especially at the end of long sessions of protesting or blockading. But peoples' spirits seemed high, the setting is glorious, and the services are in place for those needing medical or emotional support.
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The XR Spring Rebellion has a further two full days to run, so if you haven't done so yet, get on down. I can recommend Carlton Gardens as a good place to start.
And one thing I know for sure is that at the IMARC Blockade later this month, I will be first to arrive!
4 Comments:
Well done, great photos. Let's hope the climate change message is starting to get through. Vive la rebellion.
Thank you very much for your comment. The reaction from a lot of the media and the public has been very heartening as the Spring Rebellion has unfolded.
So heartening to see momentum building. Bravo XR! Thanks for sharing , Sue!
Yes, it sure is great to see so many people standing up to be counted. Thank you for your comment Donna.
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