Posted on 12/05/2009 1:10:25 PM PST by Libloather
Londoners turn blue for climate protest
Updated: 07:30, Sunday December 6, 2009
Thousands of people have painted themselves blue and marched through central London to call for action on climate change.
Two days before a crucial climate summit begins in Copenhagen, protesters decked themselves out in blue facepaint, eyeshadow, wigs and stockings and converged on Big Ben on a grey Saturday afternoon.
Organisers said 40,000 people took part while the Metropolitan Police put numbers at 20,000. Demand action until blue in the face,' one placard read, while others said quit dirty coal'.
The peaceful protest stopped traffic as it moved from Grosvenor Square past landmarks like Trafalgar Square and the houses of parliament at Westminster.
Cheering participants greeted the 3pm chimes of Big Ben with a communal wave of hands - many of them painted blue.
Mary Hallaway, a 77-year-old who travelled from Cumbria for the march, said the Copenhagen conference - and tackling climate change - are of 'enormous importance' to her.
I'm worried about Copenhagen but I'm not despairing, Dr Hallaway, dressed in a blue jumper and brooch, told AAP.
I think it will take time, it's too important to give up.
Some protesters told AAP they admired Australian PM Kevin Rudd's stance on climate change, while others berated Australia for not doing enough to reduce emissions and fostering the coal industry.
Marchers bore placards saying 'ban domestic flights' and jeered when planes flew overhead. But the mood was generally cheerful and family-friendly as marchers chatted, carried children on their shoulders, rode bicycles and dressed up as pandas and mother earth.
What do we want, climate justice, when do we want it, now, they chanted.
A police spokesman said he was not aware of any incidents or arrests.
The march was organised by Stop Climate Chaos, a coalition of non-government organisations including Oxfam and Greenpeace. The coalition called on rich countries to cut carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 at Copenhagen - a more ambitious target than most leaders have accepted.
The Copenhagen summit, which runs for two weeks from Monday, is being held to forge a new agreement to tackle climate change.
That's proving a difficult task as countries struggle to agree on who should do what. The UK has taken a leading role in pushing for ambitious action on climate change, particularly on the hot topic of funding for poorer nations.
The EU has promised to cut emissions by 20 to 30 per cent by 2020, which is among the most ambitious pledges on the table for Copenhagen.
I never knew that the Smurfs were British.
"And, Dude!, when we've made the rich countries poor too, they won't be able to afford leather. Then they'll, like, have to buy our hemp belts and sandals!"
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! We're doomed I say, DOOOOOMed!
Very nice! LOL
I’m going back to work on this one.
I wait with anticipation!
Cute! OK not really. But funny!
Ooh! Some artifacts that need removing!
If you don’t believe in something, you’ll fall for anything.
I need new glasses! Aaaaahhhhh!
LoL not seiu, UIU
Useful idiots Unite!
AL’s Globull flaming mouth disease.
Socialist European Idiots Unite! (SEIU)
“We’re British, liberal and we’re all bloody stupid!!’’.
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