Global Day of Action

Oxfam protestors in Bali

Global Day of Action is a direct action protest format. Environmentalism initiatives begun to use it in 2005 in connection with Global Climate Campaign. They aimed to focus world attention on the anthropogenic effect that humans are having on global warming. Its main objective is to spearhead demands that elected representatives of their respective governments honor commitments set forth by the Kyoto Protocol, by conducting in unison peaceful demonstrations around the world. The demonstration, or rallies, are intended to coincide with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a meeting of world leaders from 189 nations, that meet annually to discuss climate change.

History

2005

In response to entering into force of the Kyoto Protocol, following ratification by Russia, on February 16, 2005, Global Day of Action rallies were first conducted on December 3, 2005 to coincide with the UNFCCC's First Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, or MOP 1, in Montreal, Canada. The following year on November 3 and 11, 2006, rallies were conducted again when the UNFCCC convened for the Second Meeting of Parties, or MOP 2, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Locations of demonstrations in 2005

1. Sydney (Australia)
2. Bangladesh
3. Brazil
4. Sofia (Bulgaria)
5. Halifax (Canada) - organized by Zoë Caron, Co-author of Climate Change for Dummies, and Aliza Weller, Ecology Action Centre
6. Montreal (Canada)
7. Chile
8. Congo (Democratic Republic of)
9. Zagreb (Croatia)
10. Helsinki (Finland)
11. Paris (France)
12. Berlin (Germany)
13. Athens (Greece)
14. Dublin (Ireland)
15. Indonesia
16. Italy
17. Japan
18. Mexico
19. Wellington (New Zealand)
20. Nicaragua
21. Oslo (Norway)
22. Peru
23. Manila (Philippines)
24. Lisbon (Portugal)
25. Romania
26. Moscow (Russia)
27. South Africa
28. Barcelona (Spain)
29. Istanbul (Turkey)
30. Uganda
31. London (England)
32. Edinburgh (Scotland)
33. Belfast (Northern Ireland)
34. United States
35. Venezuela

2007

Protesters in Toronto, Canada

David Suzuki speaks at the 2007 event in Vancouver. The protester's sign denounces the Gateway Program.

The most recent Global Day of Action event, entitled Kyoto Now!, occurred on December 8, 2007 to coincide with the UNFCCC's conference, otherwise known as COP 13/MOP 3, convening Dec 3-14, 2007 in Bali, Indonesia. Numerous groups and coalitions, as well as independent grassroots efforts, were organized in over eighty countries worldwide to march in open rallies in support of this initiative. Chief among them was Campaign against Climate Change, Stop Climate Chaos and Greenpeace.

There were citizens in 84^[1] countries - fifty more than the first year - participating in simultaneous rallies and marches around the world. Industrialized, G8 nations like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, UK, and USA had multiple rallies - 36 in Canada alone - being planned in cities nationwide.

In Athens, a Saturday demonstration featured music, juggling and stilt-walking acts, with traffic being interrupted around Syntagma Square by the 102 organizations taking part^[2] . In Taiwan, about 1,500 people marched through the streets holding banners and placards saying "No to carbon dioxide^[3] ." Toronto activists also congested its main thoroughfare of Yonge Street, with an estimated 2000-3000 marchers,^[4] although another report estimated 500.^[5] Speaking at that event under a sunny sky, which began at Dundas Square, was NDP federal party leader Jack Layton, and an impassioned and well received speech, in both French and English, by 12-year-old Misha Hamu.^[6] Elsewhere in Canada, a mock funeral was conducted in Edmonton,^[7] where black-clad protesters sang songs and gave eulogies over a long black coffin, and David Suzuki spoke at a rally in Vancouver.

In Bangalore,^[8] more than 1000 volunteers of Greenpeace descended on M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, dressed head to toe in yellow, holding up a large number of placards with climate messages, making human art formations and wearing fun masks. Greenpeace Southeast Asia,^[9] Thailand celebrated their event by releasing their new edition of Save the Climate Handbook at Chatuchak weekend market, which also featured a demonstration clinic on solar energy. In Istanbul there was over 7000^[10] participants rallying under a clear blue sky.

In Berlin, German ice sculpture artist Christian Funk, carved a polar bear out of 15 tons of ice in front of the Brandenburg Gate on December 7, 2007, in honor of the protest. Measuring 4m x 4m x 1.5m, it was on display all the following day as it slowly melted.^[11] In London over 10,000^[12] supporters turned out in the rain carrying placards denouncing a planned expansion at Heathrow Airport of a third runway.^[13]

Locations of demonstrations in 2007

1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Argentina
4. Australia
5. Austria
6. Bangladesh
7. Belarus
8. Belgium
9. Benin
10. Bermuda
11. Bolivia
12. Brazil
13. Bulgaria
14. Burundi
15. Cameroon
16. Canada
17. Colombia
18. Congo (DR)
19. Costa Rica
20. Croatia
21. Czech Republic
22. Denmark
23. Egypt
24. Finland
25. France
26. Germany
27. Ghana
28. Greece
29. Guinea
30. Iceland
31. India
32. Indonesia
33. Ireland
34. Italy
35. Japan
36. Jordan
37. Kenya
38. Lebanon
39. Liberia
40. Macedonia
41. Malta
42. Mexico
43. Morocco
44. Nepal
45. Netherlands
46. New Caledonia
47. New Zealand
48. Nicaragua
49. Nigeria
50. Northern Ireland
51. Norway
52. Pakistan
53. Palestine
54. Panama
55. Paraguay
56. Philippines
57. Poland
58. Portugal
59. Puerto Rico
60. Romania
61. Russia
62. Scotland
63. Senegal
64. Serbia
65. Sierra Leone
66. Singapore
67. Slovenia
68. South Africa
69. South Korea
70. Spain
71. Sri Lanka
72. Sweden
73. Switzerland
74. Taiwan
75. Tanzania
76. Thailand
77. Togo
78. Turkey
79. Uganda
80. Ukraine
81. United Arab Emirates
82. United Kingdom
83. United States
84. Uruguay

See also

• Campaign against Climate Change
• An Inconvenient Truth
• Climate change
• Earth Day
• Global Campaign for Climate Action
• International Day of Climate Action
• Individual and political action on climate change
• World Environment Day

References

1. "Global Climate Campaign". International Demonstrations on Climate Change. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
2. "ANA-MPA © (2004-2005)". Action Against Climate Change rally in Athens. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
3. "Brian Gray, Sun Media, 2007-12-02 © (2007), Canoe Inc.". TO joins world for climate rally. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
4. Estimate according to Toronto Police and Security Services measuring the percentage of Dundas Square being occupied at the time of the demonstration
5. TO joins world for climate rally: Protesters urge stronger action, By Brian Gray - Sun Media, Dec. 9, 2007
6. Activists gather in T.O. for climate change rally - toronto.ctv.ca
7. Mock funeral for Mother Earth - Edmonton Sun, Dec. 8, 2007
8. Greenpeace volunteers paint Chinnaswamy stadium yellow, December 8, 2007
9. Global Day of Action on climate change - Greenpeace
10. Global Action Group (KEG)
11. CBS News
12. Campaign against Climate Change
13. BBC News

External links

• Global Climate Campaign
• Campaign against Climate Change
• Stop Climate Chaos
• Stop Climate Chaos - Canada
• Greenpeace